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      Why Kyle Walker REJECTED a mega-money move to Saudi Arabia – and it has nothing to do with wife Annie

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      KYLE Walker rejected a mega-money move to Saudi Arabia because he still hopes to reach 100 caps for England.The Manchester City ace, 34, who has been capped 93 times for the Three Lions, feared a move to the lucrative Saudi league would end his chances.Kyle Walker is lining up a move to Italy with long-suffering wife Annie in a bid to save their marriageCredit: Eamonn and James ClarkeThe Manchester City ace is ready to finalise a shock loan deal with Inter MilanCredit: GettyWalker fathered a second child with ex-mistress Lauryn GoodmanCredit: GettyIt comes as The Sun reported Walker is lining up a move to Italy — with long-suffering wife Annie Kilner due to join him in a bid to save their marriage.The couple hope to leave behind the captain’s tangled love life and focus on the future.Kyle has been linked to two top clubs in the trendy Italian city.A source said a loan agreement with Inter Milan had been reached in principle, despite huge rivals AC Milan also expressing an interest.Read more Sport NewsInsiders said he shocked City bosses last week by saying he wanted a move, and 31-year-old Annie is likely to move with him, despite filing for divorce in August.One said: “Neither of them know what the future holds. But they’re hopeful a switch to Italy will give them the breathing space they desperately need to see if things can be worked out.”It’s been impossible to do that in England due to the pressure they’ve been under for the last 12 months.”They’re hoping time alone will help them decide if there’s anything left they can salvage.Most read in Football”Annie is keen to press ahead with the divorce in order to sort the finances out and Kyle won’t oppose that. But they haven’t yet fully given up on one another.”Their four kids — Roman, 12, Riaan, eight, six-year-old Reign and baby Rezon — will also make the move from their home in Prestbury, Cheshire.Pep Guardiola reveals Kyle Walker has asked to LEAVE Man City with England defender set or £400K-A-WEEK Saudi transferThe news comes after The Sun revealed last year that Walker had fathered a second child with ex-mistress Lauryn Goodman.Annie, pregnant with Rezon at the time, vowed it was the last straw and kicked him out.Then, in an exclusive interview with The Sun, the football ace ­publicly apologised and begged for forgiveness.In the summer, Walker returned from England’s Euros defeat to face 33-year-old Lauryn in court over financial arrangements for year-old daughter Kinara.Papers revealed he had in­c­reased Lauryn’s housing budget from £1.85million to £2.4million after she threatened to move within ten minutes of his family home.Walker’s bombshell request to quit City was revealed after he was left out of the squad ahead of ­Saturday’s 8-0 FA Cup demolition of Salford City.Annie and Kyle’s four kids will also make the move to Italy from their home in Prestbury, CheshireCredit: Instagram More

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      Bayern Munich set to join Chelsea in Kobbie Mainoo transfer race as Man Utd star demands new £200k-a-week deal

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      BAYERN MUNICH are set to join the race for Kobbie Mainoo, SunSport can reveal.The Manchester United midfielder could be on his way out of Old Trafford if the club are unable to afford his wage demands.Bayern Munich are interested in Kobbie MainooCredit: GettyMainoo – whose current £20,000-a-week contract expires in 2027 – is hoping for a fresh deal worth £200,000-a-week.But United are believed to be reluctant to go that high – which has led to reports Mainoo could leave the club either during this window or over the summer.Chelsea are at the front of the queue for the midfielder, but SunSport has learned that the London club will not be the only side chasing him.German giants Bayern are also long-term admirers and are planning to make a move if he becomes available.READ MORE ON MAN UTDIt comes days after Ruben Amorim challenged Mainoo to show he deserves to join Man Utd’s high earners.Despite Mainoo’s meteoric rise, the England star is one of their lowest earners and wants a ten-fold increase on his salary.Amorim knows the 19-year-old midfielder is a jewel in the Old Trafford crown.Yet the United chief insists Mainoo still needs plenty of polishing and said: “Kobbie has been improving a lot over the last few matches.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS“But I think you guys feel like he is the finished product — he is not.