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      Man Utd title hopes OVER and ‘inconsistent’ results vs smaller teams cost them says Berbatov, who fears top four flop

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      DIMITAR BERBATOV believes Manchester United are OUT of the title race – and fears they could even miss out on the top four.
      Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side are seven points behind league leaders Manchester City – who have a game in hand.

      Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side dropped points against West Brom at the weekendCredit: Mark Robinson – The Sun

      Berbatov claims United are out of the running because they’ve dropped points against ‘smaller teams’ this season.
      The Red Devils missed a chance to close to the gap when they were surprisingly held to a 1-1 draw with West Brom on Sunday.
      The former Old Trafford star told Betfair: “You see what happens when you don’t win games against the smaller teams?
      “Sheffield United and West Brom were two matches that United were expected to take all the points from, but they weren’t concentrated enough and now there is no point talking about their title chances.

      “They are still second in the league, they must give Man City a hard time, but obviously they are in a much worse position than they were before, which is unfortunate.
      “That shows you that sometimes people talk about records against the top four teams, but it is equally as important to beat the teams in the bottom four.
      “City are seven points ahead with a game in hand, and with the performances that thy have shown recently I think it will be impossible for them to lose it, and at this moment the title is theirs.”
      Berbatov concluded: “It just goes to show that it really pays when you are inconsistent.”

      Dimitar Berbatov played for Manchester United from 2008 until 2012

      Leicester are level on 46 points with United while fourth-placed Chelsea have won their last five games on the bounce across all competitions.
      Reigning champions Liverpool will also be fighting for a Champions League place after their own recent slump.
      And its led the Bulgarian pundit, 40, to warn United that the top four is NOT guaranteed at this stage of the season.
      He continued: “If United continue to keep dropping unnecessary points to weaker teams I’m going to be worried for them making the top four.
      “When you are challenging for the title it is unacceptable to drop points against the team that is bottom of the table and then the team second bottom of the table.
      “Yes, you may drop points against the likes of City and Liverpool, when there is so much quality on the pitch but playing against teams down the table, you have to take the points otherwise you bring lots of problems on yourself.

      “United must kick on, because they risk teams catching them and each week the race for a top four spot is getting tighter.”
      Berbatov has also urged Real Madrid to consider selling Eden Hazard as he is ‘yet to prove anything’.
      And he claimed Frank Lampard deserved more time to prove himself at Chelsea before he was axed.

      Mason Greenwood signs new four-year Man Utd deal with 12-month option More

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      Marcus Rashford praised for going ‘above and beyond’ in Man Utd star’s stand against social media abuse by Gary Neville

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      MARCUS RASHFORD has taken an incredibly brave stand against social media abuse, former Manchester United star Gary Neville believes.
      The England international has led the fight against players, managers and referees receiving abuse over the last few weeks, calling for social media platforms to deactivate accounts used by perpetrators.

      Marcus Rashford has taken a stand against social media abuseCredit: Reuters

      The England international was racially abused on social media after United’s 0-0 draw with Arsenal last month

      Rashford has also been the victim of abuse, with the striker being targeted by sick trolls after United’s goalless draw with Arsenal in January.
      And Neville reckons the 23-year-old’s decision to place himself in the firing line is an incredibly noble one.
      He told Sky Sports: “If you look at what is going on right now, a player 20 years ago wouldn’t have done this.
      “It would have been seen as a distraction, by senior players as arrogant and something you shouldn’t do – certainly by managers.

      “What you see now in Marcus Rashford and young players they want to go above and beyond.
      “Look at Jadon Sancho going to Dortmund and making brave decisions.
      “I have to say the bravery Marcus Rashford and some young players are showing is quite remarkable and amazing to watch.
      “Social media has become a vehicle for a lot of abuse, but there’s been a lot of abuse in football stadiums over the last 15 to 20 years as well. It’s not just social media.

      “It’s a positive when used correctly as football stadiums are in full flow.
      “Every arena can be negative. Football stadiums can be negative, social media can be negative.
      “There’s an accountability on social media, people think when they’re behind phones they are protected.

