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      Champions League draw LIVE: Latest reaction as English giants Arsenal land former winners while Man City get dream tie

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      THE draw for the last-16 of the Champions League has concluded at the Uefa headquarters in Switzerland.Premier League giants Arsenal will face a tough trip to former winners Porto while Manchester City will take on Copenhagen.
      Jude Bellingham and Champions League kings Real Madrid will play German side RB Leipzig.

      TV channel: TNT Sports 1
      FREE live stream: Uefa’s official website/app

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      Follow our live blog below…
      Madrid blow
      Real Madrid will likely be without David Alaba for their clash against Lazio.
      Madrid confirmed Alaba had suffered a torn ACL in a statement.
      It read: “Following tests carried out on our player David Alaba, he has been diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
      “He will undergo surgery in the coming days.”
      Credit: Getty
      ‘Let’s go’
      Thomas Muller has taken to social media following the Champions League draw.
      He said: “Rome we are coming, let’s go FCB!”
      Credit: Twitter
      Vieira homecoming
      Fabio Vieira will face some familiar faces when Arsenal take on Porto.
      The midfielder joined the Gunners from the Portuguese giants in 2022.
      Credit: Getty
      Inzaghi reacts to draw
      Simone Inzaghi has reacted to seeing Inter Milan be drawn against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
      He will come face to face with Diego Simeone who he used to be team-mates with at Lazio.
      It will be a great round of 16 clash, with two top teams in two beautiful stadiums in front of packed houses.
      We are happy because we continue to take part in big European games consistently.
      Atletico have played two finals in the last ten years and have a great history in this competition, our club is no different and we want to try to dream again to give our fans further joy.
      The Atletico boss is Diego Simeone, a great coach who I have an excellent relationship with. I won a lot with him, including a league title with Lazio.
      Now it’s time to focus on the upcoming month, though: we have some big league matches as well as the Coppa Italia Italian Super Cup.
      After that, we will start to think about preparing for these two big games: they will be two battles, we’ll have to work hard to be ready.Simone Inzaghi
      Deco on Barcelona draw
      Deco has reacted to Barcelona’s round of 16 draw against Napoli.
      He said: “There is still time to go but they are league champions, like we are, and I believe we will see two tough games.
      “There is no luck in the Champions League.
      “We are talking about Napoli, league champions, and they have quality players.
      “In football talking about luck does not make sense.” 
      Bayern react to draw
      Bayern Munich stars Manuel Neuer and Thomas Muller have reacted to the round of 16 draw against Lazio.
      Neuer said: “It’s an Italian team, who are always set up well tactically. We’ve already got positive experiences against Lazio.
      “We go into the games as favourites but can’t underestimate them. I have very positive memories of the stadium.
      “The fans in Italy are always very loud. Everyone’s looking forward to the matches. We’ll try to win both games.”
      Muller added: “I’m excited about the draw. It’s an exciting city. Lazio as a club are always interesting.
      “When you’re through to the round of 16, you’ve done a good job. It’s an old, famous stadium that’s seen so many battles in the past.
      “We’re focusing on the job. It’s a nice one to face.”
      Credit: Getty
      Terry backing Madrid
      John Terry has backed Real Madrid to win the Champions League title.
      Following the draw, he said: “I think team-wise you have to look at Real Madrid.
      “For me, I think they have been fantastic, probably for the last seven or eight years in the competition and are always there.
      “I think Bellingham has been incredible as an individual and they obviously have a fantastic manager in Carlo who I worked alongside for many years at Chelsea.
      “He’s a great man manager, so the players love him, great tactically and I think they will go a long way.”
      Credit: AP
      Recap of the draw
      Here is the draw in full…
      Porto v Arsenal
      Napoli v Barcelona
      PSG v Real Sociedad
      Inter Milan v Atletico Madrid
      PSV v Borussia Dortmund
      Lazio v Bayern Munich
      Copenhagen v Man City
      RB Leipzig v Real Madrid
      More from Edu
      Edu has also insisted that Arsenal need to “maintain” the performances in order to progress in the competition.
      He added: “The most important thing for us is to maintain our performances and the way we are playing.
      “That’s our focus, that’s where we want to be and want to keep growing, so let’s see how far we can go in the competition.
      “We want to try and go as far as possible, but we are very much concentrating on playing well, performing well and playing the best football we can, and then we’ll see how far we go.”
      More from Begiristain
      Txiki Begiristain has also insisted that Man City “know” how to win the Champions League.
      He added: “We know what it takes now to win this Champions League and we want to do it again,”
      “We finished top of the group, and we have played well in Europe.
      “Once we are in the knockout rounds, we have to understand why we are. The respect for all the contenders is huge.
      “But, of course, all the opponents will be difficult and the first one we have to work on is Copenhagen.”
      Credit: PA:Press Association
      City need to be ‘careful’
      Director of football Txiki Begiristain has also reacted to Manchester City’s round of 16 draw against Copenhagen.
      He said: “In the group phase they played against Bayern Munich, Galatasaray and Manchester United and they went through. They were the second-best team in the group so it means a lot.
      “They have been better than Manchester United and Galatasaray, two clubs with a much more experience in the Champions League than them. So we have to be careful.
      “We have to take it seriously and respect what they have done. They have something very good.
      “We have already played Copenhagen (in the Champions League last season) so we go back to Copenhagen which is a wonderful place to visit.
      “They played very well at home but what happened two years ago means nothing.”
      Europa Conference League draw