“He is really good but can be so much better. He has so much potential to grow up even more.”Man Utd fans say ‘call the game off’ as Ruben Amorim confirms major line-up decision for Arsenal FA Cup clash It has been an amazing 18 months for Mainoo, who is currently earning £20k-a-week.He missed the start of last season with an injury sustained on the summer tour, but after joining the first-team in November and making a huge impact he soon became a regular.Mainoo ended an epic breakout campaign with the deciding goal as star man in United’s FA Cup final win over City.He also impressed in United’s last two games, the impressive draw at Anfield against Liverpool and the FA Cup win over Arsenal at the Emirates.Man Utd ratings vs Arsenal as Maguire and Co dig deep to win after Dalot’s moment of madnessMANCHESTER UNITED produced a heroic effort to squeeze past Arsenal and into the FA Cup’s fourth round on penalties.The Red Devils were forced to dig deep at the Emirates following Diogo Dalot’s 61st minute red card.On a freezing cold afternoon in North London, SunSport’s Kealan Hughes rates and slates each United performer…ALTAY BAYINDIR – 8Poor punch up in the air which allowed the ball to fall nicely for Gabriel to finish.Redeemed himself with a brilliant penalty save to keep the score level, before superbly denying Declan Rice twice.NOUSSAIR MAZRAOUI – 7Was assured on and off the ball if unspectacular. Got his body on the line as the Gunners pushed for a winner.MATTHIJS DE LIGT – 8Solid in defence and kept the backline well organised. Produced the best tackle of the match on the goalline to deny Leandro Trossard a certain goal.HARRY MAGUIRE – 8Commanding in the air and made several key blocks but gave away the penalty which Arsenal missed to go in front.Got away with an earlier error as he failed to clear – the ball landed at Kai Havertz’s feet but he somehow skewed wide with his effort.LISANDRO MARTINEZ – 7Had to be on high alert to deal with the movement of Arsenal forwards but it was a task he managed well.DIOGO DALOT – 3Booked for a mistimed lunge on Lewis-Skelly. He followed that up with another silly, late foul on Merino with the ball about to go out of play for his second yellow. Stupid red card.MANUEL UGARTE – 7A firefighter all across the pitch for his side, although spent most of the match in his own half given Arsenal’s dominance.Was booked for one foul too many just before the hour mark and was lucky to escape a red card as he went head-to-head with Havertz after the penalty incident.KOBBIE MAINOO – 6Lively in the middle and kept a close eye on Jorginho. Looked sharp on the ball and showed some clever touches.Should have done better to head clear before Gabriel’s equaliser.ALEJANDRO GARNACHO – 7Always an outlet on the counter which was much needed for the Red Devils.Made the most of a Gabriel error to burst in on goal and pass across to Fernandes to score.BRUNO FERNANDES – 7Was booked for throwing a trademark tantrum after claiming he was fouled on the edge of the box when lining up a shot.Showed his class with a brilliant first-time finish which he bent around a defender into the far corner.RASMUS HOJLUND – 3Failed to provide the focal point that United badly needed, which meant almost every pass forward was dealt with by the Arsenal centre-halves. Was fortunate there was no VAR to take a look at his apparent elbow on William Saliba, which left the Arsenal star bloodied.SUBSTITUTESAmad (for Garnacho, 80mins) – 6Lively on the counter too but just lacking a bit of quality – though was outnumbered every time he got the ball.Joshua Zirkzee (for Hojlund, 80mins) – 6Some very clever touches when he came on and provided a presence up front at a time United badly needed it.Toby Collyer (for Mainoo, 80mins) – 5Showed plenty of energy but was missing quality in some areas.Tyrell Malacia (for Ugarte, extra-time) – 6Stuck to his task well.Leno Yoro (for Maguire, 104) – 6Did his job well during the closing stages of the match. Converted his penalty in the shoot-out with aplomb. More

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      Affordable Morgan Rogers to claw back popularity after marking return from suspension with FA Cup goal

