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      Premier League closes in on FIFTH Champions League spot next season… thanks to shock result in Belgium

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      THE PREMIER LEAGUE is closing in on a FIFTH Champions League spot for next season thanks to a shock result in Belgium.Uefa’s top competition is being extended to 36 teams from 32 for the 2024/25 campaign.
      Haaland lifts the trophy as City are crowned champions in JuneCredit: Getty
      England has received a huge boost ahead of next season’s expanded Champion LeagueCredit: Getty
      Two of the new four extra places are going to be awarded to the nations who are top of the “country coefficient” chart each season.
      That table is based on results of a nation’s teams in all three European competitions – the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League.
      The total points that are earned by every country’s clubs – with bonus points for reaching certain stages plus match-related points – are then divided by the number of sides in European competitions.
      And in six of the past seven seasons that would have meant an extra Champions League spot for England’s top-flight.
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      The Premier League was facing competition from a host of other European leagues for the additional place in the big time.
      However, Spain’s chances have now taken a huge hit, with the Premier League likely to be battling it out with Italy’s Serie A and Germany’s Bundesliga.

      That is due to the fact that LaLiga club Osasuna were dumped out of the Europa Conference League last week in the play-off stage by Belgian side Club Brugge. 
      Journalist Leonardo Bertozzi explained: “With the elimination of Osasuna, Spain’s chance to win one of the two extra places for the next Champions League is not much greater than that of Belgium or Turkey.”
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      He then went on to add that it “should now be between Italy and Germany” to rival favourites England, who were boosted by Manchester City and West Ham’s respective European successes last season.
      The current system of eight groups of four clubs in the initial phase is being changed to a more simple “league” format.
      Each team will play eight matches in the opening phase that will be against seeded opposition.
      It is a system designed to ensure that teams play opponents of similar difficulty.
      Then the top eight teams in the “final” table will automatically go through to the last-16 of the knock-out stage.
      They will be joined by the eight play-off winners of ties between the sides placed ninth to 24th in the table.
      And, despite there being just eight matches in the opening phase, European matches will also be spread over ten midweek slots.
      Meanwhile, the Europa League and Conference League will each have a week when matches can be played across Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday as the standalone competition being played. More

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      Champions League giants ‘still in talks with Man Utd over Donny van de Beek transfer after failing in deadline day move’

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      GALATASARAY are reportedly still in talks with Manchester United’s Donny van de Beek after failing to agree a £1million loan deal on deadline day. The Red Devils outcast is set to leave Old Trafford as Erik ten Hag aims to trim his squad.
      Galasataray are continuing talks with Manchester United for Donny Van de BeekCredit: Getty
      Turkey’s transfer window does not close until September 15th with clubs able to continue making offers past the European deadline.
      Van de Beek arrived at the Red Devils in 2020 from Ajax for £40million with high expectations.
      The hefty fee came off the back of him playing a starring role in Ajax’s run to the Champions League semi-finals.
      But the midfielder has faced injuries, an unsuccessful loan move to Everton and failure to secure first-team opportunities at United.
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      He played just seven games for the Toffees during his loan spell, scoring one goal.
      This has left the 26-year-old eager to revamp his career.
      The Dutchman has played just 34 league games since arriving in England and is yet to be named in any of Ten Hags fixtures this season.
      He has started just two Premier League games since the start of last season, despite having starred under Ten Hag during their time together at Ajax.
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      French giants Lorient and former club Ajax have both shown interest in the forgotten star.
      But with the European window now closed Champions League contenders Galatasaray are the front runners.
      The Super Lig side remain keen on Van de Beek and are hopeful of finalising a deal with United in the coming days.
      Galatasaray have already signed Premier League star Wilfred Zaha this summer.
      The former Crystal Palace ace joined as a free agent in July and made his debut in a 0-0 draw against Kayserispor.
      Tottenham’s Tanguy Ndombele and Davinson Sanchez are also set to be flying to the Turkish capital to finalise a deal. More