      Sturm Graz vs Slovan Bratislava
      Servette vs Ludogorets
      Union Saint-Gilloise vs Eintracht Frankfurt
      Real Betis vs Dinamo Zagreb
      Olympiacos vs Ferencvaros
      Ajax vs Bodo/Glimt
      Molde vs Legia Warsaw
      Maccabi Haifa vs Gent

      Aston Villa will head straight into the round of 16.
      Edu reacts to draw
      Edu has reacted to Arsenal’s draw against Porto in the Champions League round of 16.
      Speaking after the draw, he said: “We are going to play against a club that is very used to playing in the competition because they play in it every single year and they have a lot of players as well with big experience.
      “We have to understand how are we going to play and respect them as much as we can. We will play our game and see if we can go through this stage.
      “We can see how they are playing, how organized they are, and the players that they have. Porto is a club that you have to be really prepared to play against or we’ll have problems, so what we have to concentrate on is maintaining our levels and the way we are playing.”
      Credit: Sunday Times
      Champions League top scorers
      Despite not making it past the group stages, Manchester United’s Rasmus Hojund is among the Champions League top scorers.
      The Danish striker netted five times in the groups, equal to Alvaro Morata, Antoine Griezmann and Erling Haaland.
      Who will finish the campaign with the most goals?

      Supercomputer prediction

      A supercomputer has predicted Arsenal to win the Champions League.
      The Gunners returned to the competition this season for the first time since 2016/17.
      But it is like Mikel Arteta’s side have never been away as they picked up four wins from their six group matches.
      They even qualified with a game to spare after thrashing Ligue Un side Lens last month.
      Now a supercomputer devised by OLBG has predicted the Gunners to win the Champions League after compiling data from all group stage results ahead of the round of 16.

      Top assister
      Bukayo Saka has impressed in his debut campaign of the Champions League.
      The Arsenal star has assisted the most amount of goals [4] in the competition.
      Will he impress in the knockout stages?

      Jesus’ Champions League dream

      Gabriel Jesus has previously admitted that he wants to win the Champions League with Kai Havertz, having lost out on the cup to the German in 2021.
      He said: ”A lot, we are always joking that he [Havertz] won the Champions League against me and I always say I want to win one with him!”
      ”We always joke [about it], but now I want to win with him and Jorginho as well. He is an amazing player and the way he plays he is so strong and tall, with his quality as well he helps us a lot.
      ‘Quietly like me, he is always fighting and helping the team and the way this guy has arrived is massive. We are very happy we have him.”

      Europa League preliminary round draw
      Here is the complete draw for the Europa League preliminary round.

      Shakhtar v Marseille
      Galatasaray v Sparta Prague
      Braga v Qarabag
      Benfica v Toulouse
      Young Boys v Sporting Lisbon
      Lens v Freiburg
      Milan v Rennes
      Feyenoord v Roma

      The winners could face the likes of Liverpool, West Ham and Brighton in the following round.
      When will the draw be confirmed?
      Uefa have confirmed that the exact date and times of the round of 16 matches will be announced this evening.
      Credit: Reuters
      Full story of the draw
      Check out SunSports’ full story on the Champions League draw.

      Vieira homecoming
      Fabio Vieira will face some familiar faces when Arsenal take on Porto.
      The midfielder joined the Gunners from the Portuguese giants in 2022.
      Credit: Getty
      More fan reaction
      Football fans have been left fuming after the Champions League draw for the Last 16 was picked this morning.
      Supporters suggested that the random draw was “rigged” after Manchester City were picked against the “easiest” team in the pot and Arsenal were handed a tough tie.
      The Cityzens were drawn against Copenhagen, while Arsenal will face Porto who won the competition back in 2004.
      Copenhagen are ranked as the 37th best team in Europe according to Uefa’s own club coefficient.
      While Manchester City are considered the best team in Europe off the back of their Champions League success last season.