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      MORGAN ROGERS (£3.5m) marked his return to Aston Villa’s starting line-up with a goal against West Ham on Friday night.Resplendent in the Villains’ special all-black kit, the 22-year-old scored the hosts’ winner at Villa Park to remind Dream Team managers of his credentials.Rogers should be a popular recruit this weekCredit: Dream TeamRogers missed Villa’s favourable Gameweek 18 match-up against out-of-form Leicester but a nine-point haul against the Hammers will urge many gaffers to bring the midfielder back into the fold.The ex-Middlesbrough man has been among the most popular value-for-money options in Dream Team this season and with good reason.Having been a second-string alternative for Unai Emery in 2023/24 following his January transfer, Rogers has firmly established himself as a first-team regular this campaign.Now one of the most trusted favourites, only Youri Tielemans (£3.7m) has played more minutes among the squad’s outfield players in 2024/25.Rogers is now one of Emery’s favouritesCredit: GettyRogers quickly made a mockery of his £2.5m starting price and even now he’s relatively affordable at £3.5m.The goal that condemned Graham Potter to his first defeat as West Ham boss was his seventh of the season in all competitions, to go with his five assists.His total of 144 points puts him 12th among midfielders at present but of those above him in the rankings, Alejandro Garnacho (£2.9m) is the only man available for a cheaper price.Away from the stats, Rogers passes the eye test with flying colours too, mostly because of his silky dribbling.Most read in FootballMOST SUCCESSFUL DRIBBLES AMONG DREAM TEAM ASSETS THIS SEASON (ALL COMPS):66 – Morgan Rogers55 – Iliman Ndiaye55 – Savinho52 – Jeremy Doku45 – Mohammed Kudus44 – Bukayo Saka43 – Antoine Semenyo40 – Kaoru Mitoma39 – Matheus Cunha39 – Dejan KulusevskiThe return of the Champions League should favour Rogers this monthCredit: GettyHaving been the most transferred-out player prior to Gameweek 18 (because of his suspension) Rogers was among the most popular recruits for Gameweek 19 and he’s currently among the early selections for Gameweek 20 as well.Villa travel to Goodison Park on Wednesday night to complete the first of three consecutive double Gameweeks.The imminent return of the Champions League means Emery’s men will also face Arsenal, Monaco, West Ham (again) and Celtic before the end of the month.Given that Rogers averages 5.5 points-per-game this season, there’s every chance he adds another 20 points to his tally by the end of January.Fixtures, form, price… he ticks a lot of boxes.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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      New footage emerges of Man Utd stars Martinez and Ugarte confronting Havertz after Arsenal’s penalty miss

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      FOOTAGE has emerged of Manchester United stars Lisandro Martinez and Manuel Ugarte confronting Kai Havertz.The flash point happened in the seconds after Martin Odegaard’s penalty miss in the fiery FA Cup third round tie.Lisandro Martinez and Manuel Ugarte confronted Kai Havertz after Martin Odegaard’s penalty missCredit: https://x.com/doin_bitssThe Man Utd stars both shoved the striker after he attempted to get the reboundCredit: https://x.com/doin_bitssWhen the second half penalty was awarded, United defender Harry Maguire appeared to brand Havertz a “cheat” after he went down in the box to win the controversial spot-kick.It sparked a major scrap between the two teams, with Gabriel Magalhaes, Havertz and Maguire eventually booked.Gunners captain Odegaard went on to take the penalty but his effort was saved by Altay Bayindir.New footage from the aftermath of the miss, which emerged on social media after full-time, shows Havertz attempting to beat the United goalkeeper to the rebound.READ MORE ON MAN UTDWhen he fails to get there in time, both Martinez and Ugarte step in to give him a push.Fans took to social media to react to the incident, with one person writing: “I actually proper rate that.”Another commented: “I’ve missed this side of us. All instilled by the manager, what a guy”While a third said: “Ugarte they will never make me hate you.”Most read in FA CupFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSA huge scrap broke out after the referee awarded a controversial penaltyCredit: ReutersMan Utd went on to win the match on penalties – following a miss from Havertz in the shoot-out.The club social media account claimed “justice” was served at full-time.Arsenal and Man Utd stars in furious brawl as Harry Maguire goes for Kai Havertz as players hit the deck in mad scrambleReacting to the initial penalty incident, Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim said: “The players told me it was not a penalty, but let’s move on.”We are more resilient. More aggressive.”We showed a different spirit. We are improving that aspect.”The players were really tired but today was our day. I felt a connection with the fans.”Man Utd ratings vs Arsenal as Maguire and Co dig deep to win after Dalot’s