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      ‘Please come back’ – Man Utd fans go crazy as Fiorentina make decision on David de Gea contract after Onana shambles

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      FIORENTINA are set to trigger an extra year in David de Gea’s contract.The Serie A side signed the Spaniard 12 months after he was released by Manchester United in 2023.David de Gea has excelled since moving to ItalyCredit: GettyAndre Onana was poor in Man Utd’s 2-2 draw at LyonCredit: GettyDe Gea, 34, had wanted to stay at Old Trafford and was willing to halve his £375,000 a week salary.But United chiefs subsequently withdrew their offer, allowing De Gea to leave after 12 years in Manchester.The Red Devils subsequently signed Andre Onana from Inter Milan in a £47million swoop.Onana’s time in Manchester, however, has been littered with errors.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLFollowing a war of words with Nemanja Matic, which saw the Serbian dub him one of the “worst goalkeepers in Man United history”, Onana made two blunders in the Red Devils’ 2-2 draw with Lyon on Thursday.De Gea, meanwhile, has excelled since signing for Fiorentina last summer.Speaking about their No1, Fiorentina president Rocco Commisso said: “He will stay with us also next season.”Following 12 months out of the game, United’s former stopper has appeared to be a man reinvigorated in Italy.Most read in FootballBEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UKHe has kept 10 clean sheets in Serie A, with a 74 per cent save percentage.De Gea has not made a single error leading to a goal, or even shot.Man Utd legend David De Gea shows off his skills in manic training session He has also stopped two penalties.Seeing that De Gea is staying in Italy, one Man Utd fan wrote on X: “Please come back to Man U.”And a second claimed: “David de Gea still better than Onana currently..”A third commented: “Manchester United must be kicking themselves.”And another added: “Remember when United fans thought he was the problem.”During Thursday’s draw in France, Man Utd legend Paul Scholes said in reference to Onana’s row with Matic: “He (Onana) has probably wished he had kept his mouth shut before the game.“It’s a really bad mistake. It’s a decent ball but I’m not sure what the keeper is trying to do. It’s an awful mistake from him.”Boss Ruben Amorim defended his stopper after the game, saying: “If you look at the season, I’ve made more mistakes than them during these last games and during these last months.”There’s nothing I can say to Andre in this moment that will help him.”So the most important thing is to be natural and then when the time comes I will choose the best XI to play.Read More on The Sun”But I’m really confident in Andre.”Despite that, Onana is now said to be at risk of being axed for Sunday’s trip to Newcastle. Ruben Amorim has defended his under-fire stopperCredit: AFP More

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      Man City 5 Crystal Palace 2: Kevin De Bruyne leads dramatic comeback in seven-goal thriller days after announcing exit

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      KEVIN DE BRUYNE gave Manchester City fans a glimpse of what they’ll soon be missing by leading the comeback in a bizarre game.Crystal Palace’s quickfire start had earned them a shock – but fully merited – early 2-0 lead, thanks to goals from Eberi Eze and Chris Richards.Kevin De Bruyne inspired Man City’s stunning comebackCredit: PAOmar Marmoush was amongst the goals againCredit: ReutersMateo Kovacic scored after being set up by a clever De Bruyne passCredit: APJames McAtee latched onto a long ball and netted City’s fourthCredit: GettyNico O’Reilly’s fifth ensured they moved into the top four of the tableCredit: PABut then De Bruyne, who manager Pep Guardiola has chosen to offload at the end of the season, rolled back the years and took command.The City skipper has been a shadow of his magnificent self for much of the campaign, but against Palace we got the brilliant Belgian of old.De Bruyne scored one and had a hand in THREE others, and the Etihad paid homage by bellowing out his name.He had already seen one follow-up strike blocked for a corner, and a whipped effort which rattled the upright before making it third time lucky on 33 minutes.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLEveryone knew what was coming as De Bruyne stepped up to take the free kick after Nico Gonzalez was chopped by Daichi Kamada.But stopping it was something else entirely, and keeper Dean Henderson never got close as his shot went through a huge gap and in off the post.A couple of minutes later De Bruyne turned provider by nodding James McAtee’s cleverly lofted cross back intro the danger zone.Ilkay Gundogan missed out with an awkward-height volley, but Omar Marmoush was never going to at the far post and it was all square.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERSYet it was far from comeback complete, because two minutes after the break City were ahead – and once more De Bruyne had a part to play in a marvellously crafted strike.Gundogan began it by feeding Nico O’Reilly down left. He dragged it back to De Bruyne, who stopped the ball dead and laid it off for Mateo Kovacic to smash into the corner.Ten minutes later keeper Ederson was the unlikeliest of creators when he pumped a clearance downfield and McAtee raced beyond everyone.The City youngster – on Bayer Leverkusen’s summer hit list – took a touch to control, another to steady himself and the third was to stroke it into an empty net.It was just about all Ederson had to do in the second half, before limping out of the closing stages with a muscle strain.City, though, still hadn’t finished and ten minutes from time Nico O’Reilly was celebrating a first Prem goal when his left foot volley clipped Nathaniel Clyne and flew into the corner.De Bruyne finally took his bow for the closing minutes, leaving to a standing ovation. You suspect there will be a few more before he finally exits the Etihad for good.Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze opened the scoringCredit: PAChris Richards gave Palace a shock 2-0 lead with a header from a cornerCredit: GettySemi-automated offside technology helped rule out Palace’s thirdCredit: @PLMatchCentre More

