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      Former Man Utd director Dan Ashworth ‘lands new job outside football weeks after brutal sacking by Sir Jim Ratcliffe’

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      DAN ASHWORTH has found a new role in a new sport after leaving Manchester United in December.Ashworth, 53, left his role as sporting director with the Red Devils just five months after being appointed last year.Dan Ashworth has found a new job after leaving Manchester UnitedCredit: GettyThe former Newcastle United and Brighton director had been a long-term target for Man Utd as they began their new era under Sir Jim Ratcliffe.But after a lengthy battle to secure his services, and over £3million in compensation payments to Newcastle, Ashworth was out of the door after less than half a year.And now the ex-FA director has found himself a new job, somewhere far away from Man Utd and football as a whole.Ashworth has taken up an advisory role with Warwickshire County Cricket Club, according to The Times.READ MORE ON MAN UTDHe has been involved with the cricket club since 2021, having held an honorary role on their audit committee for over three years.That role is said to have involved oversight of what Warwickshire call their “elite teams and high-performance structure”.Warwickshire are also set to announce a new performance director in the coming days.However, Ashworth is understood to not be in consideration for that role.Most read in FootballAshworth is taking up an advisor role with Warwickshire County Cricket ClubCredit: RexCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSIt’s reported that the salary on offer for the role would fall well short of the money he has made through his previous jobs in football.Instead Ashworth will work as a voluntary advisor.Ruben Amorim admits Man Utd were invisible in first half at Everton Last week it was revealed Man Utd had spent £4.1MILLION on Ashworth’s exit from the club, in a report of the club’s accounts.United also confirmed that they had spent £10.4MILLION on the sacking of manager Erik ten Hag and his team. More

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      Since I arrived in LA we’ve had wildfires, earthquake, power cuts and personal ‘bad experience’, admits Olivier Giroud

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      OLIVIER GIROUD always wished to finish his career in  California — but life has not quite been the dream he imagined so far.The Frenchman suits Los Angeles, sitting in the sun after training at LAFC’s impressive facility, east of the beaches and palm trees of America’s West Coast.Olivier Giroud joined LAFC last summerCredit: SuppliedHe has had to deal with devastating wildfires in the areaCredit: APGiroud spent six years at ArsenalCredit: AFP or licensorsHe won the Champions League at ChelseaCredit: GettyBut Giroud has faced an awful lot of challenges since arriving from AC Milan last summer.A number of LAFC team-mates and staff were put on evacuation alert during January’s devastating wildfires which destroyed more than 18,000 homes.The club have helped raise funds to support those who were displaced, while striker Giroud has donated possessions.There have been powercuts, earthquakes and the Giroud family home was even burgled earlier this month.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLGiroud said: “Since I arrived in LA last summer, we had three power outages in five days of ten, 12 and 15 hours.“There was a massive earthquake when we were at the training ground. There were all the fires. It was a really sad situation. People lost everything.“We thank the first responders and firefighters who did an amazing job. It made me really sad. I was scared.“I also had a personal bad experience. Hopefully, there will be better days up front. It’s part of life.Most read in Football“Sometimes you have great days and sometimes tough moments.“It was a wish to finish here in the US and to give this opportunity to my kids to discover another way of life.”Lionel Messi finally puts ‘cold Tuesday night in Stoke’ theory to bed by running the show in -17 degrees temperatures Giroud’s career by numbersHere is a look at Oliver Giroud’s career…Grenoble, 2005–2008Appearances – 26Goals – 2Istres, 2007–2008 loanAppearances – 34Goals – 14Tours, 2008–2010 and 2010 loanAppearances – 69Goals – 38Montpellier, 2010–2012Appearances – 85Goals – 39Arsenal, 2012–2018Appearances – 253Goals – 105Chelsea, 2018–2021Appearances – 119Goals – 39AC Milan – 2021–2024Appearances – 132Goals – 49Los Angeles FCAppearances – 21Goals – 2Honours:Ligue 1 x1, FA Cup x4, Champions League x1, Europa League x1, Serie A x1, US Open Cup x1, Fifa World Cup x1, Despite all the challenges, Giroud is fully embracing California and Major League Soccer.The 38-year-old, who started out with French side Grenoble two decades ago and has taken in London and Milan along his journey, is more than content with life — despite a dramatic six months.He added: “It reminds me a bit of London. I lived nine years in  London and I really enjoy this city. “You can do a lot of things with the family. Plus you have the ocean side, which is really nice. “It’s a bit far from Europe but I like the lifestyle and visiting other parts of the US.