moment of madnessMANCHESTER UNITED produced a heroic effort to squeeze past Arsenal and into the FA Cup’s fourth round on penalties.The Red Devils were forced to dig deep at the Emirates following Diogo Dalot’s 61st minute red card.On a freezing cold afternoon in North London, SunSport’s Kealan Hughes rates and slates each United performer…ALTAY BAYINDIR – 8Poor punch up in the air which allowed the ball to fall nicely for Gabriel to finish.Redeemed himself with a brilliant penalty save to keep the score level, before superbly denying Declan Rice twice.NOUSSAIR MAZRAOUI – 7Was assured on and off the ball if unspectacular. Got his body on the line as the Gunners pushed for a winner.MATTHIJS DE LIGT – 8Solid in defence and kept the backline well organised. Produced the best tackle of the match on the goalline to deny Leandro Trossard a certain goal.HARRY MAGUIRE – 8Commanding in the air and made several key blocks but gave away the penalty which Arsenal missed to go in front.Got away with an earlier error as he failed to clear – the ball landed at Kai Havertz’s feet but he somehow skewed wide with his effort.LISANDRO MARTINEZ – 7Had to be on high alert to deal with the movement of Arsenal forwards but it was a task he managed well.DIOGO DALOT – 3Booked for a mistimed lunge on Lewis-Skelly. He followed that up with another silly, late foul on Merino with the ball about to go out of play for his second yellow. Stupid red card.MANUEL UGARTE – 7A firefighter all across the pitch for his side, although spent most of the match in his own half given Arsenal’s dominance.Was booked for one foul too many just before the hour mark and was lucky to escape a red card as he went head-to-head with Havertz after the penalty incident.KOBBIE MAINOO – 6Lively in the middle and kept a close eye on Jorginho. Looked sharp on the ball and showed some clever touches.Should have done better to head clear before Gabriel’s equaliser.ALEJANDRO GARNACHO – 7Always an outlet on the counter which was much needed for the Red Devils.Made the most of a Gabriel error to burst in on goal and pass across to Fernandes to score.BRUNO FERNANDES – 7Was booked for throwing a trademark tantrum after claiming he was fouled on the edge of the box when lining up a shot.Showed his class with a brilliant first-time finish which he bent around a defender into the far corner.RASMUS HOJLUND – 3Failed to provide the focal point that United badly needed, which meant almost every pass forward was dealt with by the Arsenal centre-halves. Was fortunate there was no VAR to take a look at his apparent elbow on William Saliba, which left the Arsenal star bloodied.SUBSTITUTESAmad (for Garnacho, 80mins) – 6Lively on the counter too but just lacking a bit of quality – though was outnumbered every time he got the ball.Joshua Zirkzee (for Hojlund, 80mins) – 6Some very clever touches when he came on and provided a presence up front at a time United badly needed it.Toby Collyer (for Mainoo, 80mins) – 5Showed plenty of energy but was missing quality in some areas.Tyrell Malacia (for Ugarte, extra-time) – 6Stuck to his task well.Leno Yoro (for Maguire, 104) – 6Did his job well during the closing stages of the match. Converted his penalty in the shoot-out with aplomb. More

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      Ruben Amorim smiles as he and Man Utd stars arrive back in Manchester after FA Cup heroics against Arsenal

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      MANCHESTER UNITED stars were all smiles as they headed home from dumping Arsenal out the FA Cup.The ten-men Red Devils put in a heroic performance and booked their place in the fourth round 5-3 on penalties.Ruben Amorim waved to fans after guiding United to victory over ArsenalCredit: Eamonn and James ClarkeThe manager was all smiles in his eye-catching PorscheCredit: Eamonn and James ClarkeAlejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo shared a ride home in a Range RoverCredit: Eamonn and James ClarkeLisandro Martinez drove away in a Rolls-Royce with Manuel Ugarte next to himCredit: Eamonn and James ClarkeSkipper Bruno Fernandes left in a Bentley BentaygaCredit: Eamonn and James ClarkeMan Utd flew back from Luton Airport and were due to arrive in Manchester at 20:16.But the nerve-racking extra-time and penalties delayed their landing time to 21:52 last night.The players and staff were pictured leaving the airport in their luxury cars, looking thrilled with their second consecutive strong performance on the road after drawing 2-2 with Liverpool.Joshua Zirkzee has had a tough time at Old Trafford since his £36.5million move from Bologna in the summer but finally got the moment