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      Premier League announce rearranged matches for September and October with Arsenal clash moved on just TWO WEEKS notice

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      ARSENAL’S match with Everton has been moved on just two weeks’ notice by the Premier League.The Gunners were initially scheduled to face Everton on Saturday September 16.
      Arsenal’s clash with Everton has been pushed forward a dayCredit: AP
      Aston Villa have had three games moved by the Premier LeagueCredit: PA
      But Newcastle’s clash against Brentford has been moved forward a day due to their Champions League game against AC Milan, which takes place on Tuesday September 19.
      Toon were due to play the televised game on Sunday 17 at 4:30pm.
      But Arsenal will now play in that slot, with Eddie Howe’s side taking the Gunners tea-time Saturday kick-off.
      Six matches in total have been moved by the Premier League, with more to follow in the coming months due to Aston Villa’s involvement in the Europa Conference League.
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      Villa’s visit to Chelsea has been moved to a day later on September 24 because they take on Legia Warsaw three days earlier.
      Their involvement in Europe means Villa’s clash with Wolves has also been rescheduled to take place on Sunday – October 8.
      Aston Villa vs Luton has also been switched to a Sunday and been allocated a 2pm kickoff.
      Manchester United’s Champions League commitments also means they have had a change to their fixture list.
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      Sky Sports have picked their game against Sheffield United to be shown live on TV, but it can no longer take place on Sunday as the Red Devils face Copenhagen the following Tuesday.
      United will now face the Blades on Saturday October 21 at 8pm. More

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      I scored Chelsea’s winner vs Arsenal’s Invincibles in Champions League… I was found by nightclub cleaner the next day

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      WAYNE BRIDGE once fell asleep in a nightclub and was woken by cleaners after scoring Chelsea’s winner against Arsenal in the 2003-04 Champions League.The Gunners famously remained unbeaten in the Premier League that season but were knocked out of the Champions League quarter-finals by the Blues.
      Wayne Bridge scored the winning goal to knock Arsenal’s Invincibles out of the Champions League in 2004Credit: Reuters
      Wayne Bridge fell asleep in a nightclub and was woken up by cleanersCredit: Getty
      A 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge set up an exciting clash at Highbury, with Chelsea coming from behind to win 2-1 thanks to Bridge netting the winner.
      The left-back revealed he could not stop smiling for 48 hours after the match, though admitted he got a little carried away celebrating the victory that evening.
      Bridge, 43, failed to make it home from Chinawhite nightclub in Soho and was instead found asleep by cleaners.
      He told That Peter Crouch Podcast: “I couldn’t stop smiling it was unbelievable. I went from hero to zero that night because we went out and loads of people kept buying me drinks and shots.
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      “It went downhill real quick… I didn’t make it home. I almost got thrown out as I was in a bit of a state.
      “So the lads covered me in pillows but then they forgot about me. So everyone’s kicked out of the club and I got found by the cleaners cleaning the club.”
      Bridge revealed his drinking got him into trouble more than once throughout his career.
      While at Southampton Bridge once commandeered a milk float to get to training in time after an all-night boozy bash.
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      His antics led to a stern telling-off from then-Saints boss Glenn Hoddle.
      But he impressed on the pitch and joined Chelsea from Southampton in 2003, while also earning 36 England caps. More

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      How sold and forgotten Chelsea stars could fill ENTIRE Champions League squad this season – and have pick of managers