“I brought the family to different places in California, but I really want to go to Hawaii and San Francisco. “I took them to Las Vegas, San Diego. Maybe also New York, if I can, for a break.“It’s sunny almost every single day. You feel far from home, like on holiday every single day. It’s not holiday time yet but maybe in a couple of years.“I’m really here to bring my experience to the team and to keep playing to win.“I’m a competitor and I said I’m coming in MLS to always give my best and achieve.”One sticking point of his new life in LA is keeping up with events back in the Premier League.As Giroud says, “it is a long way from Europe”, with English early games on a Saturday kicking off at 4.30am here.That has, at least, allowed him to sleep through some of Arsenal’s recent struggles. But despite the Gunners looking like falling short of a title once again, Giroud’s confidence in former team-mate Mikel Arteta is unshakeable.Giroud said of Arsenal’s Spanish manager: “He’s done a great job in the last few years.“I would say in a different style, but in a continuity of what Arsene Wenger did.“He’s had time to make the team improve, to set up his ideas.  He’s one of the best managers in Europe now.“He’s shown it. He brought Arsenal back to the top of the league, almost. I would love to see them win the title.“Mikel will never give up. I wish them to win.”One of the biggest factors holding Arsenal back has been their lack of a No 9.READ MORE SUN STORIESBut France’s all-time top scorer with 57 goals, who also bagged 105  for the Gunners, did not consider a Thierry Henry-style return to North London from MLS.He said: “No, I’m getting old. I’ll turn 39 soon.”Giroud has ruled out a Thierry Henry-style loan back to ArsenalCredit: AFP More

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      Newcastle stadium update as chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan flies in to make final decision on St James’ Park

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      YASIR AL-RUMAYYAN has flown into Newcastle to make the final decision on the club’s stadium.The Magpies are assessing their options over whether to redevelop the iconic ground or move to a new stadium.Yasir Al-Rumayyan will make the final decision on St James’ ParkCredit: ReutersThe club are evaluating the future of their stadiumCredit: AFPThe site for the potential new ground would not be far away and would overlap the current ground’s Leazes and Milburn Stands.The rest of it would stand over what is currently part of Leazes Park.It has been claimed that it would boast a capacity of 70,000 while a redeveloped St James’ Park would rise to 60,000.The Telegraph has reported that the chairman was in a meeting on Monday over the plans.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLIt has claimed that the move to a new stadium has been presented to Al-Rumayyan.The report suggests that the new-build is the “preferred option” with the “benefits being explained” to him.However, it is not expected that a final decision is yet to be made.Earlier this month it was hoped that Newcastle could continue to play at St James’ Park while work takes place.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSA temporary relocation has not been ruled out, but a groundshare with arch-rivals is out of the question.The most realistic option would be to play at Murrayfield in Edinburgh, around 120 miles away and in Scotland.Premier League stadium given subtle makeover during international breakThe Gallowgate End could be renovated if the club stays at St James’ ParkNewcastle’s new stadium could be built adjacent to the current groundA suggested completion date if building a new stadium was chosen would be ahead of the 2031-32 season.If the new stadium is built and is the suggested capacity of 70,000 then it would be one of the biggest in the country.It would be the second-biggest club football stadium in the country only behind Manchester United’s Old Trafford.A new-build would see the Magpies follow a similar path to Tottenham, who build on owned land adjacent to their former ground.Toon have been playing at their home stadium since 1892, with the 52,000-seater located at the heart of town.St James’ Park has been home to Newcastle since 1892Credit: Getty More

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      ‘I didn’t say that you clown’ – Jamie Carragher and Rio Ferdinand locked in row over Sky Sports pundit’s Salah comments