he has been dreaming about, converting the decisive spot-kick to knock Arsenal out.READ MORE ON MAN UTDThe striker was picked up by a friend in a Range Rover worth approximately £130,000.Zirkzee’s compatriot Matthijs de Ligt waved to fans by the car park’s exit as he sped off in the same model of car.Bruno Fernandes scored United’s goal in normal time and he was seen driving away in a new £250,000 Bentley Bentayga.In a similar car, Noussair Mazraoui went from wing-back to chauffeur as he took Tyrell Malacia home.Most read in FA CupFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSPenalty hero Joshua Zirkzee was picked up by a friendCredit: Eamonn and James ClarkeMatthijs DeLigt acknowledged fans from his £120,000 carCredit: Eamonn and James ClarkeNoussair Mazraoui and Tyrell Malacia went home in a Bentley BentaygaCredit: Eamonn and James ClarkeLisandro Martinez was behind the wheel of an eye-catching Rolls-Royce Phantom valued at close to £400,000 and had team-mate Manuel Ugarte in the passenger seat.Young wingers Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo also shared the journey back in the Argentine’s gleaming white Range Rover.Arsenal and Man Utd stars in furious brawl as Harry Maguire goes for Kai Havertz as players hit the deck in mad scrambleManager Ruben Amorim departed in a £180,000 electric Porsche Taycan Turbo Estate.The boss was all smiles as he stopped and greeted supporters that had waited to get a glimpse of their heroes.Amorim is believed to have told fans that the players did not stop to meet them as they needed to get home and rest in preparation for Thursday’s clash against Southampton.Third-choice keeper Tom Heaton was also pictured in an Audi RSQ8 that can cost as much as £120,000.And club-legend-turned-chief Darren Fletcher was on the flight with the squad and went home in a Mercedes G-Wagon that are worth around £150,000.As United travelled home from their victory over Arsenal, Amorim’s side found out that former interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy heads back to Old Trafford with Leicester in the next round.Darren Fletcher was seen leaving with the playersCredit: Eamonn and James ClarkeTom Heaton was behind the wheel of a Audi RSQ8Credit: Eamonn and James ClarkeMan Utd ratings vs Arsenal as Maguire and Co dig deep to win after Dalot’s moment of madnessMANCHESTER UNITED produced a heroic effort to squeeze past Arsenal and into the FA Cup’s fourth round on penalties.The Red Devils were forced to dig deep at the Emirates following Diogo Dalot’s 61st minute red card.On a freezing cold afternoon in North London, SunSport’s Kealan Hughes rates and slates each United performer…ALTAY BAYINDIR – 8Poor punch up in the air which allowed the ball to fall nicely for Gabriel to finish.Redeemed himself with a brilliant penalty save to keep the score level, before superbly denying Declan Rice twice.NOUSSAIR MAZRAOUI – 7Was assured on and off the ball if unspectacular. Got his body on the line as the Gunners pushed for a winner.MATTHIJS DE LIGT – 8Solid in defence and kept the backline well organised. Produced the best tackle of the match on the goalline to deny Leandro Trossard a certain goal.HARRY MAGUIRE – 8Commanding in the air and made several key blocks but gave away the penalty which Arsenal missed to go in front.Got away with an earlier error as he failed to clear – the ball landed at Kai Havertz’s feet but he somehow skewed wide with his effort.LISANDRO MARTINEZ – 7Had to be on high alert to deal with the movement of Arsenal forwards but it was a task he managed well.DIOGO DALOT – 3Booked for a mistimed lunge on Lewis-Skelly. He followed that up with another silly, late foul on Merino with the ball about to go out of play for his second yellow. Stupid red card.MANUEL UGARTE – 7A firefighter all across the pitch for his side, although spent most of the match in his own half given Arsenal’s dominance.Was booked for one foul too many just before the hour mark and was lucky to escape a red card as he went head-to-head with Havertz after the penalty incident.KOBBIE MAINOO – 6Lively in the middle and kept a close eye on Jorginho. Looked sharp on the ball and showed some clever touches.Should have done better to head clear before Gabriel’s equaliser.ALEJANDRO GARNACHO – 7Always an outlet on the counter which was much needed for the Red Devils.Made the most of a Gabriel error to burst in on goal and pass across to Fernandes to score.BRUNO FERNANDES – 7Was booked for throwing a trademark tantrum after claiming he was fouled on the edge of the box when lining up a shot.Showed his class with a brilliant first-time finish which he bent around a defender into the far