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      Roman Abramovich went silent for four days, then I was sacked.. we had chance to make Chelsea the best team in the world

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      FORMER Chelsea manager Avram Grant has revealed Roman Abramovich did not speak to him for FOUR DAYS after the 2008 Champions League final.Grant, 67, was brought to Stamford Bridge as director of football in July 2007.
      Avram Grant led Chelsea to the 2008 Champions League finalCredit: PA:Press Association
      John Terry had the chance to win Chelsea the Champions League but missed from the spotCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      But just two months later he was named the Blues’ interim head coach following the departure of Jose Mourinho.
      And Chelsea pushed Manchester United all the way in the Premier League, coming up short by just two points.
      Then in Europe it was much of the same for Grant and his side.
      They faced the Red Devils in the Champions Leagur final in Moscow and the match went to penalties.
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      John Terry had the chance to win the Champions League from the spot, but slipped and fired his effort off the post.
      Nicolas Anelka went on to miss the decisive penalty as Man Utd were crowned European champions for a third time.
      After the final, Grant revealed Abramovich did not say anything to him for four days.
      And when the pair did speak, the Israeli coach was told he would be returning to his role as director of football – ending his stint as manager.
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      But Grant did not wish to return to that position, so he left the club altogether.
      Speaking on “Fever Pitch: The Battle for the Premier League” – which is exclusively available on Paramount+ – about the 2007/08 season, he said: “We came second place (in the league), but I remember I think in my first or second (press conference), I said that my target is to be first time in Champions League final.
      “Now we had the opportunity to be the best in the world.
      “I remember that we received the [Manchester United] team and there was [Wayne] Rooney and [Cristiano] Ronaldo and [Carlos] Tevez. Then he changed the team so the first 15 minutes, which was a little bit confusing.
      “After 20 minutes we did internal change and then we dominated the game completely.
      “We played really much better than them. I think even Alex [Ferguson] knows that. But then we come to penalties.
      “Oh, it was unfortunate, because John Terry was really, I think, maybe his best season. He played so good in this season.”
      ROMAN SILENCE
      He continued: “[Roman] Abramovich didn’t call me [after the final]. Three, four days we didn’t speak. And then he called me to his house and he said, We need to prepare the season, the next season.
      “So I say, Okay. And he said to me, you are continuing the job as director of football. So, okay. And I didn’t agree to be director of football, and I left.
      “I felt upset because I felt that we are so close to be the best in the world. We were so close. But he’s the boss. He’s my friend. We need to respect that.
      “I didn’t agree with this, but I will always remember also that he gave me the chance.”
      Read More on The Sun
      After leaving Chelsea, Grant went on to manage the likes of Portsmouth, West Ham, Partizan Belgrade and Ghana.
      He is now the head coach of the Zambia national team.
      Roman Abramovich was known to be ruthless with managersCredit: Getty Images – Getty More

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      Cesc Fabregas tells Chelsea fans club CAN win Premier League title next season because ‘I lived it’

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      CESC FABREGAS has claimed that Chelsea can win the Premier League next season.The Blues are currently enduring one of their worst seasons in recent history and look set for a bottom-half finish.
      Cesc Fabregas believes Chelsea can win the Premier League next seasonCredit: Getty
      He won the trophy in 2017 after a terrible previous seasonCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      With four games to go in the campaign, the Blues could still feasibly be relegated which shows how far off the pace they are.
      To make matters worse the club have gone through two permanent managers as Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter have been sacked.
      And interim boss Frank Lampard is currently under pressure having lost all six of his games in charge of the club.
      However, Chelsea Premier League winner Fabregas has argued that it is not a lost cause.
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      He won the title with the Blues in 2017, having finished 10th the previous season after a disastrous campaign.
      He told Sky Sports: “Six years ago we had a really bad season at Chelsea, we finished tenth if I remember correctly.
      “Jose Mourinho left, [Guus] Hiddink came, and he started to play younger players like Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Tammy Abraham to give them experience for the next year.
      “And I remember in April, they signed [Antonio] Conte, who came to the training ground, spoke to us individually, planned what he wanted to do with us.
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      “We started fresh and won the Premier League, against [Pep] Guardiola, against [Jurgen] Klopp, I mean it is not impossible.
      “It happened six years ago, I lived it, if you bring someone in who has the character and can give everyone clear ideas and get everyone on board, then it is doable.”
      Chelsea will first have to appoint a manager to replace Lampard at the end of the season.
      Former Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino is widely considered to be the frontrunner for the role. More