      Gary Neville has been blown away by Marcus Rashford’s stance against online abuseCredit: Getty

      “They need to remove that and be made accountable for what they say in the same way if they had said that to somebody in the street.”
      Despite calls from Rashford and the Premier League, Facebook and Twitter have made it clear they have no intention of preventing people from setting up anonymous accounts.
      The platforms do, however, intend to ramp up their attempts to prevent online abuse and delete accounts guilty of violating their terms of service.
      But Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, plans to remove all accounts found guilty of sending abusive messages.
      Facebook’s content policy manager, Fazdai Madzingira, said: “Currently, we will set a specific ban or what we call a block for a set amount of time when someone violates those rules and we extend that time should they continue to do so.
      “We’re taking tougher measures on people who violate those rules in Instagram direct messaging, so instead of just extending the time, we’ll be removing the accounts altogether.”

      Man Utd boss Solskjaer says Marcus Rashford knee injury leaves the player in doubt More

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      Lionel Messi looked ‘disinterested’ and Man City transfer would be GAMBLE after Barcelona thrashing, claims Joe Cole

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      MANCHESTER CITY’S summer move for Lionel Messi would be a ‘gamble’, claimed Joe Cole.
      The 33-year-old failed to impress during Barcelona’s shock 4-1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.

      Lionel Messi failed to inspire his team to glory against Paris Saint-GermainCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Former West Ham star Cole claimed the six-time Ballon d’Or winner looked ‘disinterested’ throughout.
      And he insisted City would be taking a huge risk if they made a move for him this summer.
      The pundit told BT Sport: “You’d have to do your due diligence before you sign Messi. He looked disinterested tonight. 
      “The 34-year-old Messi, if he plays like that it will be a gamble.

      “To take him into a club where Pep relies on energy, enthusiasm, togetherness.
      “It’s a mess at Barca, I don’t know how they’re going to sort it out. I can’t see Messi staying there. 
      “It’s going to be tough for him to connect into one of these big teams because he’s going to have to roll back the clock and move like he did three or four years ago.”
      After the match, Cole claimed that PSG star Kylian Mbappe is the best player in the world.

      Joe Cole claimed Kylian Mbappe is the best player in the world
      Rio Ferdinand backed him up as he insisted Mbappe is on track to ‘take over the throne’.
      The World Cup winner scored a hat-trick as PSG ran riot during the Champions League clash on Tuesday.
      Cole claimed Messi was not ’emotionally engaged’ in the match as he slated Barcelona’s performance.
      He added: “Disinterested is the word. They had no power, no togetherness.
      “There was no connection between the back four and the front three and in between it looked bitty.
      “Messi looked disinterested. It’s really hard for any ex-player to criticise him because he’s a genius and the greatest player I’ve seen play football but tonight he didn’t look like he was emotionally engaged in the game. 
      “He’s a leader out there, so is [Gerard] Pique and so is [Sergio] Busquets. The spine of the team at Barcelona look weak and just fell to bits. 
      “It was 4-1 – but it could have been five or six. It’s worrying times for Barcelona.”

      Kylian Mbappe was the star of the show as PSG beat BarcelonaCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Messi tried to force his way out of Barcelona last summer when he handed in his transfer request.
      But he decided to stay for one final season to avoid a legal battle with the Spanish side.
      His contract expires in June amid interest from both Manchester City and PSG.
      But Arsene Wenger has urged PSG to focus on Mbappe and Neymar rather than Messi.

      PSG should keep Mbappe & Neymar as Messi ‘demands huge investment’, says Wenger More

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      Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel left fuming over ‘reckless’ tackle on Tammy Abraham with scans on ankle injury today

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      CHELSEA boss Thomas Tuchel has criticised Jaamal Lascelles’ ‘reckless’ challenge that injured Tammy Abraham.
      The Blues striker was forced off the pitch after just 20 minutes of the 2-0 win over Newcastle on Monday.

      Tammy Abraham was unable to play on after the challengeCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Abraham thought he had won a penalty when he was chopped down by Lascelles inside of the box.
      But the Newcastle star escaped without any punishment as the referee believed he got the ball.
      However, the 23-year-old was unable to continue as he fell awkwardly on his ankle.
      Tuchel admitted his team are ‘worried’ about Abraham after the ‘reckless’ challenge.