corner.RASMUS HOJLUND – 3Failed to provide the focal point that United badly needed, which meant almost every pass forward was dealt with by the Arsenal centre-halves. Was fortunate there was no VAR to take a look at his apparent elbow on William Saliba, which left the Arsenal star bloodied.SUBSTITUTESAmad (for Garnacho, 80mins) – 6Lively on the counter too but just lacking a bit of quality – though was outnumbered every time he got the ball.Joshua Zirkzee (for Hojlund, 80mins) – 6Some very clever touches when he came on and provided a presence up front at a time United badly needed it.Toby Collyer (for Mainoo, 80mins) – 5Showed plenty of energy but was missing quality in some areas.Tyrell Malacia (for Ugarte, extra-time) – 6Stuck to his task well.Leno Yoro (for Maguire, 104) – 6Did his job well during the closing stages of the match. Converted his penalty in the shoot-out with aplomb. More

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      ‘He sent Saliba back to St Etienne’ say fans as Joshua Zirkzee nutmegs Arsenal defender TWICE before he falls over

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      JOSHUA ZIRKZEE embarrassed William Saliba during Manchester United’s FA Cup win over Arsenal.The Dutchman had a match to remember as he netted the winning penalty in the shoot-out to send United through to the fourth round.Joshua Zirkzee brought the ball down and flicked it between William Saliba’s legsHe then nutmegged his opponent a second time with a quick change of directionA befuddled Saliba fell over as Zirkzee created an attackHe only came on in the 80th minute but it did not take him long to make an impact.Zirkzee proved a big threat on the counter-attack for the ten-man Red Devils and showcased his skill and trickery.Just six minutes after coming on he gave Saliba the runaround, leaving fans aghast.Zirkzee, 23, brought the ball down and with his second touch flicked it between Saliba’s legs.READ MORE ON MAN UTDThat put him under pressure with three Arsenal players swarming, including Saliba.But another magical touch from Zirkzee saw him nutmeg Saliba again, causing the defender to fall over which allowed him space and time to feed Amad, who then passed back to Zirkzee who had a shot on goal.Fans were wowed by the skill and used it as an opportunity to poke fun at Saliba.One reacted saying: “Zirkzee sending Saliba back to Saint-Etienne.”Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSMan Utd ratings vs Arsenal as Maguire and Co dig deep to win after Dalot’s moment of madnessMANCHESTER UNITED produced a heroic effort to squeeze past Arsenal and into the FA Cup’s fourth round on penalties.The Red Devils were forced to dig deep at the Emirates following Diogo Dalot’s 61st minute red card.On a freezing cold afternoon in North London, SunSport’s Kealan Hughes rates and slates each United performer…ALTAY BAYINDIR – 8Poor punch up in the air which allowed the ball to fall nicely for Gabriel to finish.Redeemed himself with a brilliant penalty save to keep the score level, before superbly denying Declan Rice twice.NOUSSAIR MAZRAOUI – 7Was assured on and off the ball if unspectacular. Got his body on the line as the Gunners pushed for a winner.MATTHIJS DE LIGT – 8Solid in defence and kept the backline well organised. Produced the best tackle of the match on the goalline to deny Leandro Trossard a certain goal.HARRY MAGUIRE – 8Commanding in the air and made several key blocks but gave away the penalty which Arsenal missed to go in front.Got away with an earlier error as he failed to clear – the ball landed at Kai Havertz’s feet but he somehow skewed wide with his effort.LISANDRO MARTINEZ – 7Had to be on high alert to deal with the movement of Arsenal forwards but it was a task he managed well.DIOGO DALOT – 3Booked for a mistimed lunge on Lewis-Skelly. He followed that up with another silly, late foul on Merino with the ball about to go out of play for his second yellow. Stupid red card.MANUEL UGARTE – 7A firefighter all across the pitch for his side, although spent most of the match in his own half given Arsenal’s dominance.Was booked for one foul too many just before the hour mark and was lucky to escape a red card as he went head-to-head with Havertz after the penalty incident.KOBBIE MAINOO – 6Lively in the middle and kept a close eye on Jorginho. Looked sharp on the ball and showed some clever touches.Should have done better to head clear before Gabriel’s equaliser.ALEJANDRO GARNACHO – 7Always an outlet on the counter which was much needed for the Red Devils.Made the most of a Gabriel error to burst in on goal and pass across to Fernandes to score.BRUNO FERNANDES – 7Was booked for throwing