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      TODD BOEHLY’S Chelsea have been the Premier League’s big spenders since his takeover in May last year.If the £45million transfer of Cole Palmer goes through they will have spent over £1billion in transfer fees during Boehly’s ownership.
      De Bruyne is one of the 28 ex-Chelsea players playing in the Champions League this seasonCredit: Getty
      Mason Mount is one of the many Chelsea academy players to have flown the nest and play for a Champions League sideCredit: Reuters
      But part of his aggressive transfer strategy has seen Chelsea shed a number of players from the old regime.
      This summer alone, 21 players have left Chelsea either permanently or on loan, including a number of former regular starters in the form of Kai Havertz, Mason Mount and Mateo Kovacic.
      That means the sight of a former Chelsea player popping up for a team in Europe has become commonplace.
      A remarkable 28 ex-Chelsea players are plying their trade for teams in the Champions League this season with a further three ex-Chelsea managers calling the shots at clubs in Europe’s elite competition.
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      Not all of these players left under the Boehly regime, but the number of players still playing at Europe’s highest level is testament to the club’s high turnover.
      Chelsea don’t have to look too far from home to be reminded of former Blues now playing in the Champions League, with a number of their players playing for fellow Premier League teams.
      Manchester City have Kevin De Bruyne, Nathan Ake and the aforementioned Kovacic all plying their trade for them.
      Arsenal’s squad contains Jorginho, who joined the club last January, Havertz and former Cobham academy player Declan Rice.
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      Newcastle took Lewis Hall on loan from Chelsea last week, and also snapped up Tino Livramento from Southampton in a £30m deal – who is another product of the Chelsea academy.
      The Magpies have been drawn in the same Champions League group as AC Milan who have FOUR ex-Chelsea players: Olivier Giroud, Fikayo Tomori, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christian Pulisic.
      Manchester United added Mount to their ranks this summer in a £65m deal, the only player to up their Chelsea quota.
      If all of Chelsea’s ex-players were to link up in a hypothetical squad, they would be spoilt for choice for ex-Chelsea managers to take charge of them.
      Maurizio Sarri currently manages Lazio, Thomas Tuchel is in charge at Bayern and Carlo Ancelotti is still head honcho at Real Madrid, where he manages Thibaut Courtois and Antonio Rudiger.
      The full list of ex-Chelsea players featuring in the Champions League this year is as follows:

      Mateo Kovacic (Manchester City)
      Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
      Nathan Ake  (Manchester City)
      Kai Havertz (Arsenal)
      Jorginho (Arsenal)
      Declan Rice (Arsenal)
      Mason Mount (Manchester United)
      Oriol Romeu (Barcelona)
      Marcus Alonso (Barcelona)
      Andreas Christensen (Barcelona)
      Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid)
      Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)
      Kepa (Loan – Real Madrid)
      Alvaro Morata (Atletico Madrid)
      Cesar Azpilicueta (Atletico Madrid)
      Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan)
      Christian Pulisic (AC Milan)
      Olivier Giroud (AC Milan)
      Ruben Loftus Cheek (AC Milan)
      Timo Werner (RB Leipzig)
      Pedro (Lazio)
      Juan Cuadrado (Inter Milan)
      Thorgan Hazard (Borussia Dortmund)
      Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid)
      Patrick Van Aanholt (PSV)
      Tino Livramento (Newcastle)
      Lewis Hall (Newcastle)
      David Datro Fofana (Union Berlin) More

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      Watch Alexis Mac Allister’s brother and team-mates’ wild celebration on plane after drawing Liverpool in Europa League