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      3 players capable of ensuring mini-league glory for Dream Team gaffers in May

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      THIS coming Friday will be the first of the month which means only one thing: Dream Team transfers.Gaffers will have their transfers replenished in the morning, allowing them to make changes prior to Game Week 33 if they so wish.
      The season does spill over into June with the FA Cup showdown between the Manchester clubs and European finals that could potentially feature Premier League teams schedule but the vast majority of the remaining Dream Team eligible fixtures will take place before the end of May.
      With that in mind, we’ve identified three players (aside from the obvious candidates) we believe are capable of ensuring mini-league glory in the coming weeks…
      Jarrod Bowen (£4.1m)
      Blocking out the 92.9% of Dream Team gaffers not currently backing him
      Given all the drama of the domestic campaign, it would be easy for Dream Team bosses to overlook the fact West Ham have a European semi-final in the diary.
      The Hammers will take on AZ Alkmaar, currently fourth in the Eredivisie, in a two-legged Europa Conference League affair that ensures they’re busier than most from Game Week 33 onwards.
      Their No20 may have blanked in his last two outings but with 134 points to his name he’s been the best performer in the squad this term.
      Bowen may not have replicated his extraordinary efforts of 2021/22 but 11 goals, nine assists and six Star Man awards represents an impressive haul considering how David Moyes’ side have performed collectively.
      It’s not just the additional European fixtures that make the 26-year-old a viable option this month, his domestic fixtures are relatively friendly too.
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      Granted, he faces Manchester City tonight and Manchester United on Sunday but after that his remaining league opponents are Brentford, Leeds and Leicester.
      Manuel Akanji (£4.5m)
      Akanji has quickly become one of Guardiola’s most-trusted players
      Let’s get it straight, Man City are the team to back to the hilt from hereon out.
      While some teams have just four fixtures left to fulfil at the time of writing, Pep Guardiola’s side could be in action nine more times if they make it to the Champions League final.
      This sheer volume of games combined with the team’s unrelenting form has once again created a Dream Team behemoth.
      There’s no point highlighting the virtues of Erling Haaland (£10.2m) and Kevin De Bruyne (£8.4m) as they’re already immensely popular but City’s Swiss defender has an ownership of just 5.8%.
      Akanji has proved to be very useful purchase for Guardiola as he’s occasionally filled in at right-back and left-back when not in his more familiar central role.
      The former Borussia Dortmund man is far from the Etihad’s most glamorous asset but all Dream Team bosses should consider is his game time and potential returns.
      He’s only missed just one of City’s last 30 games and he’s earned 48 points across the last nine Game Weeks.
      Guardiola is prone to tactical tweaks but it would highly unusual for the decorated tactician to suddenly discard Akanji as the season reaches its climax.
      Real Madrid are a formidable foe in the Champions League semi-finals but the defending English champions face Leeds, Everton and Chelsea around those European clashes, three teams in woeful form.
      Solly March (£4.7m)
      Forget that Wembley penalty miss for now…
      Brighton have more Premier League fixtures remaining this season than any other team.
      The Seagulls host Man United tomorrow night and then have six games to fulfil after May’s transfers become available – two more than Arsenal, Spurs, Aston Villa and a host of other clubs.
      Roberto De Zerbi’s enterprising approach has ensured a steady stream of points for his midfield unit and while Kaoru Mitoma (£4.6m) is the most popular selection, the Japanese winger has recently been overtaken by March in the rankings.
      Brighton’s long-serving No7 now has 147 points to Mitoma’s 142 having added 53 to his total in his last nine outings.
      March has provided nine assists, scored seven goals and claimed six Star Man awards in 2022/23.
      Granted, his fixtures, though voluminous, contain some tough match-ups.
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      March faces Arsenal, Newcastle, Man City and Aston Villa before all is said and done but the thing about De Zerbi’s side is that they can give anyone a game on their day.
      Stay clear of Brighton defenders but there should be more returns for March, Mitoma and company in attack. More

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      How Champions League and World Cup star sparked a manhunt after retiring…but went on to have a very different career