a trademark tantrum after claiming he was fouled on the edge of the box when lining up a shot.Showed his class with a brilliant first-time finish which he bent around a defender into the far corner.RASMUS HOJLUND – 3Failed to provide the focal point that United badly needed, which meant almost every pass forward was dealt with by the Arsenal centre-halves. Was fortunate there was no VAR to take a look at his apparent elbow on William Saliba, which left the Arsenal star bloodied.SUBSTITUTESAmad (for Garnacho, 80mins) – 6Lively on the counter too but just lacking a bit of quality – though was outnumbered every time he got the ball.Joshua Zirkzee (for Hojlund, 80mins) – 6Some very clever touches when he came on and provided a presence up front at a time United badly needed it.Toby Collyer (for Mainoo, 80mins) – 5Showed plenty of energy but was missing quality in some areas.Tyrell Malacia (for Ugarte, extra-time) – 6Stuck to his task well.Leno Yoro (for Maguire, 104) – 6Did his job well during the closing stages of the match. Converted his penalty in the shoot-out with aplomb.Another added: “Saliba made Zirkzee look like prime Messi. That’s pretty hard to do.”A third wrote: “Zirkzee just ended William Saliba.”Arsenal vs Manchester United: Player Ratings (2)And another commented: “Best defender in the world they said 😂” More

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      Real Madrid 2 Barcelona 5: Frustrated Bellingham barely gets a kick as Los Blancos THRASHED in Clasico Super Cup

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      JUDE BELLINGHAM was given another El Clasico lesson — as Barcelona routed Real Madrid to win the Spanish Super Cup.Less than three months after Barca’s 4-0 triumph at the Bernabeu, Bellingham and Co were crushed in Jeddah.Barcelona lifted the Clasico Super Cup with a 5-2 thrashing of Real MadridCredit: RexJude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe were on the receiving end of another thumping from Real’s rivalsCredit: ReutersKylian Mbappe put Madrid ahead on five minutes, but Lamine Yamal’s superb 22nd-minute equaliser proved a game changer and allowed Hansi Flick’s side to run riot.Barcelona’s stars then stepped up to seal their FIRST piece of silverware since clinching LaLiga in 2023.Robert Lewandowski’s penalty put them ahead on 36 minutes — after VAR spotted that Eduardo Camavinga’s high foot had caught Gavi on the knee.Madrid were still reeling from that decision when Jules Kounde found Raphinha and he headed home their third on 39 minutes.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLIt somehow got worse in the tenth minute of first-half stoppage time when Madrid were cut apart once  more — this time Raphinha turning provider for Alejandro Balde to grab their fourth.Barca have collapsed in the LaLiga title race — losing four of their last seven games to fall behind both Madrid clubs.But they were back to their early-season best and sealed the game three minutes after the break with their fifth.More wayward Madrid defending allowed Brazil star Raphinha to race through, cut back on to his stronger left foot, and fire past a shell-shocked Thibaut Courtois.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSIt was a scoreline that simply no one saw coming when Mbappe’s first El Clasico goal got Madrid off to a flier.A blistering counter-attack ended with the Frenchman skinning Pau Cubarsi and expertly sliding past former Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.Wholesome moment Jude Bellingham leaves a young Real Madrid fan crying with happiness as he hands him his shirtLamine Yamal continued his fine run of formCredit: AFPRobert Lewandowski netted yet another goal for BarcaCredit: AFPBut Carlo Ancelotti’s men were never in control and had no answer to Barcelona’s 36-MINUTE goal blitz.They had conceded NINE times in the space of 94 minutes against their bitter rivals — following October’s horror show.Madrid and Bellingham, who hardly had a sniff all night, had no answer as their hopes of retaining the trophy they won 12 months ago went up in smoke.It was the first time Madrid have conceded five in a competitive game since they were thumped 5-1 by Barcelona at the Nou Camp back in October 2018.Szczesny did offer hope on 56 minutes when he was sent off for bringing down Mbappe with a desperate tackle — and four minutes later Rodrygo’s free-kick found the top corner.Madrid rallied and could have made the scoreline look slightly more respectable, but their nightmare first half left them too much to do.Former Leeds man Raphinha struck twiceCredit: AFPEx-Arsenal goalie Wojciech Szczesny was sent off for a foul on MbappeCredit: AFPAnd