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      History-making Premier League legend retires immediately after featuring in Man City vs Crystal Palace match

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      PREMIER LEAGUE mainstay Darren Cann has officially retired from assistant refereeing.Cann, 58, has been running the line in the English top-flight for over 25 years and is one of the most recognised officials in the country.Assistant referee Darren Cann has retired from officiatingCredit: AFPCann began his officiating journey all the way back in 1991Credit: PACann has officiated the most matches in Premier League history and called time on his career after Manchester City’s win over Crystal PalaceCredit: AFPCann cut an emotional figure after the final whistle of his careerCredit: TNT SPORTSBut after helping officiate 579 Premier League fixtures – the most of any official in the competition’s history – the veteran linesman has decided to hang up his flag.Cann’s final Prem appearance came in Manchester City’s 5-2 win over Crystal Palace at the Etihad on Saturday afternoon.Ahead of the game, Cann, who reffed over 1000 games in his career, said: “It’s been an honour to serve the professional game for the last 25 years.“Officiating the World Cup final and the Champions League final are memories I will cherish forever.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS”But, above all, I’m proud of the fact I’ve given 100 per cent in every single match throughout my career.“I would like to thank every single person who has helped and supported me to work in this wonderful sport, PGMOL and The FA as well as all of the clubs, managers, players and fans that have made the Premier League the greatest league in the world.“It’s been the privilege of my life to serve the game that I love.”Cann, who played in Crystal Palace’s youth team as a striker alongside Ian Wright, began his refereeing journey in 1991.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSCity skipper Kevin De Bruyne had some words for the retiring Darren Cann after the final whistleCredit: TNT SPORTSIt would take him ten years to be promoted to the Football League, where he’d officiate for four years.Cann would go on to represent England on the global stage, taking part in 140 international fixtures – including games at the Euro 2008 and the 2010 and 2014 World Cups in South Africa and Brazil.Ruben Amorim’s Garnacho dilemma explained ahead of Manchester derbyHe was part of the refereeing team that officiated the 2010 Champions League and World Cup finals, which were contested by Bayern Munich and Inter Milan and Spain and the Netherlands, respectively.PMGOL chief Howard Webb, who knows Cann all too well having worked alongside him in the Champions League and World Cup finals, was quick to pay tribute to the retiring official.He said: “As I know first-hand from working with Darren on many matches.”He is an official of extraordinary talent and he has performed at the very highest level with distinction.”His professionalism and dedication have made him an outstanding ambassador for English officiating.”We wish him all the very best as he steps away from the field.”Though we’re sure his impact will continue to be felt for many years to come.”Darren Cann was part of the officiating team for the 2010 Champions League and World Cup finalsCredit: GETTY More

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      Premier League history made as Eberechi Eze has goal ruled out for Crystal Palace vs Man City