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      JAMIE Carragher branded Rio Ferdinand a “clown” amid a heated row over the Liverpool legend’s comments about the Africa Cup of Nations.Carragher, 47, spoke on Sky Sports after his former team’s 2-0 win at Manchester City and appeared to suggest that playing at Afcon worked against Mo Salah’s chances of winning the Ballon d’Or.Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher landed in hot water over comments regarding the Africa Cup of NationsCarragher suggested Afcon doesn’t help Liverpool star Mohamed Salah’s claim for the Ballon d’OrCredit: GettyCarragher branded Rio Ferdinand a ‘clown’ after he criticised his Afcon commentsCredit: RexThe legendary centre-back hinted that the Egypt international is at a disadvantage compared to Real Madrid superstars Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr.Carragher said on Sky Sports: “I think the problem [is] the fact he’s with Egypt, and he’s probably not playing in the major tournament as such or maybe got a great chance of winning, I think it’s either the Champions League or the major tournament [that influences who wins the Ballon d’Or].”Normally, the player who excels in that, like Vini Jr and Mbappe right now, Real Madrid looking really good going for the Champions League. “Liverpool will be in that conversation, but right now [Real] is certainly the front runner.”Read More on FootballBut fellow pundits Micah Richards and Daniel Sturridge chimed in to correct Carragher by insisting Afcon is a major tournament.Richards said: “Just to say, AFCON is a major tournament because a lot of people are at home saying, ‘They aren’t taking it seriously’. AFCON is a major tournament, just so you know.”Carragher asked the Man City hero if he thought Egypt had a chance of winning the World Cup. Richards replied: “No, but AFCON is big, isn’t it? You remember when he and [Sadio] Mane were going for it and…”Most read in FootballAnd Carragher interrupted the former defender by complaining:”Oh God.”Sturridge jumped in by stating it’s a “fact” that Afcon is at the same level as the Euros or Copa America. ‘Oh, God… did he say that?’ – Pep Guardiola left in disbelief at Jamie Carragher’s ‘not nice and not true’ claimThe ex-Liverpool star said: “It’s a fact. It’s a fact. It’s a fact. If you win the Euros or if you win Copa America it’s deemed to be big so the AFCON is at the same level.”Ferdinand, 46, caught wind of Carragher’s statement and argued that sort of thought process is “ignorant”.The Man Utd legend claimed he understood what his ex-England team-mate was trying to say but insists Fifa needs to work on promoting Afcon exactly like the Euros and Copa America.Ferdinand said on his Rio Presents podcast: “I think that comment is representative of the majority of the people out there. But I don’t think that’s right. It’s an ignorant thought process. “If you go to Didier Drogba, Abedi Pele, Samuel Eto’o, Riyad Mahrez, Mo Salah or Sadio Mane, they’ll tell you, ‘We have to win this’ – it’s a demand in their countries to win this.”Yes, it doesn’t get backed resources wise like the Euros etc, but that doesn’t mean you have to devalue it. It’s a continent of huge power. A continent that contributes to European football through players massively. It should be respected more than it is.Carragher slams Ferdinand”I understand what Jamie’s saying but I don’t agree with it. That’s the majority’s fault, if we’re honest, and its not right. “I think the federations like FIFA need to make sure they implement a way of thinking and language around Afcon so it equals the Euros and the Copa America.”Jamie is right in what he is saying because that is what happens. If Mo Salah won Afcon that would have no bearing on anyone when they vote for the Ballon d’Or, which is absolutely wrong.”Carragher heard what Ferdinand had to say on Instagram and hit back with a fiery response on the comments’ section.The Liverpool great branded his fellow Premier League hero a “clown” as he insisted his words were taken out of context.Carragher responded: “I didn’t say that you clown. Stop playing to the gallery like you always do.”Setting the record straightThe former centre-back tried to set the record straight with a lengthy post on Twitter.Carragher tweeted: “The point I was trying to make yesterday was that Mo Salah is at a disadvantage playing for Egypt in terms of him winning the Balon D’or.”If Salah had an average season at LFC but won the AFCON & was MVP I don’t think he would win the Ballon d’Or. Because I don’t think AFCON carries the weight of other tournaments.”But if Mbappe had an average season at Real Madrid but won the World Cup/Euros he would still have a great opportunity.”It’s not just about certain tournaments, [Andriy] Shevchenko (Ukraine), [Robert] Lewandowski (Poland) were never going to win the WC/Euros to help their case for the prize. I don’t think it’s controversial at all really it’s just a fact.”I know Mane came 2nd a few years back after winning the tournament but that alone wouldn’t have got him to that position, it was LFC being two games away from a quadruple that played a big role also.”It’s not disrespectful if I feel the WC/Euros/CP are better tournaments it’s just my opinion when I watch them. Saying it wasn’t a major competition was clumsy but I think most people watching could understand the point I was trying to make.READ MORE SUN STORIES”The face I pulled when Micah interjected was nothing to do with the merits of the tournament, I just knew as soon as he did what the reaction was going to be! I get a lot people didn’t like what I said & that’s fine.”I don’t normally respond to things on here with posts like this butI decided to tweet in the end after seeing so many phoneys jumping on the bandwagon & playing to the gallery when they knew what I meant. Good luck MO you little dancer.” More