      Man City record vs Copenhagen
      Manchester City face Copenhagen in the Champions League round of 16.
      City beat the Danish side once in the group stages last season 5-0, drawing the other game 0-0.
      City also beat Copenhagen in the Uefa Cup 4-3 on aggregate back in 2009.
      Credit: Rex
      More on Porto’s CL history
      The Portuguese giants have won the Champions League twice in the club’s history.
      Porto first won the tournament in 1987 and again in 2004.
      The second victory was when the club was managed by Jose Mourinho.
      Credit: Getty
      Arsenal fans react to draw
      Arsenal fans have been reacting to their Champions League draw against Porto on social media
      One fan posted: “One of those teams that are exceptionally fiddly to eliminate but you’d make Arsenal strong favourites.”
      A second wrote: “Lol we are winning this comfortably at home.”
      Another added: “They’ve got some decent players. Good keeper. Won’t be easy.”
      Credit: AP More

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      Arsenal news transfer LIVE: Gunners linked with £30m Gutierrez, Ivan Toney chase, Thomas Partey injury latest

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      ARSENAL are said to be in competition with Manchester City for Girona defender Miguel Gutierrez. The Spaniard could cost in the region of £30million.
      The Gunners are also reportedly monitoring Sporting Lisbon defender Goncalo Inacio.
      Meanwhile, Ivan Toney remains a top transfer target for the Gunners and they are reportedly favourites to sign the striker ahead of Chelsea.
      Meanwhile, manager Mikel Arteta has revealed that Thomas Partey is making ‘good’ progress on his injury as he edges closer to a return.
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      Arsenal fans react to draw
      Arsenal fans have been reacting to the Champions League draw on social media
      One fan posted: “One of those teams that are exceptionally fiddly to eliminate but you’d make Arsenal strong favourites.”
      A second wrote: “Lol we are winning this comfortably at home.”
      Another added: “They’ve got some decent players. Good keeper. Won’t be easy.”
      Check out our Arsenal WhatsApp page
      Read more Arsenal stories on our amazing WhatsApp Channel.
      AC Milan to come back for Kiwior
      AC Milan are still reportedly interested in Jakub Kiwior.
      The Italian club had been linked with a loan move for the Arsenal defender.
      The Daily Mirror has claimed that AC will make a fresh move for the Polish international.
      Up next for Arsenal
      The Gunners face Liverpool in their next Premier League game.
      The club then competes 2023 with back-to-back London derbies against West Ham and Fulham.