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      PREMIER League history has been made after the new semi-automated offside technology chalked off its first goal.Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze thought he had made it 3-0 to the Eagles against Manchester City this afternoon.Eberechi Eze was judged to be offside by the semi-automated systemA tracking system using 10,000 plus data points for each player recognised that the Palace ace was ahead of the City defender’s kneeCredit: @PLMatchCentreIt then produced a graphic of the offside to show Eze had gone too earlyCredit: @PLMatchCentreThe England midfielder sprinted in behind the City defence and finished beyond Ederson before being flagged offside by the linesman.Eze was adamant that he had timed his run to perfection, wagging his finger in disbelief at the decision.The goal was immediately checked by VAR’s semi-automated offside technology and within seconds it was confirmed that he had narrowly gone too early.It was the first time in Prem history that a goal was disallowed following the new check.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThe decision proved to be a major turning point as City fought back from 2-0 down to level before eventually going 4-2 ahead.Chalking off Eze’s goal was semi-automated offside’s second use in the game after it supported the on-field decision to award his first strike after a possible offside in the build-up from Ismaila Sarr.In the second-half it was also used to confirm City’s fourth goal by James McAtee.Fans praised the new system, with one saying: “Semi-automated offside is pleasant to see.”Most read in FootballBEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERSAnother added: “Took a matter of seconds yet it took till April with only six games of the league season left for the Premier League to bring it in.”Others disagreed, commenting: “Oh look, finally a decision graphic but it doesn’t even show that they’ve gotten the timing of the pass correct. This is useless.”The new system, devised by the US-based company Genius Sports, aims to reduce offside waiting times to an average of 30 seconds.Fans left stunned at worst VAR offside line in history as they joke ‘absolutely NOT rigged’ – but all is not as it seemsA whopping 28 cameras per match are deployed to track 10,000 plus data points for each player to reach the decisions.Explaining the tech, a Prem statement read: “Semi-automated offside technology automates key elements of the offside decision-making process to support the video assistant referee (VAR).“It provides more efficient placement of the virtual offside line, using optical player tracking, and generates virtual graphics to ensure an enhanced in-stadium and broadcast experience for fans.“The technology maintains the integrity of the process while enhancing the speed, efficiency, and consistency of offside decision-making.”Eze was in disbelief over the offsideCredit: AFP More

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      FA Cup to keep hated rule next season despite pleas by Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer to change it after Man Utd clash

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      FA CUP fixtures next season will include extra time – despite calls for them to follow the Carabao Cup’s lead.The EFL scrapped extra time in the Carabao Cup in 2018, with all fixtures – barring the final – being decided by a penalty shootout in the event of a stalemate.FA Cup chiefs have decided against scrapping extra-time for next seasonCredit: GETTYThey have been facing calls to get rid of it to give lower league teams chances of victoryCredit: REXBut FA chiefs, according to The Times, aren’t planning to follow suit.That’s despite their recent scrapping of replays, which used to be huge money-spinners for lower league clubs.The decision to axe replays was widely condemned, with many believing it was made to cater to Premier League clubs’ fixture schedules.Lower league sides are at a clear disadvantage in terms of squad depth and fitness levels when games go to extra time.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSThat fact couldn’t be more apparent when non-League Tamworth Town took Tottenham Hotspur the full 90 minutes in their third-round tie in January.The Lambs did extraordinarily well to hold Spurs to a 0-0 draw but conceded three goals in extra-time against the much fitter Premier League side.Extra time that day cruelly denied Tamworth a huge payday at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.The money generated from a replay would’ve been invaluable to The Lambs.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSExtra time cruelly denied Tamworth Town a replay against TottenhamCredit: GETTYGetting rid of extra time and going straight to penalties would somewhat level the playing field between lower league clubs and teams in the top-flight.Additionally, it would go some way to helping tackle the issue of player fatigue, with Prem clubs having far bigger and fitter squads.Gary Lineker blames Sir Alex Ferguson for Man Utd’s decline as he points to ‘state’ club left inSeveral high-profile figures are keen on scrapping extra time in FA Cup matches, including Gary Lineker.Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, he said: “We’ve argued many times, just get rid of extra time. Just go to penalties. It makes so much sense.”Particularly with the amount of football teams are playing now, the amount of injuries we’re getting. Just play 90 minutes, then settle it on penalties.”Because once it goes to extra time, the vast majority of us are thinking, particularly when it’s as bad as it was last night [Man Utd vs Fulham], you’re just thinking, ‘Come on, penalty shootout, a bit of excitement.'”Co-host Alan Shearer was in full agreement, saying: “Straight to penalties, I’m all for that.” More

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      Phil Foden out of Man City’s squad for Crystal Palace game just days after being targeted by vile chants by Man Utd fans