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      It’s grim down south as London’s so-called football elite lose out again and keep the capital a trophy-free zone

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      FROM Hackney Marshes to Wembley Stadium, London is a city which eats, sleeps and breathes football.Forget the supposed heartlands and  hotbeds of the north, England’s capital boasts more professional clubs than any metropolis outside South America — 16 of them in the top five tiers, with seven in the Premier League.Arteta’s hopes of domestic silverware look to have gone againCredit: RexMaresca has a long way to go to make Chelsea top boys once againCredit: GettyAnge’s hopes of a trophy rest with the Europa LeagueCredit: GettyYet Erik ten Hag won more silverware during his dismal Manchester United reign than the whole of London put together.And after a major February meltdown, it’s highly likely that no London club  will lift a domestic trophy for a fifth  consecutive season.Arsenal have blown another title, the Gunners and Spurs lost the League Cup semi-finals, while only Fulham, Crystal Palace and Millwall remain in  the FA Cup — with none of them having previously lifted the trophy.Arsenal don’t have a striker and don’t have any discipline, Chelsea’s owners have spent a billion and don’t have any senior players, while Tottenham don’t even want to be referred to as Tottenham any more.READ MORE FOOTBALLWest Ham are the worst Premier League team in the capital after sacking their best manager in decades — and David Moyes is the only boss to have won a major trophy for a London club in front of a full stadium since 2018. If Uefa’s Conference League even counts.Chelsea won the Champions League in front of a post-pandemic sprinkling of supporters in 2021 but the Blues have lost six successive Wembley finals, while Arsenal haven’t  won the title since 2004 and Spurs have won nothing since 2008.So with London such a des res for footballers, and with more than a third  of the Premier League based in the  capital, why do all major domestic  trophies head north?The winner of next month’s Carabao Cup final between Liverpool and Newcastle will be the 14th consecutive English trophy-winner from north of Watford.Most read in FootballOne common factor, a perennial  problem for all of the capital’s clubs, is the sheer weight of derby fixtures.How Mo Salah bamboozled Man City with genius ‘backpedal trick’Derbies tend to be levellers which take their toll — and while Arsenal are top of this season’s London derby table, they have lost at home to West Ham twice in succession and failed to beat Fulham this term or last.Since the exits of Arsene Wenger and Roman Abramovich — the two most  influential figures in London football over the previous half-century — the city is becoming a trophy-free zone.Wenger took the Premier League by storm with his genius during his early years at Arsenal — and kept winning FA Cups even in his dog days.By then, Vladimir Putin’s pal  Abramovich had arrived at Stamford Bridge and, as Arsenal director David Dein put it, “parked his Russian tank in our front garden and fired £50 notes at us” — before we’d even heard of FFP or PSR.With Manchester City in meltdown, this ought to have been Arsenal’s time for a first title since Wenger’s heyday. Yet five red cards have cost them up to ten points and the lack of a fit striker, or any authentic No 9, means their chances of catching Liverpool were always remote.Under Abramovich, Chelsea collected five Premier League titles and the only two European Cups ever won by any London club.Since he scarpered into exile, the Blues have become prisoners of their own dogmatic business model — signing young players on extremely long contracts, with no senior pros to guide them.Now Cole Palmer, the 22-year-old who has carried the club for 18 months, faces another season without Champions League football.And with six years to run on his Blues deal, a player who sees himself as Ballon d’Or material might soon be getting itchy feet. A Conference League title won’t cut it.Then there’s the football club formerly known as Tottenham who, in a bizarre missive, requested broadcasters no longer refer to them as “Tottenham”, only as “Spurs” or by their full name, Tottenham Hotspur.We knew Ange Postecoglou’s men were having a poor season but we didn’t realise they needed to seek a new identity under the witness  protection programme.All in all, it’s grim down south.Pep Guardiola made the north football’s dominant region – and Arne Slot is making sure things stay that wayCredit: RexEven Erik ten Hag lifted two trophies as Man Utd bossCredit: ReutersDIFFERENT LEAGUELAST season, the clubs promoted to the Premier League all went back down.While two of those relegated to the Championship came straight up and the third, Leeds, lost the play-off final.This term, the three promoted clubs look relegation certs.And all three were  hammered at home this weekend by an aggregate scoreline of 12-1.Opposition players aren’t even properly  celebrating their goals against Southampton or