      Yorke on Rice
      Dwight Yorke has insisted that Arsenal have still overpaid for Declan Rice despite his impressive performances.
      He told MegaDice.com: “Declan Rice needs to win a couple of trophies before I change my tune. I know he scored important goals against Luton and Man United, but that’s what you’d expect when you spend such a large fee.
      “Scoring a few important goals doesn’t mean much if you finish second at the end of the season. That’s not what I want my £100million man to be doing – I want him to win major trophies. 
      Credit: Reuters
      “People think that’s unfair, but the fee is a hell of a lot to spend to finish second. People may think there’s more to it, but you have to bring success to the club if you’ve joined for that amount of money. There’s no point otherwise.
      “Rice can score important goals, but it means nothing if Arsenal don’t win trophies. I expect Rice to be like a modern Roy Keane and drag his team to silverware. If he does that, then I’ll have no issues with his fee. 
      “I think Rice is a damn good player, but I don’t see £105million in him. I suppose that’s just the market, though. If Rice delivers success, then I’ll be the first one to congratulate him.”
      Terry snubs Arsenal
      John Terry has backed Real Madrid over Arsenal to win the Champions League title.
      Following the draw, he said: “I think team-wise you have to look at Real Madrid.
      “For me, I think they have been fantastic, probably for the last seven or eight years in the competition and are always there.
      “I think Bellingham has been incredible as an individual and they obviously have a fantastic manager in Carlo who I worked alongside for many years at Chelsea.
      “He’s a great man manager, so the players love him, great tactically and I think they will go a long way.”
      Credit: AP
      Arteta on Champions League progress
      Mikel Arteta has hailed Arsenal’s “positive” Champions League campaign.
      He said: “Overall, I think, very positive.
      “Having not been in the competition for six or seven years and having a team that hasn’t got that much experience, I think we’ve competed really well.
      “I really liked the approach of the team in every single game, the way we’ve tried to play. We had some big results and big experiences, like the one we had in Seville or Lens, or even today looking at how the team can act and how fair it is to give certain players that exposure when you make so many changes.
      “Overall finishing first with a game to play we have to be really happy. Now we have to now close that chapter until February and make sure that when that chapter opens up again that we’re in the best place to compete against another top side.”
      Credit: PA
      More from Edu
      Edu has also insisted that Arsenal need to “maintain” the performances in order to progress in the competition.
      He added: “The most important thing for us is to maintain our performances and the way we are playing.
      “That’s our focus, that’s where we want to be and want to keep growing, so let’s see how far we can go in the competition.
      “We want to try and go as far as possible, but we are very much concentrating on playing well, performing well and playing the best football we can, and then we’ll see how far we go.”
      Check out our Arsenal WhatsApp page
      Read more Arsenal stories on our amazing WhatsApp Channel.
      Edu reacts to draw
      Edu has reacted to Arsenal’s draw against Porto in the Champions League round of 16.
      Speaking after the draw, he said: “We are going to play against a club that is very used to playing in the competition because they play in it every single year and they have a lot of players as well with big experience.
      “We have to understand how are we going to play and respect them as much as we can. We will play our game and see if we can go through this stage.
      “We can see how they are playing, how organized they are, and the players that they have. Porto is a club that you have to be really prepared to play against or we’ll have problems, so what we have to concentrate on is maintaining our levels and the way we are playing.”
      Credit: Sunday Times
      Champions League top scorers
      Despite not making it past the group stages, Manchester United’s Rasmus Hojund is among the Champions League top scorers.
      The Danish striker netted five times in the groups, equal to Alvaro Morata, Antoine Griezmann and Erling Haaland.
      Who will finish the campaign with the most goals?

      Top assister
      Bukayo Saka has impressed in his debut campaign of the Champions League.
      The Arsenal star has assisted the most amount of goals [4] in the competition.
      `Will he impress in the knockout stages?

      Jesus’ Champions League dream
      Gabriel Jesus has previously admitted that he wants to win the Champions League with Kai Havertz, having lost out on the cup to the German in 2021.
      He said: ”A lot, we are always joking that he [Havertz] won the Champions League against me and I always say I want to win one with him!”
      ”We always joke [about it], but now I want to win with him and Jorginho as well. He is an amazing player and the way he plays he is so strong and tall, with his quality as well he helps us a lot.
      ‘Quietly like me, he is always fighting and helping the team and the way this guy has arrived is massive. We are very happy we have him.”
      Credit: Getty
      When will the draw be confirmed?
      Uefa have confirmed that the exact date and times of the round of 16 matches will be announced this evening.
      Credit: Reuters
      Vieira homecoming
      Fabio Vieira will face some familiar faces when Arsenal take on Porto.
      The midfielder joined the Gunners from the Portuguese giants in 2022.
      Credit: Getty
      More fan reaction
      Football fans have been left fuming after the Champions League draw for the Last 16 was picked this morning.
      Supporters suggested that the random draw was “rigged” after Manchester City were picked against the “easiest” team in the pot and Arsenal were handed a tough tie.
      The Cityzens were drawn against Copenhagen while Arsenal will face Porto who won the competition back in 2004.
      Copenhagen are ranked as the 37th best team in Europe according to Uefa’s own club coefficient.
      While Manchester City are considered the best team in Europe off the back of their Champions League success last season.

      More on Porto’s CL history
      The Portuguese giants have won the Champions League twice in the club’s history.
      Porto first won the tournament in 1987 and again in 2004.
      The second victory was when the club was managed by Jose Mourinho.
      Credit: Getty
      Arsenal fans react to draw
      Arsenal fans have been reacting to the Champions League draw on social media
      One fan posted: “One of those teams that are exceptionally fiddly to eliminate but you’d make Arsenal strong favourites.”
      A second wrote: “Lol we are winning this comfortably at home.”
      Another added: “They’ve got some decent players. Good keeper. Won’t be easy.”
      Lord Bendtner
      Credit: Twitter
      Draw in full
      Here is the draw in full…
      Porto v Arsenal
      Napoli v Barcelona
      PSG v Real Sociedad
      Inter Milan v Atletico Madrid
      PSV v Borussia Dortmund
      Lazio v Bayern Munich
      Copenhagen v Man City
      RB Leipzig v Real Madrid
      Second draw
      The second tie will see Napoli play LaLiga giants Barcelona.
      The Catalonians have won the tournament five times.
      Arsenal get Porto
      The first club out of the draw is FC Porto, they will face ARSENAL.
      Here we go
      Uefa Deputy Secretary General Giorgio Marchetti and Terry are set to start drawing clubs for the round of 16.
      Quick reminder
      Here is a quick reminder of the teams in the pots for the round of 16 draw.