      Speaking after the game, he said: “There’s no update yet on Tammy, but we needed to take him off after a hard tackle.
      “So we are worried, but there’s no news of him.
      “My assistant tried to show him (Bankes) the tackle on the iPad and he told us he was not allowed to talk to us.
      “It was the tackle, but we didn’t know he wasn’t allowed to watch. So okay, we didn’t realise that.

      Chelsea forward Tammy Abraham appeared to injure his ankleCredit: AFP or llicensors AFP or Licensors

      “We had the feeling it was a reckless tackle.
      “He (Lascelles) played the ball, yes, but for me it’s too much of a risk to an injury to the opponent. And because of that for me it’s a foul.
      “It’s reckless, but okay it was not like us to criticise, just to discuss with the officials.”
      Gary Neville claimed Abraham deliberately attempted to win a penalty and ended up injured.
      Former Arsenal forward Olivier Giroud was put on in place of Abraham in the first half.
      He scored in the 31st minute before Timo Werner doubled their tally just eight minutes later.

      Tammy Abraham was replaced by Olivier GiroudCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Thomas Tuchel unhappy with reckless tackle that injured Tammy Abraham More

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      Arsenal will ONLY hand David Luiz new contract if 33-year-old ‘agrees to player-coach role and reduced playing time’

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      DAVID LUIZ reportedly needs to agree to a player-coach role with limited game time if he wants a new Arsenal deal.
      The Brazilian defender, 33, will be free to join another club when his contract at the Emirates expires in June.

      David Luiz has played for the Gunners since 2019Credit: EPA

      Mikel Arteta reportedly wants Luiz to stay as he’s impressed by his leadership qualities and influence on his young squad.
      But according to Football.London, he will have to take a backseat and consider a new role if he wants to extend his deal.
      It is understood that the Gunners are yet to open talks with the former Chelsea star to discuss his future at the club.
      Arsenal handed Luiz a one-year contract extension last summer despite his infamous horror show against Manchester City.

      With that deal set to expire in June, Arteta’s side have been forced to consider their options.
      During an interview last month, Arteta was asked whether he wants Luiz to extend his stay at the club.
      He responded: “What I want is for him to keep performing like this to the end of the season.”
      Luiz has made 14 Premier League appearances for the Gunners during the 2020-21 campaign.

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      Mikel Arteta is said to admire David Luiz’s leadership qualitiesCredit: Kevin Quigley-The Daily Mail

      He started Sunday’s game at the back alongside Gabriel as Arsenal thumped Leeds 4-2.
      And he is likely to start Thursday’s Europa League showdown against Benfica.
      Luiz has played for the Gunners since he joined the club from London rivals in 2019 on a two-year deal for £8million.

      Arteta reacts to Arsenal’s 4-2 victory over Leeds More

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      Man Utd and Chelsea blow as Bayern Munich CONFIRM Dayot Upacamecno transfer from RB Leipzig on five-year deal

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      BAYERN MUNICH have confirmed the signing of Dayot Upamecano on a five-year deal.
      The in-demand defender will join the German giants in the summer from RB Leipzig.

      The defender was heavily linked with a move to the Premier LeagueCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      The Frenchman had been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League at the end of the season.
      Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal were set to battle it out for his signature.
      But Bayern Munich have confirmed that the 22-year-old will be joining them in July.
      A statement from the club read: “Dayot Upamecano will move to FC Bayern Munich from 1 July 2021.

      “The defender and the German champions have agreed the terms of a five-year deal until 30 June 2026.”
      Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic added: “We’re happy that we’ve been able to sign Dayot Upamecano for FC Bayern Munich. 
      “We’re convinced that Dayot will be a very important member of our team in the coming years.” 
      Upamecano made his decision as Bayern became just the second team to win the Sextuple following Thursday’s Club World Cup triumph.

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      Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been a long-term admirer of Dayot UpamecanoCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd

      He will head to the Allianz Arena as a direct replacement for David Alaba, who is leaving the German champions on a free transfer.
      Salihamidzic confirmed the deal earlier this week as he said: “I can [confirm reports we’ve won the race], and we are very happy about it.
      “We had very good, intensive and professional discussions with Dayot and his advisor for many months. We knew we had strong competition.
      “Upamecano is a young player whose qualities have already developed extraordinarily. I was always convinced we had presented a good concept.
      “We presented him with our vision of his career at Bayern.
      “During the past week I had further talks with everyone involved.
      “At the end of a long process, the player, family and management were convinced that Bayern was the right club.
      “Upamecano will play for Bayern for the next five years.”