Leicester any more.Meanwhile two of last season’s relegated clubs — Sheffield United  and Burnley — sit in  the Championship’s top three, along with Leeds.If it seems the gap between the top two divisions is widening again, then how on Earth do you explain the plight of Luton Town?The Hatters  made a decent stab at top-flight survival last year but are rock-bottom of the Championship right now.Luton could be set for two drops in a rowCredit: RexASH CLOUDOVERTURNING the injury-time penalty awarded to Everton’s Ashley Young against Manchester United proves the supposed VAR ‘high bar’ has been forgotten and matches are again being re-refereed from Stockley Park.And, after ref Andy Madley had made an honest, instinctive on-field decision on a 50-50 call in awarding the spot-kick, it’s also possible his VAR might have had time to take into account Young’s previous for taking a tumble.Which wouldn’t be right.Ashley Young thought Everton had won a penalty against his old sideCredit: GettyLEAKY BUM TIMEIF you thought Manchester United were bad on the pitch, consider the mess behind the scenes.Chief executive Omar Berrada is threatening to sack any United employees who turn whistle-blower and leak news of plans to axe even more staff.These job cuts will help pay for billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s disastrous decision to offer a new contract to Erik ten Hag, then sack him, and to poach sporting director  Dan Ashworth from Newcastle, only to fall out with him and pay him off five months later.Ratcliffe’s chum Sir Dave Brailsford is apparently sick of hearing about the Sir Alex Ferguson era.Brailsford reckons it puts unfair pressure on the Ratcliffe regime to mention that, under Fergie, United dominated the English game, winning 13 Prem titles and two European Cups.In which case, why didn’t Ratcliffe buy a club which had never won so much as a raffle prize, and run that one into the ground instead?Ratcliffe and Berrada are trying to stop the leaksCredit: GettyHOME RULE?YOU’VE got to turn your home stadium into a fortress because it’s always tough to win  on the road in the Premier League, isn’t it?Well, hardly any tougher than winning  at home, actually.READ MORE SUN STORIESThere were seven away wins in the top flight this weekend, meaning a total of 101 home victories and 95 away successes this season.With plenty of teams enjoying success on the counter-attack, with defensive ‘low blocks’ difficult to break down and away ends invariably out-singing home fans, home advantage is a thing of the past. 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      Galatasaray accuse Jose Mourinho of making ‘racist comments’ and will file criminal complaint against Fenerbahce boss

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      GALATASARAY have vowed to file a criminal complaint against Jose Mourinho amid claims he made “racist statements” after Monday’s Istanbul derby.Mourinho’s Fenerbahce side drew 0-0 away with their bitter rivals but the match was overshadowed by allegations of racism.Jose Mourinho in his post-match press conference following the Istanbul derbyCredit: GettyMonday’s huge derby between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce ended goallessCredit: GettyMourinho was not happy with how Galatasaray behavedCredit: GettyFormer Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham boss Mourinho claimed after the stalemate that Galatasaray had tried to get one of his team booked early on.He told a press conference that “everyone on the opposing bench was jumping around like monkeys”.Galatasaray immediately hit back and accused the Portuguese manager, 62, of “regularly using derogatory words towards the Turkish people” since moving to Istanbul.In a damning statement, accompanied by a #SayNoToRacism tag, the reigning Turkish champions added: “[He] has now added inhumane rhetoric to his immoral statements.READ MORE ON FOOTBALL”We would like to inform you that we will file a criminal complaint with the prosecutor’s office and that we will also file a complaint with UEFA and FIFA regarding these racist statements against Jose Mourinho.”Furthermore, we shall diligently observe the stance adopted by Fenerbahce — an institution professing to uphold ‘exemplary moral values’— in response to the reprehensible conduct exhibited by their manager.”In his post-match press conference, Mourinho claimed Galatasary players had played for a draw and tried to get one of his players a yellow card.Praising Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic, who was reportedly drafted in from abroad following a string of controversies surrounding Turkish officials, Mourinho said: “The reason this was a good match was because of the referee’s performance.Most read in Football”He had enough honesty to manage this match well. They tried to get a yellow card for our 18-year-old player from the first minute, but the referee managed the game well.”However, it was his comments that followed which are believed to have caused uproar.Istanbul derby SUSPENDED as Fenerbahce fans throw flares into Galatasaray end and police forced to interveneMourinho continued: “In the situation I mentioned, everyone on the opposing bench was jumping around like monkeys.”If it were a Turkish referee, they would have immediately given the card, and I would have had to take the player off in a minute.”It was a great match for him.””After the match, I went to the referee’s room. I said to the first referee, ‘Thank you for managing this big match well.’ “I said to the [Turkish] fourth official, ‘If it was you, this match would have been a disaster’. It was a very, very good match in terms of emotion and competition.”Mourinho is yet to respond to the allegations made against him. The former Man Utd boss has previously spoken out on how football is plagued by racist incidents.Fenerbahce’s supporters hurled red flares into the Galatasaray endCredit: AFPJose and opposite number Buruk enjoy a friendly handshake before kick-offCredit: GettyThe feisty derby saw seven yellow cards dished out, and the match was also stopped momentarily when Fenerbahce fans launched flares into the home fans beneath them.Some 30,000 police officers were believed to be on duty for Monday night’s match.Galatasaray star Victor Osimhen later shared his club’s statement to his Instagram story.Mourinho had previously criticised Osimhen for his on-pitch antics, labelling him a fantastic player, but claiming he “dives too much”.Galatasaray boss Okan Buruk later took aim at the “Special One” for going into the referee’s dressing room to talk to him.Buruk said: “Mourinho took a long time to cry. The Crying One… He’s famous for crying. He went into the referee’s room and cried. Let him keep crying.”Mourinho entered the referee’s room. It is very wrong for him to speak insultingly to the Turkish referee. He said that if they were the ones managing, it would be like this. “This is very wrong. I cannot believe that he is humiliating the Turkish referees so much, I condemn it.”READ MORE SUN STORIESFormer Porto, Real Madrid and Inter Milan boss Mourinho took over at Fenerbahce last year. Monday’s result leaves them in second place, six points behind Galatasaray with 12 Super Lig games remaining. More

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      Cole Palmer humiliates Chelsea team-mates in training ground fitness test despite fears England star could face burnout

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      COLE PALMER is used to mopping the floor with Premier League opponents.And the Chelsea star has been so angry with recent results that he is now taking his own team-mates to the cleaners – by dominating fitness tests at Cobham.Cole Palmer has consistently featured in Chelsea’s starting line-upCredit: RexThere were fears Chelsea star Palmer could be heading towards burnoutCredit: AlamyBut Palmer still aced a fitness test and did much better than Chelsea team-matesCredit: GettyThe Blues welcome struggling Southampton to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday needing to kick-start their Prem campaign back into life with Champions League qualification a priority.That ambition has been hampered by a stinking run of form – collecting NINE points from a possible 30 in the league since December 22 to leave them in seventh.Hope is not lost just yet, especially with fifth potentially earning a Champions League spot this year.Enzo Maresca’s men remain just four points off the top three with third-placed Nottingham Forest, fourth-placed Manchester City and sixth-placed Bournemouth all losing at the weekend.Read More on ChelseaAnd Palmer, 22 – goalless since drawing 2-2 with the Cherries on January 14 – is leading the way in training, to the delight of Maresca ahead of facing the Saints.Asked if Palmer trains harder when things aren’t going well, the Italian coach explained: “Yeah absolutely. I will tell you one detail that is very important.“Every six or seven months we do a physical test. So we did one in pre-season and we did another last week and [Palmer] was the strongest one. The one that won the test.“So that’s sure that he has desire not only on the ball, but he is working hard and he’s doing fantastic. I absolutely love that.Most read in Football“Every game, we expect a goal or assist from him. Because everyone relies on Cole, people see Cole as the solution. But the solution at the end has to be always the team.”Off the back of reaching – and scoring in – the Euros final 2-1 defeat to Spain for England last summer, Palmer has started all 26 of Chelsea’s Prem games this term.Chelsea ratings vs Aston Villa: Jorgensen howler, Rashford super-subWith 2,283 Prem minutes to his name – subbed off just seven times so far – no Blues player has featured more.It is no wonder then that Palmer has suffered a slight dip in form in recent weeks, without a Prem goal in five outings and without a league assist since December 1.With the score at 1-1 away to Aston Villa on Saturday night, Palmer missed a golden opportunity to score his 15th league goal of the season before the hosts grabbed a late winner through Marco Asensio thanks to a Filip Jorgensen goalkeeping howler.It was not the Palmer we are used to watching – one who notched a Chelsea-record 26 goals and 13 assists in the Prem in 2024.Whether he could do with a rest against relegation-bound Southampton, Maresca said: “No. Cole belongs to that kind of players that in some moment they can do something different.