      Draw is getting close
      The ceremony for the Champions League draw is underway in Nyon, Switzerland. More

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      Emery forced to run on pitch and hold back Villa’s Kamara as he’s sent off after THIRD mass brawl in win over Brentford

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      UNAI EMERY was forced to hold Boubacar Kamara back during the closing stages of Aston Villa’s 2-1 win at Brentford.Ollie Watkins bagged the winner against his former side, celebrating by pointing at a fan in the crowd.
      Unai Emery held Boubacar Kamara back after he was red carded
      The feisty encounter finished in chaotic fashion
      The Bees had led via Keane Lewis-Potter’s goal with 20 minutes remaining, before Ben Mee was red carded for a rash lunge.
      Alex Moreno levelled for Villa on 77 minutes, before Watkins headed home in the 85th.
      Catch up with how the action unfolded live in our blog below… More

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      West Ham 3 Wolves 0: Mohammed Kudus brace gets Hammers back to winning ways as they leapfrog Man Utd in Prem table

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      MOHAMMED KUDUS is sitting pretty at the London Stadium.The wonderful West Ham winger propped himself up on the advertising hoardings in Stratford in front of furious Wolves fans after two fine first half goals set the Hammers on the way to the top seven.
      Mohammed Kudus celebrates with Lucas PaquetaCredit: Getty
      Jarrod Bowen capped the afternoon off with his tenth Premier League goal of the season on 74 minutes.
      Kudus and Lucas Paqueta, who laid on a hat-trick of assists, were the shining lights in a performance which further eased the pressure on manager David Moyes following last week’s 5-0 humbling at Fulham.
      This could prove to be a defining week for the Scot, who is out of contract at the end of the season.
      Thursday’s win against Freiburg secured top spot in their Europa League group and a place in the last 16, while they face Liverpool on Wednesday for a place in the Carabao Cup semi-finals.
      Having gone strong on Thursday night, Moyes made just one change with captain Kurt Zouma returning to the back line.
      The Scot stuck with Lukasz Fabianski in goal despite first choice Alphonse Areola being available.
      Wolves boss Gary O’Neil was forced into a change between the sticks thanks to a shoulder injury to Jose Sa as Dan Bentley came back into the side.
      Bentley had to be alert early on as Jarrod Bowen’s in-swinging corner almost sneaked under the crossbar, with the Wolves stopper just tipping over.
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      After frustration from fans over West Ham’s pragmatic style of play were answered with the Feigburg performance in midweek, the Hammers picked up where they left off.
      West Ham had won four corners inside 20 minutes having piled on the pressure early, but it was from a Wolves corner that they found an opener.
      Emerson cleared a header from former Hammer Craig Dawson off the line to start a sharp break.
      Edson Alvarez, who recovered from a hip problem to start, moved the ball forward to Paqueta who did well to beat Jean-Ricner Bellegarde to the ball before setting Kudus free down the right.
      The winger, dubbed “The Wizard” by West Ham’s announcer before kick-off, drove inside and unleashed a superb low strike from the edge of the box – his fourth Prem goal of the season.
      His fifth followed soon after. Wolves had tried to respond through Matheus Cunha’s effort, though Fabianski managed to tip wide.
      And then Kudus struck again, once more wonderfully played in by Brazilian playmaker Paqueta before firing low across Bentley to double the lead.
      It has been a while since West Ham, with or without a recognised striker, have looked quite so clinical.
      But Kudus is deadly when he gets a sight of goal. He will be a huge miss when he is whisked away to the Africa Cup of Nations in January.
      His efficient touch in front of goal was only matched by Paqueta’s grace throughout. West Ham fans should appreciate both while they can.
      There were still a few shaky moments at the back to offer Wolves some hope, but there is an increased confidence about the Hammers who managed to hold firm and stop the visitors from scoring for the first time since the opening day of the season.
      Bowen almost rounded off a perfect first half when his low effort struck the foot off the post, only to ricochet across the mouth of the goal and bend around the other post behind for a goal kick.
      A third would have killed things, but at two back Wolves were still in with a shot after the restart.
      Pablo Sarabia thought he had halved the deficit when tapping in Nelson Semedo’s cross to cap a flowing mood.
      But a lengthy VAR check, which was protested by both sets of fans, showed the Spaniard to be a fraction offside.
      That was the way things were going for Wolves – just not quite coming off.
      Cunha was giving his all to get the visitors back into things, but followed a string of step-overs with a shot over Fabianski’s bar.
      Having fluffed their chances to get back into the game, Bowen delivered the coup de grace.
      One fan in the stands had travelled all the way from Hong Kong to see the winger, so it would hardly have been fair for him to disappoint.
      Moyes had shifted the England man back to his preferred role on the right with Paqueta moving up top and it paid off immediately.
      Tomas Soucek won possession easily in the West Ham half and laid off to Bowen, who exchanged passes with Paqueta before racing in behind down the right and rolling low beyond Bentley, who should have done better.
      Things could have got even better for West Ham on 80 minutes when a James Ward-Prowse free-kick whistled past the near post – but the Hammers will have been more than happy with their afternoon’s work. More