it was Barcelona left celebrating in Saudi.Speaking after the win, Barca star Jules Kounde hailed his team’s efforts, saying: “It’s really nice, it had been a season since we won a trophy, it’s always special and on top of that in a Clasico against Real Madrid.”We had a lot of calm and patience, knowing that if we applied the plan we would win.”I’m very proud and happy with the team… right after the red card, we got together and said we were going to have to suffer, sit back, but we had a big advantage and this can’t escape us.”Meanwhile, Real boss Carlo Ancelotti blamed his side’s defeat on poor defending.READ MORE SUN STORIESThe Italian said: “We defended badly and that cost us the game – they found their goals quite easily.”We’re sad, like all our fans, it’s disappointing and we don’t have to hide that… we have to look forwards, there’s nothing else we can do.” More

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      Miedema ready to move forward after goalscoring return for Man City in FA Cup tie following ‘frustrating’ injury spell

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      VIVIANNE MIEDEMA is relieved to be back in action and scoring for Manchester City after a “frustrating” three months out of action.  The prolific forward helped the Cityzens get their FA Cup charge motoring with a Sunday fourth-round win against Ipswich Town. Vivianne Miedema scored for the first time since last September as Man City cruised into the Women’s FA Cup fifth roundCredit: PAJill Roord broke the deadlock for City 20 minutes into their clash with IpswichCredit: GettyLaura Coombs doubled the hosts’ lead with her first goal of the season in their second half of the fourth round tieCredit: GettyHer first goal since September sealed a 3-0 victory with the Netherlands star back in action for the first time since her knee operation in October.A well-timed pass from Chloe Kelly was followed by Miedema’s bottom corner effort fired past Tractor Girls goalkeeper Natalia Negri. The result saw Man City return to winning ways after back-to-back losses to Barcelona and Everton in Europe and the top-flight before Christmas. The WSL record goalscorer and her team-mates will find out who they face in the contest’s fifth round with the draw taking place on Monday.  Read more football storiesMiedema said: “Obviously it’s been a while and it’s been frustrating for me to have to sit out“But I’ve come back in (and for the goal) Chloe played a really good ball into me, so I’m happy to start scoring again and hopefully I’ll stay fit now.“It now feels like that’s the end of my rehab and I can move on.“When you come back from injury, and especially for players like me, people expect you to score goals again, and I’m happy that I scored and I can move forward now.”Most read in FootballThe last FA Cup encounter between City and Ipswich ended with the latter on the wrong end of a 10-0 thumping five years ago. While all eyes were on Miedema, who started on the bench it was one of the hosts’ other Dutch stars who broke the deadlock. Stand-in skipper Jill Roord struck in the 20th minute netting the Manchester giants first goal of this year. The forward fired a low shot into the bottom corner beyond Tractor Girls keeper Natalia Negri after an assist from January signing Rebecca Knaak. It was the only shot the hosts had on target in the first half despite dominating possession and keeping the visitors pinned back. City, who handed starts to young trio Laura Blindkilde Brown, Gracie Prior and Lily Murphy, had chances to double their lead later in the half. Blindkilde Brown fired an effort into the side netting before Murphy saw her 40th-minute shot fly over the crossbar. The hosts cranked up the pressure in the second half with Laura Coombs tapping in after her flicked 54th-minute effort hit the crossbar. Gareth Taylor’s triple substitution saw Miedema enter the fray with just under half an hour of normal time left. She rounded off a comfortable shift for the Citizens with her first goal since September preceded by Kelly’s angled assist. Miedema and her pals will be aiming for victory at the Etihad against Man United on January Sunday with the WSL returning to action following the winter break. Gareth Taylor’s will host the Red Devils at the Eithad in their first league game of this year after the WSL’s winter breakCredit: GettyThe Cityzens are chasing a first title win since 2016 and a first Champions League crown as well as both domestic cups. READ MORE SUN STORIESMiedema added: “I’ve not always been there this year, and that’s sad. “Hopefully in the next few weeks or months I can be part of the team a lot more and help the team.” More