“For sure in terms of numbers, goal and assist is a moment where he struggles but at the end he had the chances. He was there, then he missed, OK, but he was there.Southampton game plan“The problem is when you are not there. But it’s not just about Cole. We have had more chances with different players but because it’s Cole, everyone is watching. That is OK.“From now on, we have 12 games to go and no doubt that all of them are a must win for us.“Probably in this moment it’s not enough, we need to find something extra to get results. But for sure we’re going to be there.”Despite letting Asensio’s shot wriggle under his body, Jorgensen is set to start in goal once more ahead of error-strewn Robert Sanchez, with Maresca explaining: “If we need to change players every time they make a mistake, we need to change players game by game, many players. But nothing has changed.READ MORE SUN STORIES“He feels a little bit sad or upset because he recognised that it has been a mistake but he’s ok.”Centre-back Trevoh Chalobah will miss the Southampton game and will be out for another week after being forced off against Villa – another defensive blow with Benoit Badiashile and Wesley Fofana targeting a comeback next month.Chelsea player ratings vs Aston VillaBy Graham HillBLUES keeper Filip Jorgensen’s awful underarm howler saw Aston Villa come from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 in the Prem.Enzo Fernandez’s rapid opener inside nine minutes came from Pedro Neto’s stunning breeze past Ian Maatsen.But the Blues soon fell apart after Man Utd loanee Marcus Rashford’s blistering introduction at half-time.Rashford provided two assists for fellow January signing Marco Asensio to leave Chelsea in sixth with two Prem wins from nine games in 2025.FILIP JORGENSEN – 4Horrible error for Villa’s late winner as Asensio’s shot squirmed under his body and through his gloves- ironically he had made a crucial save before that.MALO GUSTO – 6 Failed to get a decent touch on Cash’s ball – and that led to Villa’s second half equaliser. Struggled to deal with Rashford’s presence.TREVOH CHALOBAH – 3The defender suffered a huge blow as he had to come off after just six minutes clutching his ribs following a challenge from Asensio.LEVI COLWILL – 6Found himself with a new central defensive partner early in the game and looked uncertain at times.MARC CUCURELLA – 6Defending Chelsea’s left flank was not as troublesome as the right hand side, and the Spaniard looked stylish as Villa applied more pressure.REECE JAMES – 6Stepped in for the injured Noni Madueke and took the captain’s armband, had a good battle with Cash.ENZO FERNANDEZ – 6Right place, right time to open the scoring, a real threat early on, took a booking for the team, lucky to escape a second.MOISES CAICEDO – 7Provided a strong presence in midfield, spotted danger early and halted a number of Villa raids.His second-half ball should have provided Chelsea with their winner.COLE PALMER – 6Largely quiet game but wasted his chance to win the game when he collected a Caicedo through ball – but stumbled – that allowed Konsa to clear the shot PEDRO NETO – 7Great work for the opening goal when he left Maatsen standing before crossing to find Fernandez.CHRISTOPHER NKUNKU- 5Hugged the left touchline, should have been involved more, not as much of a threat as Neto, subbed with 14 minutes to go.SUBSTOSIN ADARABIOYO: (for Chalobah, 6mins) – 6Needed some time to fit in at the back after Chalobah’s injury.JADON SANCHO: (for Nkunku, 76mins) – 5Did little to affect the game after coming on for an ineffective Nkunku. 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      How Mo Salah bamboozled Man City with genius ‘back-pedal trick’ as Arne Slot perfectly outwitted Pep Guardiola

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      LIVERPOOL have one hand on the Premier League title after dismantling champions Manchester City on Sunday.The Reds put in a top away performance as they left the Etihad with a 2-0 win.Mo Salah’s magic saw Liverpool cruise to victory over Man CityCredit: PAAnd there was magic all over the pitch from Arne Slot’s men.But how did Mo Salah bamboozle City with a genius back-pedal trick?And which midfielder carried out Liverpool’s team’s instructions perfectly?SunSport’s tactical expert Dean Scoggins reveals all on our brilliant Tactics Exposed show…READ MORE IN FOOTBALLMo Salah has enjoyed a stunning season so farONE MAN WENT TO MOMO SALAH is tactically brilliant. The first thing is this back-pedal thing he does. It sounds easy, but it’s the timing of it and when he does it. When Josko Gvardiol, the Man City left-back, pushes up the field, Salah waits for that to happen when he’s in a space close to Nathan Ake, the left centre-back.When he sees the ball go into a certain area, he back-pedals towards the touchline. He takes a few steps back.It means two things. He’s got the space in front to receive the ball to feet, and also Gvardiol is blindsided. He’s behind him and Ake’s stuck.Most read in FootballDoes Ake go