      Bayern beat Tigres 1-0 in Club World Cup final for sixth title More

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      Joey Barton insists Chelsea star and World Cup winner Kante ‘wouldn’t have lasted a minute’ against Lampard or Gerrard

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      N’GOLO KANTE “wouldn’t have lasted a minute” against the likes of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard or Roy Keane.
      That is according to Joey Barton, who claimed the level of quality in the Premier League has “gone down” in recent years.

      N’Golo Kante has made 19 appearances in the Premier League this seasonCredit: Rex Features

      Kante won the league with Leicester before he made the move to Stamford Bridge in 2016.
      He became the first player to win successive Premier League titles with two different clubs.
      The midfielder, who is a fan favourite at Chelsea, also won the World Cup with France in 2018.
      But Barton does not think Kante should be compared to any of the Premier League greats.

      Speaking on the Robbie Fowler’s podcast, he said: “Some people think the level of the Premier League has gone up. I think it’s gone down.
      “I had a discussion the other day about who we’ve played against. Your (Frank) Lampards, (Steven) Gerrards, (Michael) Essiens, (Paul) Scholes, (Patrick) Vieiras, (Roy) Keanes. The creme de menthe of midfielders.  
      “They talk to me now about N’Golo Kante being an enforcer. I’ve played against N’Golo Kante.
      “He wouldn’t have lasted a minute. They were all 6ft4 machines.”

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      Steven Gerrard played for Liverpool from 1998 until 2015Credit: PA:Press Association

      Frank Lampard is Chelsea’s all-time leading goalscorer with 211 goals to his nameCredit: PA:Press Association

      Barton, 38, appeared on the podcast to discuss his hugely controversial career.
      He lifted the lid on his infamous training ground bust-up with former City team-mate Ousmane Dabo.
      Barton left Fleetwood Town last month following a bust-up with the club’s chairman over transfers.
      He claimed he paid backroom staff out of his own pocket and even offered to fund the wages of goalkeeper Jayson Leutwiler.

      Joey Barton in action against Chelsea midfielder N’Golo KanteCredit: PA:Empics Sport

      Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel to unleash N’Golo Kante in new ‘double six’ role More

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      Chelsea winger Ziyech ‘considering his future’ after struggle since summer transfer move with Milan and Juventus keen

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      HAKIM ZIYECH is reportedly considering his future after struggling to impress at Chelsea.
      The Morocco international, 27, has played just 11 times in the Premier League this season.

      Hakim Ziyech has failed to live up to expectations at Stamford BridgeCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Corriere dello Sport claim he is ‘worried’ about spending another season on the sidelines.
      And the source states that Ziyech ‘feels left out’ of new boss Thomas Tuchel’s plans.
      It is alleged he will request a meeting to discuss his future with managing director Marina Granovskaia.
      Ziyech arrived at Stamford Bridge in the summer in a £37million switch from Dutch giants Ajax.

      The winger has been plagued with injuries and has struggled to adapt to the pace of the Premier League.
      Despite his poor spell of form, two Italian giants have set their sights on signing him.
      AC Milan and Juventus could reportedly battle it out for his signature in the summer.
      Ziyech is believed to be ‘friends with everyone’ and a ‘positive influence’ at Chelsea.

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      But Tuchel has urged the former Ajax star to adapt to the challenges of the Premier League.
      The German boss said: “For me it’s clear that he needs to adapt to this kind of football, this kind of league.
      “He comes from the Dutch league, from a strong Ajax squad but they were the benchmark in the league and it’s not the same intensity and competition as it is here.
      “But he’s adapting and he has the certain quality to decide matches and the certain quality to do the unexpected which can give you an extra twist in any game and on level which he proved with Ajax.
      “Of course we want to push him to the same level of performance that he showed there and this is our job.”

      Chelsea boss Tuchel warns Hakim Ziyech must adapt to the Premier League More