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      ALEXIS MAC ALLISTER’s brother was absolutely over the moon after learning of his imminent family reunion with the Liverpool star.Premier League big boys Liverpool eagerly awaited their fate for their Europa League campaign on Friday.
      Alexis Mac Allister and his Liverpool team-mates learned their Europa League fate on FridayCredit: Alamy
      Mac Alister will twice face brother Kevin when the Reds face Union Saint-GilloiseCredit: Rex
      Union SG were buzzing to have drawn the RedsCredit: TWITTER@UNIONSTGILLOISE
      Kevin had a message for his younger brother after learning of the drawCredit: TWITTER@UNIONSTGILLOISE
      The five-time Champions League winners were drawn into Group F of Europe’s secondary club competition, which pitted them against Union Saint-Gilloise, Toulouse and LASK.
      The matches with Union SG will be of major significance to Reds newboy Mac Allister, whose brother Kevin plays for the Belgian side.
      Union’s stars learned of their group while on board an aeroplane, with the moment being captured by the social media team.
      And they burst into cheers of joy after learning they would face the Kop club.
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      Kevin grinned like a Cheshire cat as he processed two games against his younger brother later this year.
      And he was quick to send a message to his £45million sibling.
      He said with a wry smile on his face: “See you soon, bro.”
      A buzzing Kevin then took to Twitter to send a message to Liverpool’s No.10
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      The Argentine tweeted: “I told you yesterday!!
      “Beyond the result, the experience of facing each other in one of the most beautiful soccer venues will be very special and will last a lifetime.
      “See you soon bro @alemacallister.”
      Alexis joined Liverpool from Brighton in the summer in a deal which could rise to £55m.
      But the 24-year-old’s career on Merseyside got off to the worst possible start as he was SENT OFF for a dangerous challenge in Liverpool’s first home game of the season against Bournemouth.
      But the dismissal was overturned upon appeal and he’s gone on to make three appearances for the Merseysiders so far this campaign.
      Alexis and his Liverpool team-mates will be back in action on Sunday, welcoming Aston Villa to Anfield. More

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      Supercomputer predicts Arsenal and Man Utd’s chances of reaching Champions League final but one team massive favourites

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      A SUPERCOMPUTER has predicted each club’s chances of reaching this season’s Champions League final.Following Thursday’s group stage draw, Bettingexpert’s supercomputer has simulated the tournament 100,000 times.
      A supercomputer has predicted this season’s Champions LeagueCredit: Getty
      Bukayo Saka’s Arsenal return to the Champions League after six years awayCredit: Getty
      Fans of the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United can now see their club’s chances of going all the way in Europe this season.
      However, one club is a massive favourite to go on and win the Champions League at Wembley Stadium in June.
      According to the supercomputer, holders Manchester City have a 44.2 per cent chance of reaching the final again.
      The Treble winners have also been given a 32.1 per cent probability of successfully defending their crown.
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      It comes after City were drawn in a relatively easy group on paper, consisting of RB Leipzig, Young Boys and Red Star Belgrade.
      Arsenal have a 15 per cent chance of reaching the final, along with the fourth highest probability of qualifying for the knockout stages.
      The Gunners are only behind City, Bayern Munich and Barcelona as they make their Champions League return after six years away.
      Mikel Arteta’s side will take on Sevilla, PSV and Lens in the group stage.
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      Manchester United have been given a slightly lower probability of making it to the Wembley final at 9.8 per cent.
      They are also only predicted to come second in their group behind Harry Kane’s Bayern.
      The German champions are second favourites to reach the final at 21.8 per cent.
      Despite being drawn in the group of death alongside PSG, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan, Newcastle have been tipped to advance to the last 16.
      The supercomputer has made the Magpies second favourites in their group behind PSG with a 55.1 per cent chance of progression.
      That’s despite being a Pot 4 team.
      Newcastle also have a seven per cent probability of reaching the final.
      Celtic are the only Scottish representatives in the group stage after Rangers’ play-off elimination.
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      Drawn with Atletico Madrid, Lazio and Feyenoord in group E, they have been given just a 0.9 per cent probability of making the final.
      The group stage will begin on September 19, with the full set of fixtures released on Saturday morning.
      Manchester United have been given a 9.8 per cent chance of making the finalCredit: Getty More

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      Calls for Newcastle chief to immediately get keys to city for cheeky TNT Sports interview after Champions League draw