all the way out, leaving space for other Liverpool stars to run? Or does he stay where he is and then give Salah that run?Salah’s roasted him on the outside. The other time Ake did the other option and Jones went bombing through the space, he can’t win.For Szoboszlai’s goal, Salah backs into that position and has Gvardiol with his back to him. If you see the number on the back of someone else’s shirt, you’re winning.Salah then runs into that space, then it’s all about timing. Amazing touch from the ball in the air, a little nudge on Gvardiol and then he backs in and plays it into Szboszlai who runs into the box.Salah’s clever positioning meant City struggled to pick him upHe exploited the space around Gvardiol and AkeWith the disallowed goal where Jones scored, Salah’s wide and Ryan Gravenberch plays a difficult pass.Saslah does the exact thing where he back-pedals into space, then as Gravenberch is about to play him the ball, Salah goes, “Not me, I don’t want it. Turn and play it in behind.”The City defence all come one way and it opens up that running channel for Szoboszlai. You can see those two vertical runners from midfield and in attack the two wide men dragging the defence out.You see Salah’s unbelievable tactical brain to see a situation unfold in front of him and his role in it. We’re talking Lionel Messi levels here, and that’s not an exaggeration.BLOCKERS IN THE SLOTTHIS is straight off the training ground for the first goal. Liverpool are going to take a free corner to the front post, and they’ve got a man running off the front to play the ball around the corner.What’s important here is Andy Robertson is a blocker at the front who stops Kevin De Bruyne getting the ball.There’s also three other blockers on the edge, and City are not marking Salah.Liverpool used clever blockers at set-piecesThis freed up space for Salah to make an impactLiverpool identified City sit just outside the six-yard box, so there’s a huge open space to the edge of the penalty area.Blockers stop the City players coming out, the ball is flicked round the corner, Salah is in loads of space.After the goal, it also created indecision from City so the rest of Liverpool’s set-pieces were very dangerous.City fell for it hook, line and sinker. A bit lucky with the deflection, but you earn your luck.SZO-BOSSING ITSZOBOSLAI was the best player on the pitch other than Salah. He’s the player who carries out the manager’s duties for him.The midfielder breaks from a third-man run. The ball gets played back into Salah’s feet.He pops it back to Trent Alexander-Arnold and they know the ball’s going over the top.Szoboszlai runs into that space for the trick. He’s offside and Ake’s left in there. The focus is on Szoboszlai.Szoboszlai tricked City’s defence with his runsThe ace made sure he was not offside, allowing Salah to sneak in behindThis is like a decoy runner in order for Salah to get in, a ghost run.Then the offside player joins in again. He’s in an offside position, but he’s not offside because he’s not touching the ball, he’s not impacting the play.But what he’s doing is impacting a defender’s ability to defend Salah. He goes into that space, Gvardiol turns his back and Ake comes across.They all think it’s offside and slow down, but as the ball’s in the air, Salah then runs.Salah’s onside and takes the ball, Szoboszlai peels off, gets into the space and Salah gives him the ball — goal.It’s a new phase of play, Salah’s not offside, City all drop off. There’s a big space in front and Jones also blocks Khusanov. Just brilliant.IT’S 4-4-2 AGAINOLD school stuff. A big reason Liverpool are top is Arne Slot can adapt his formation to play against whatever he’s facing.This was 4-4-2 out of possession, so no striker. Salah on the right, Diaz on the left.But with no striker they played Jones and Szboszlai as vertical runners, the two up front.Liverpool’s versatility saw them switch to a 4-4-2 shapeThey remained solid despite players changing positionsGravenberch and Mac Allister could then separate with Jones and Szoboszlai coming into the two.And it meant the attacking players then were the wingers. So four defensive players keeping it compact in the middle, with Diaz and Salah the outballs.It was lovely from Slot, Liverpool were so comfy out of possession and were actually more dangerous because they move out of their positions and then go. VAN DIJK STOPS CITY ATTACKYOU could see Van Dijk and Slot communicating early on.They know what they’re doing. There was a message from the bench, and it was as simple as: Virgil, you go.Phil Foden was kept far away from Liverpool’s goal by Virgil van DijkVan Dijk doesn’t normally do that. He marshals that back line and stays in it. But this time he was told to go out and engage Phil Foden.He was told: Don’t be frightened to go out and do it. Konate is going to cover the space for Omar Marmoush to run in behind.READ MORE SUN STORIESIt evolved into Mac Allister dropping into pockets that Foden was picking up, so Van Dijk’s coming one way and Mac Allister’s blocking the space.In the second half they even sacrificed Salah going forward for some defending as well. It was the perfect away performance. More