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      Liverpool vs Man Utd LIVE: Rashford on BENCH, Evans STARTS crucial Premier League clash at Anfield – latest updates

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      MANCHESTER UNITED face one of their toughest assignments of the season today as they take on Liverpool at Anfield – and Marcus Rashford is on the BENCH. Johnny Evans is in the United XI for Erik Ten Hag while Willy Kambwala, 19, is also on the bench.

      Kick-off time: 4.30pm GMT
      Stream/TV: Sky Sports Premier League
      Liverpool XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Szoboszlai, Endo, Gravenberch; Salah, Nunez, Diaz.
      Man Utd XI: Onana, Evans, Shaw, Diogo Dalot, Varane, Amrabat, McTominay, Mainoo, Garnacho, Højlund, Antony.

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      Weight of the world on Dutchman
      Erik ten Hag heads into this game under pressure more than any other point in his Man Utd tenure.
      Questions about his future are asked every week lately.
      While he seems calm about the situation, a heavy defeat today could seal his fate.
      Credit: Alamy
      Man Utd subs:
      1. Bayindir, 53. Kambwala, 15. Reguilon, 28. Pellistri, 29. Wan-Bissaka, 44. Gore, 46. Hannibal, 28. Pellistri, 34. van de Beek, 10. Rashford
      Man Utd starting XI:
      Erik ten Hag makes two changes from the side in midweek as he brings in Evans for Maguire and Mainoo for Fernandes.
      24. Onana, 20. Dalot, 35. Evans, 19. Varane, 23. Shaw, 37. Mainoo, 39. McTominay, 4. Amrabat, 21. Antony, 11. Hojlund, 17. Garnacho
      Credit: @ManUtd
      Liverpool subs:
      13. Adrian, 62. Kelleher, 2. Gomez, 17. Jones, 18. Gakpo, 19. Elliott, 53. McConnell, 78. Quansah, 84. Bradley
      Liverpool starting XI:
      Alexis Mac Allister is unfit for this game so Jurgen Klopp has to shuffle the pack.
      1. Alisson, 66. Alexander-Arnold, 4. van Dijk, 5. Konate, 21. Tsimikas, 8. Szoboszlai, 38. Gravenberch, 3. Endo, 7. Diaz, 9. Nunez, 11. Salah
      Credit: @LFC
      Dutch manager positive on chances
      Despite being massive underdogs, ten Hag is focussed on the task ahead.
      I’m focussing on the process, making the team better and that’s my concern. That’s what I’m focussing on, the right thing, and that’s the team. There is no concern because I’m here to win and I have to make the team play better. Good is not good enough, we are inconsistent and I have to work on how the team will playErik ten HagMan Utd manager
      Liverpool massive favourites for encounter
      The bookies cannot see anything other than a home victory today.
      Liverpool – 3/10
      Draw – 7/2
      Man United – 6/1 
      All match odds brought to you by Betfair.
      Manager under spotlight for key game
      The Red Devils were embarrassed by bottom-half Bournemouth last weekend after being thrashed 3-0 in front of their home fans.
      And then things went from bad to worse for United as a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich saw them go crashing out of Europe just a few days later.
      As a result, Ten Hag’s time at Old Trafford has come under serious scrutiny and SunSport understands Graham Potter is being lined up as a shock replacement should the Dutchman get kicked to the curb.
      Season defining game for Red Devils
      While nobody gives Erik ten Hag’s side a chance in today’s match-up, if they were to get a result, it could act as a springboard to their season.
      Coming away from Anfield having not been beaten would be a huge confidence boost.
      That said, heavy defeat could have the complete opposite effect and send United into a spiral over a busy Christmas fixture period.
      Trent could play key role for Klopp
      Should Man Utd look to try and ‘shut up shop’ from the off today, unlocking their defence could be huge.
      In Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool have one of the best passers of the ball in the Premier League.
      Supporting the attacks from right back could give Liverpool an overload of numbers and his pinpoint passing could be integral in Jurgen Klopp’s side getting the opening goal.
      Credit: EPA
      Goals an issue for ten Hag’s side
      Only five teams in the Premier League have scored less goals than Man Utd this season.
      Their total of 18 goals in 16 games is one of their lowest returns at this point in the season.
      It is underpinned by the fact that Scott McTominay is their top scorer this season.