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      A CHAMPIONS League Star, who sparked a manhunt after hanging up his boots, went on to have a very different career.The Liverpool FC legend Steve Finnan was stunned when a campaign to find him went viral as he kept a low profile after retirement.
      Steve Finnan sparked a manhunt after hanging up his bootsCredit: PA:Press Association
      The Liverpool FC legend was stunned when a campaign to find him went viralCredit: PA:Press Association
      Finnan was an Anfield favourite, turning out for The Reds 217 times between 2003 and 2008Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      Finnan – who helped his team win UEFA Champions cup in 2005 – was an Anfield favourite, turning out for The Reds 217 times between 2003 and 2008.
      After leaving Liverpool, Finnan played for Spanish club Espanyol before heading back to England for a season to play with Portsmouth where his final appearance in football was in the 2010 FA Cup final loss to Chelsea before retiring.
      Finnan also went on to play 52 times for Ireland, scoring twice for his country and featured in all four of their World Cup games in 2002.
      However, he was the subject of a mass campaign to locate him in 2015 after the organisers of the 10-year reunion of Rafa Benitez’ Champions League-winning team were unable to contact him.
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      The team behind the event in Istanbul, Turkey were struggling to track Finnan down, leading to the hashtag #FindSteveFinnan trending online.
      Thankfully, the mystery was quickly solved, and the former full-back assured everyone he was ok in an interview with the Liverpool Echo.
      Finnan said: “I can confirm that I’m safe and well.
      “Someone forwarded the ECHO article on to me yesterday. I thought it was funny as I normally think I’m pretty easy to get hold of.
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      “There are people at the club who have got my number but obviously this isn’t a club event so there was a bit of a mix-up.
      “The organisers of the Istanbul Reunion have now been in touch and apologised they weren’t able to contact me sooner.”
      After retiring in 2010, Finnan moved on to a drastically different career path.
      He ran Finnan Developments, a London-based property company, with his brother Sean.
      Explaining his decision to move into property, he said: “I think one of the reasons why people think I’ve disappeared is because I’m not involved in football any more.
      “I loved training and playing, and I was privileged to play for a great club like Liverpool and win some big trophies, but I never wanted to stay in football once I had retired.
      “Being a coach or a pundit never interested me…I’ve never been one to crave attention and I like my life the way it is now.
      “I have a property business with my brother Sean which we started 12 years ago. We started off with small refurbs and it has got bigger and bigger.”
      He added that he also stays off social media as he doesn’t “feel the need to tell someone what I’ve just had for my breakfast”.
      However, he admitted: “I still get recognised every so often in London.

      “I come across a lot of people in the building trade and a fair few Liverpool fans who want to chat about my time there.”
      But the London Property development business later collapsed – with Finnan reportedly tackling debts of over £3.6m. More

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      Eagle-eyed fans spot Jack Grealish gave away Man City’s season goals in his BeReal

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      EAGLE-EYED fans spotted Jack Grealish accidentally revealing Manchester City’s goals for the season.The £100million man gave supporters an insight into life behind the scenes at City’s training ground on BeReal.
      Jack Grealish posed for his BeReal postCredit: BeReal via Twitter
      He showed fans he was getting a massage at the City training groundCredit: BeReal via Twitter
      The two trophies could be seen under the ‘our goal’ signCredit: BeReal via Twitter
      The social media post – where users are prompted to take a photo with their front and rear camera simultaneously whatever their view – showed Grealish on the treatment table.
      He posed with a selfie as the main image showed him getting a leg and foot massage from one of the City medical team.
      But his photo inadvertently gave away Pep Guardiola’s motives for the reigning Premier League champions.
      On the far right of the photo, Grealish had managed to include two posters pinned up to a pillar.
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      The words above both images read “our goal” with pics of the Champions League and Premier League trophies.
      And after some fans highlighted the blunder, plenty more we quick to insist the goals are hardly surprising.
      One said: “I think that’s obvious, it’s not even a secret.”
      Another wrote: “What else would their goal be?”
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      And a third added: “I’m surprised a football club has a goal to win trophies.”
      City are looking on course to defend their Premier League title and win it for the fifth time in six seasons – victory over West Ham tomorrow will further boost their chances.
      And the club are desperate to end their long wait to be crowned European champions.
      They face Real Madrid in the semi-finals knowing if they can get past the 14-time winners, they will face AC Milan or Inter Milan in the final.
      City are still on for the Treble with rivals Manchester United waiting in the FA Cup final on June 3 – and there may well be another poster with the famous trophy elsewhere.
      And Grealish has played a key role in another successful season for the Etihad side.
      Since the World Cup, he has scored four and assisted nine goals, eventually finding his best form 18 months on from his record-breaking transfer from Aston Villa.
      And after last week’s crunch win over Arsenal, Grealish posted a celebratory pic on his BeReal with Erling Haaland, Bernardo Silva and Ruben Dias. More