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      PHIL FODEN has been left out of Manchester City’s squad to face Crystal Palace.And his absence from the squad comes just days after his mum was the subject of vile chants from a section of Manchester United fans during last Sunday’s Manchester derby.Phil Foden is out of Manchester City’s squad to face Crystal PalaceCredit: AlamyFoden missed the visit of Palace due to injuryCredit: GETTYInjury has forced the England international out of this afternoon’s match at the Etihad.City boss Pep Guardiola told TNT Sports: “He got injured at Old Trafford and didn’t recover well.”Foden, like most of his City team-mates, has endured a difficult season.He’s only managed ten goals and six assists in 40 appearances in all competitions this campaign.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSAnd his form was seemingly the catalyst for a minority of Manchester United fans to target his mum, Claire Rowlands, with a disgusting chant.Guardiola said of the chanting: “It was a lack of class. “We are so exposed in football — managers, owners and football players especially.“I don’t understand the mind of the people involving the mum of Phil.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS“It’s a lack of integrity, class, and they should be ashamed.”Foden wasn’t the only City player abused during the Manchester derby, with one loutish United fan SLAPPING Jack Grealish near the entrance to the Old Trafford tunnel. ‘They should be ashamed’ – Pep Guardiola slams Man Utd fans for sick chants aimed at City ace Phil Foden’s mumWhen asked how the pair have been, Guardiola revealed yesterday: “He doesn’t feel good, but [we] move forward. It happens everywhere.”The Catalan added: “It’s a crazy world, not just in sport. Nobody is away from that. It’s not about United.“It’s not a problem about a specific club or department in world football, it happens everywhere.”Foden seemingly responded to the louts on Instagram, writing, “We keep going” alongside five photos of himself from the match. More

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      Man Utd ‘must SELL first-team star if they are to complete transfer for top Premier League target’

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      MANCHESTER UNITED are keen on signing Matheus Cunha, it has been claimed.But the Red Devils will reportedly have to raise funds for the Wolves ace by SELLING one of their established players.Matheus Cunha is on the radar of Manchester UnitedCredit: GETTYBut the Red Devils will have to sell players to meet the Brazilian’s £62.5million release clauseCredit: GETTYBrazil international Cunha has caught the eye of several Prem sides since his move to Molineux in December 2022.Aware of their rivals’ eagerness to sign the former Atletico Madrid man, Wolves tied him down to a bumper new deal in February.They also increased their valuation of the 25-year-old, who the Daily Mail claim new United gaffer Ruben Amorim is keen to sign in the summer.But they also claim Amorim will have to offload “at least one senior player” in order to match Wolves’ asking price.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSCunha has a £62.5million release clause in his new contract, which expires in the summer of 2029.United have several players on the books they could cash in on to finance a summer swoop for Cunha, who has found the back of the net 15 times in 29 appearances this season.Loanees Antony, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho – who are currently with Real Betis, Aston Villa and Chelsea respectively – are contenders to be sold this summer.Amorim, who replaced Erik ten Hag at the Old Trafford helm last November, is eager to start building a team to reflect his ethos in the summer.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSBut he admits he won’t be able to do that unless he gets rid of some of the dead wood at the club.When asked about Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s recent cost-cutting spree, the Portuguese replied: “It is simple.How Ruben Amorim can fix Man United’s Garnacho problem”To do something, we need to sell players.”Our focus now is to win these games. Then we have time to focus on that.”Manchester United will be back in action on Sunday evening, travelling to St James’ Park to take on Newcastle United. More

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      Man Utd’s new stadium takes huge step forward as major appointment made for 100,000-seater arena

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      MANCHESTER UNITED have received a boost in their bid to build a new Old Trafford and transform the surrounding area.Last month, United revealed images of the 100,000-seater super ground they are planning to build near their current home.Manchester United have big plans for the Old Trafford areaCredit: APMan Utd are planning to build a new stadiumCredit: PAAn Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force – organised by minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe – confirmed plans to demolish Man Utd’s legendary stadium and build a brand new home on adjacent land.But the Red Devils also have big plans for the Old Trafford area ahead of building their new home, which they hope will be up and running in five years.According to Manchester Evening News, the Manchester giants are planning to transform and regenerate a sprawling area of land around Old Trafford.And that is why Trafford Council have appointed a consortium to design a strategic masterplan.Read More on Man UtdThe council announced on Wednesday the consortium, led by architects Allies and Morrison, will “carry out its plan to revitalise Trafford Wharfside, leading to thousands of new homes and jobs in the area”.There are plans for a new “processional route” to the stadium – north along Sir Matt Busby Way – and a major new “world-class public space” around the stadium.A new public park is also being prepared, while a new primary school could be built.And the waters of the Manchester Ship Canal will provide a backdrop for a new community of homes, attractions, leisure and business.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSA spokesperson said: “It will work with Trafford Council alongside Manchester United Football Club, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), a proposed Mayoral Development Corporation and other key partners to deliver a transformational and sustainable international destination for the benefit of residents, businesses and visitors.”The masterplan is aimed to be completed early next year.”Paul Scholes feels like Man Utd are ‘begging’ for money to build new stadium Man Utd’s new stadium has been met with mixed reaction as initial images have left some fans – as well as legends like Ryan Giggs – less than enthused.And it has been claimed United could cut the cost of building the new ground by £300MILLION if they made some changes to the original plans. More