      United’s slide continues in league
      With other sides having already played their games this weekend, Man Utd are likely to start this game 9th in the Premier League.
      They will start this crunch fixture 10 points behind Liverpool.
      Defeat would put serious doubt on their capabilities of securing a Champions League spot this campaign.
      Tactics key for visitors’ chances
      Erik ten Hag will need to pull off a tactical masterclass if Man Utd are going to get anything out of this game.
      It will be key that they need to create a solid backline and frustrate Liverpool for the first half hour or so.
      Should Jurgen Klopp’s side get an early goal, you have to fear for Man Utd at Anfield this afternoon.
      Credit: Alamy
      A tale of two strikers
      Due to the unavailability of Anthony Martial, Erik ten Hag may need to deploy Marcus Rashford as an out and out striker.
      Liverpool are likely to play Nunez with Salah and Diaz either side of him.
      The two players’ form has been drastically different this season.

      Reds looking to keep momentum going
      Having seen results go their way last weekend, Liverpool ended the weekend top of the Premier League table for the first time this season.
      Should Arsenal or Aston Villa win their games this afternoon, they would knock The Reds off the top of the table.
      Jurgen Klopp will be keen to get victory against their rivals today to ensure his side remain at the top of the pile.
      Boss focussed on tough game against rivals
      The German manager has outlined what he wants from his side today.
      The 7-0 we knew on the day was a freakish result that happens once in life pretty much. And if it helps anybody for the next game, it’s the team who lost 7-0 and not the team who won 7-0, that’s another thing. If you take it all out of consideration then we just play a football game against the rival, the historical rival, of Liverpool FC, at home at Anfield.Jurgen KloppLiverpool manager
      United dismantled by in-form Bournemouth
      In their last league fixture, Man Utd were comprehensively beaten 3-0 at home against The Cherries.
      Erik ten Hag’s side looked frail in defence and many questions have been asked since.
      With such a huge task ahead against Liverpool, it is hard to see the visitors troubling The Reds.
      Red Devils nursing wounds from mauling
      Last season, Liverpool destroyed Man Utd in this fixture, recording a record 7-0 victory.
      Heading into this game, lots of talk has been about that defeat and with Erik ten Hag’s side in a bad place many are predicting another heavy defeat.
      Klopp’s attack looks very capable of opening up the best of defences and with the atmosphere at Anfield, this is going to be a daunting task for the visitors.
      Welcome to Liverpool vs Man Utd
      Liverpool face Man Utd at Anfield in one of the fiercest rivalries in Premier League history, with Jurgen Klopp’s side looking to cement their position at the top of the table.
      Joel Matip, Stefan Bajcetic, Andrew Robertson, Thiago Alcantara and Diogo Jota are all working their way back from injury and will be unavailable for this massive game.
      Alexis Mac Allister will also miss this game due to a knee wound he picked up against Sheff Utd.
      Jurgen Klopp’s side managed to com through their European exploits without picking up any more injuries, so come into this game with a strong squad available.
      That is more than can be said for Man Utd who suffered injuries to Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw as they bombed out of Europe, suffering defeat against Bayern Munich at Old Trafford.
      Erik ten Hag is expecting Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw to be available for this game, but will be without Anthony Martial, Mason Mount, Jadon Sancho, Amad Diallo, Christian Eriksen, Lisandro Martinez, Casemiro and Tyrell Malacia due to injury.
      Victor Lindelof is touch and go and will undergo a late fitness test to see if he can be part of the manager’s plans for the trip to Anfield.
      Bruno Fernandes picked up a fifth yellow card of the season against Bournemouth and will be suspended for this game.
      Mason Mount continues his rehabilitation from injury meaning that either Kobbie Mainoo or Hannibal Mejbri will fill in the middle of the park, unless ten Hag springs a surprise by giving Donny van de Beek a rare outing. More

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      in Soccer

      Arsenal 2-0 Brighton LIVE RESULT: Kai Havertz doubles Gunners’ lead after Gabriel Jesus opener – Premier League reaction

      by

      ARSENAL are celebrating thanks to goals from Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz.The Gunners have been knocking on the door for much of the game and finally found a breakthrough thanks to Gabriel Jesus’ header in the second half.