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      Kai Havertz reveals Chelsea squad left baffled after Thomas Tuchel was ‘sacked out of nowhere’ leading to dismal season

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      KAI HAVERTZ has revealed he was left baffled by Thomas Tuchel’s sacking “out of nowhere”. Just 16 months after leading Chelsea to the Champions League, the German boss was dismissed as the ownership looked to stamp their authority.
      Kai Havertz scored the winning goal in the 2021 Champions League final but has struggled for consistencyCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      But the Blues’ awkward start to the season under Tuchel was about as good as things would get in the entire campaign.
      Graham Potter’s failed to get things going as Chelsea languished in mid-table before he was dismissed after only eight months.
      Before Frank Lampard took over as caretaker and lost his first five games.
      Chelsea striker Havertz has given his assessment of the disastrous campaign and revealed that the early sacking did not help the squad.
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      He told Kicker: “Everything that can go wrong went wrong for us this year.
      “The season actually started relatively quietly. We had a change of ownership which was a big change for the club.
      “And then Thomas Tuchel was fired, which of course always makes a difference in a team like this when you’ve been successful with a coach and he gets fired out of nowhere.
      “Now we have our backs to the wall and are not [doing] very well in the table. 
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      “Of course it’s easy to find excuses. I’m not a fan of blaming everything on something else. At the end of the day, we’re all professional footballers and we have to win a game sometimes.”
      Chelsea travel to Arsenal tonight looking to put a further spanner into their London rival’s title dreams.

      And Havertz hopes to frustrate the Gunners.
      He added: “We hope to tease Arsenal a little bit. They’re in the title fight now, which is where we want to be. And if you can beat your opponent, that’s always good for the fans.”
      With nothing to play for, Chelsea have a further five dead rubbers before their miserable season ends.
      The Blues currently sit 12th in the table and risk falling further.
      Former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino is widely expected to take over at Stamford Bridge in the coming weeks. More

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      Which teams have the most favourable Dream Team fixtures this May? Manchester City twice as busy as other teams

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      IT’S coronation season here in the United Kingdom and there’s a crown poised above Pep Guardiola’s head.Manchester City have finally overtaken Arsenal at the top of the Premier League and the Etihad residents have a game a hand on their title rivals as well.
      Not only that, City remain active in the Champions League and the FA Cup as they chase an historic treble.
      Naturally, Dream Team gaffers will want to stack their teams full of Guardiola’s troops this month but it’s always wise to analyse the schedule before committing to a strategy.
      With that in mind, let’s run through May’s fixtures for the current top eight teams…
      Guardiola is chasing three trophiesCredit: GETTY
      MANCHESTER CITY

      West Ham (h)
      Leeds (h)
      Real Madrid (a)
      Everton (a)
      Real Madrid (h)
      Chelsea (h)
      Brighton (a)
      Brentford (a)

      On current form there’s no possible match-up that will intimidate Erling Haaland (£10.2m) and company but a Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid, the undisputed masters of the competition, promises to be highly competitive.
      It’s worth noting that the Hammers’ visit to Manchester takes place on Wednesday night as part of Game Week 32, prior to May’s transfer refresh.
      Brace yourself for gargantuan returns for those fixtures against Leeds and Everton, those encounters could get very messy for the relegation candidates.
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      ARSENAL

      Chelsea (h)
      Newcastle (a)
      Brighton (h)
      Nottingham Forest (a)
      Wolves (h)

      Once again, the Gunners take on the Blues tonight in their first Game Week 32 fixture meaning they will have just four games remaining after this month’s transfer refresh.
      An away day at St James’ Park followed by a game against the free-scoring Seagulls represents a tricky double header for Mikel Arteta’s men but they should finish strong against Forest and Wolves.
      Many Dream Team bosses will be swapping their Arsenal assets for City equivalents this coming Friday.
      Bukayo Saka appears in 42.4% of teamsCredit: GETTY
      NEWCASTLE

      Arsenal (h)
      Leeds (a)
      Brighton (h)
      Leicester (h)
      Chelsea (a)

      The Magpies’ testing fixtures against Arsenal and Brighton are offset by games against three teams who have desperately struggled in recent weeks.
      Eddie Howe’s men have scored 20 goals in their last six outings with the likes of Callum Wilson (£4.1m) and Alexander Isak (£4.2m) plundering plenty of points of late.
      MANCHESTER UNITED

      Brighton (a)
      West Ham (a)
      Wolves (h)
      Bournemouth (a)
      Chelsea (h)
      Fulham (h)