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      NEWCASTLE chief executive Darren Eales reckons Newcastle will be ready to inflict some pain in this year’s Champions League group of death.The St James’ Park boss appeared to be delighted that Eddie Howe’s side have ended up against Paris St Germain, Dortmund and Milan on the club’s return to the competition after 21 years.
      Eales couldn’t resist a cheeky dig at SunderlandCredit: Getty
      Newcastle were named in a difficult group on their return to the Champions LeagueCredit: AP
      And Eales, here in Monaco, could not resist a cheeky dig at North East rivals Sunderland.
      He said: “Wow, what a group. It’s a super group of death, three great teams – PSG, Dortmund, the yellow wall, and AC Milan.
      “In 2003 we had almost 10,000 Geordies over in the wonderful city of Milan – and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Mackem in Milan – so it’s going to be exciting.”
      Fans instantly fell in love with Eales following his comments, with one person tweeting: “Legend status already.”
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      Another added: “GIVE DARREN EALES THE KEYS TO THE CITY IMMEDIATELY.”
      While a third wrote: “Love that man!”
      Eales added: “PSG are footballing royalty and Dortmund are a great football club. The noise at St James’ Park for that first game is going to be something special. We had a great season last season and we’re not here to make up the numbers.
      “We’ve got six great games ahead of us and we’re really going to give it our all. We want our fans to dream and have a draw and a group we can get excited about.
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      Tonali will face his former clubCredit: Alamy
      “We can’t wait to get those clubs at St James’ Park with the Champions League music – it’s going to be pretty amazing.”
      There were loud gasps in the auditorium when former Barcelona defender Eric Abidal announced that Newcastle would go into Group F.
      But what a brilliant few games they will be for Newcastle supporters. The fans will be waiting for the release of the fixtures in the next few days so they can scramble for flights.  
      The glamour draw includes an immediate reunion with Milan for Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali after his £55m summer switch.
      The match against PSG will also be a Saudi Arabia versus Qatar derby in terms of both clubs’ ownership.
      Newcastle sporting director Dan Ashworth admitted that Toon boss Howe had yet to reply to his text after the draw.

      Ashworth said: “He will have been watching the draw and I am sure we will speak later. It’s been a 20-year wait to play against the top teams in Europe and we certainly got that in our pot, didn’t we?
      “It’s very exciting, brilliant for the fans, brilliant for the staff, it’s what the Champions League is all about.
      “It’s a brilliant moment for the city to play those three teams. An evening in St. James’s Park under the lights in Newcastle is going to be an incredible experience.”
      Ashworth was bullish over Newcastle’s chance of qualifying. He said: “We’ve got some experience in the side as well and we’ll be counting on that to help drive us through and get to the knockout stages.”
      Shay Given, who was part of the last Newcastle side to grace the Champions League 21 years ago, reckons Dortmund, Milan and PSG are in for a bumpy ride.
      In 1997, Louis van Gaal’s Barcelona were beaten 3-2 at a fever pitch St James’ thanks to Faustino Asprilla’s hat-trick.
      Given said: “That’s my standout game. I was only 21, it was my first Champions League game.
      “The atmosphere was absolutely mental that night. Asprilla got the hat-trick and Keith Gillespie was man of the match.
      “It was crazy, they had superstars like Luis Figo and Rivaldo coming to St James’ Park but we beat them. It’s just amazing to think Newcastle are back after so long. The club has strengthened the squad this summer and is in a great place.”
      Elsewhere, Harry Kane’s return to England with Bayern Munich to face Manchester United will be fascinating. It seems written in the stars he will score a few at Old Trafford. Equally, you would expect United to progress from Group A.
      Also, Arsenal, who return to the Champions League after six years, should be okay in Group B where they face Sevilla, PSV Eindhoven and RC Lens.
      But without doubt the happiest English club were reigning champions Manchester City.
      They have been given a quick rematch with German side Leipzig who they thrashed 7-0 in the second leg of their last 16 clash last season for an 8-1 aggregate win. They will also play Swiss side Young Boys and Red Star Belgrade.
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      City director of football Txiki Begiristain said: “It is a tough match again against Leipzig. It will still be a tough group.
      “Any season we have to have new players, we have to refresh the squad and blend in the players and now need to compete. We want to make them better as well. We are happy.” More