      Erik ten Hag’s side travel to the south coast this week so gaffers predominantly thinking of post-transfer refresh plans should focus on the fixtures from West Ham onwards.
      All things considered, it’s a favourable set of match-ups from Game Week 32 until the season’s end in the form of teams safe from relegation but too far from European qualification – on-the-beach teams tend to give up points at the end of term.
      Man United also have the FA Cup final to play in JuneCredit: GETTY
      LIVERPOOL

      Fulham (h)
      Brentford (h)
      Leicester (a)
      Aston Villa (h)
      Southampton (a)

      It’s a similar story for the Merseysiders who, aside from Villa, face nothing but unmotivated mid-table opponents or relegation fodder.
      The Reds have underwhelmed this season but the likes of Diogo Jota (£4.4m), Mohamed Salah (£8.5m) and Cody Gakpo (£4m) have shared loads of goals around between them this past month.
      Clean sheets remain elusive, however.
      TOTTENHAM

      Crystal Palace (h)
      Aston Villa (a)
      Brentford (h)
      Leeds (a)

      Just four fixtures remain for a club who desperately want the season to end.
      Harry Kane (£8.9m) continues to provide healthy returns for his backers but only a brave (or naive) Dream Team manager will be thinking about bringing in more Spurs players as the campaign concludes.
      ASTON VILLA
      Ollie Watkins has blanked in three consecutive fixturesCredit: GETTY

      Wolves (a)
      Spurs (h)
      Liverpool (a)
      Brighton (h)

      Unai Emery’s side are in much better form than Spurs but still their point-scoring opportunities are limited to just four fixtures.
      And it’s a relatively difficult quartet of match-ups as well.
      Ollie Watkins (£6.4m) has been sensational since the World Cup but it’s worth flagging that he’s blanked in his last three games.
      BRIGHTON

      Man United (h)
      Everton (h)
      Arsenal (a)
      Newcastle (a)
      Southampton (h)
      Man City (h)
      Aston Villa (a)

      With seven fixtures to play (six after transfers are replenished) only Man City are busier before than Roberto De Zerbi’s side from now until the end of the season.
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      Brighton’s midfield crop of Solly March (£4.7m), Kaoru Mitoma (£4.6m), Pascal Gross (£3m) and Alexis Mac Allister (£3.4m) have registered 517 points between them in 2022/23.
      However, while the Seagulls have an appealing number of games at their disposal, the majority of them promise to be challenging tests in between respites against the Toffees and Saints. More

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      Fans convinced Erling Haaland FARTED next to Leon Goretzka after hilarious interaction between pair

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      FANS have been left convinced that Erling Haaland farted next to Leon Goretska after an exchange between the pair went viral. They were facing off in the second-leg of their Champions League clash last month, with Manchester City progressing 4-1 on aggregate over Bayern Munich.
      Goretska pinches his nose as he waits for a corner during Bayern’s second-leg clash with Man City last monthCredit: Twitter – Troll Football
      Haaland rubs his stomach apologetically and fans are convinced he fartedCredit: Twitter – Troll Football
      Goretzka: Haaland has no respect for the opponent or football. He farted every time we approached him. He did it more than once!!pic.twitter.com/0Oa2DRt9uL— Troll Football (@TrollFootball) April 29, 2023

      But a short video of Goretska marking the Man City man before a corner is doing the rounds on social media.
      Haaland, who scored his 50th goal of the season against Fulham on Sunday, is known to enjoy the dark arts of football.
      And he appears to have opted for his most bizarre tactic yet.
      Goretska can be seen puffing out his cheeks and holding his nose as he waits for the corner to be swung in.
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      The midfielder pulls a disgusted face while Haaland gives his own stomach a soothing rub and grins slightly.
      Some fans believe this moment is evidence that he let one rip to put his opponent off his game and could not help but make jokes.
      One said: “Holy crap. Is that why the defences of each team he has scored [against] couldn’t handle him??”
      Another said: “This explains the goals.”
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      While another joked: “Extra propulsion for additional speed.”
      But, defending the star, one fan said: “He touched his stomach to let him know he is not doing it intentionally.
      Haaland has not been shy about using untraditional tactics to get around opposition players.
      Brentford defender Ben Mee revealed that the 22-year-old pinches defenders to throw them off their game.
      While Haaland went viral last year as he attempted to wind up Everton’s Ben Godfrey.
      Whatever the Norwegian is doing is clearly effective with the striker equalling the Premier League record for most goals in a season – and City still have six games left to play. More