      Kick-off time: 2pm GMT
      Stream/TV: Not televised in UK
      Arsenal XI: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Rice, Odegaard, Havertz; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli
      Brighton XI: Verbruggen, Dunk, Milner, Gilmour, Gross, Lallana, Mitoma, Adingra, Ferguson, Van Hecke, Veltman

      Follow all the action with our live blog below…
      Arsenal vs Brighton stats
      Arsenal and Brighton shared possession in their Premier League clash at the Emirates.
      The Gunners, though, registered a staggering 26 shots but only nine of them were on target.
      Brighton, on the other hand, only managed six shots and only one of them was on target – and all of them took place in the second half.
      More below:

      FT: Arsenal 2-0 Brighton
      Arsenal have returned to the top of the Premier League table after a dominant victory over Brighton at the Emirates.
      The Gunners opened the scoring on 53 minutes with Gabriel Jesus who picked up a corner-kick from Bukayo Saka, with the help of a back-header by Jan Paul van Hecke, in the far post and headed the ball to the back of Bart Verbruggen’s net.
      The North Londoners, who almost conceded a shock equaliser by Pascal Gross, sealed the win with Kai Havertz three minutes before full-time.
      Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard found Eddie Nketiah with a smart pass while under pressure and the striker then delivered his own stunning assist that released Havertz in front of Verbruggen whom he beat with a clinical shot.
      Now Mikel Arteta’s men are waiting for the derby between Manchester United and Liverpool at Anfield.
      Credit: AP
      FT: Arsenal 2-0 Brighton
      Peep!
      That’s full-time in London!!!
      90+5 Arsenal 2-0 Brighton
      Chance
      Brighton captain Dunk tries a long-range shot that goes all the way to the nosebleed seats.
      90+4 Arsenal 2-0 Brighton
      Substitution
      Arsenal boss Arteta makes his final change with Kiwior replacing Zinchenko.
      90+3 Arsenal 2-0 Brighton
      Chance!
      Arsenal come close to a third with Trossard heading the ball down from the left for the incoming Smith Rowe who tries a powerful shot from the penalty area but Verbruggen makes another stunning save.

      90 Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

      Six more minutes of added time to go until full-time.
      Brighton star Gross picks up a yellow card.
      89 Arsenal 2-0 Brighton
      Substitution
      Arsenal boss Arteta makes a double change with Saka and goalscorer Havertz coming off for Smith Rowe and Nelson.
      87 Arsenal 2-0 Brighton
      Havertz scores his first Premier League goal in the Emirates as an Arsenal player!
      It all starts with Odegaard who finds Nketiah with a smart pass in midfield while under pressure.
      The striker then delivers a clever pass of his own down to his right where Havertz is.
      The Germany international finds himself in front of Verbruggen, whom he beats with a clinical shot!
      87 Arsenal 2-0 Brighton
      Goal!
      Havertz surely seals it for Arsenal!!!
      85 Arsenal 1-0 Brighton
      Brighton have really upped their game in the last few minutes as we approach full-time.
      Took them a long time – 82 minutes to be exact – but Gross’ missed chance has really given them a boost!

      84 Arsenal 1-0 Brighton

      Chance
      Arsenal star Rice puts together a stunning run from midfield and makes it to Brighton’s area where he tries a shot but is denied by Verbruggen.
      82 Arsenal 1-0 Brighton
      What a chance!
      Brighton come agonisingly close to a late equaliser!
      Mitoma delivers a low cross from the left and finds Gross who gets a foot in and just misses Raya’s bottom right corner as the ball touches the side netting!
      The Emirates absolutely froze for a second there!
      81 Arsenal 1-0 Brighton
      Substitution
      Arsenal boss Arteta makes his first changes of the match with Nketiah and former Brighton star Trossard coming on for Jesus and Martinelli respectively.
      80 Arsenal 1-0 Brighton
      Arsenal continue the high press with the likes of Gabriel moving forward to the attacking third.
      The Gunners want to seal the three points in the final 10 minutes with Brighton still toothless…
      78 Arsenal 1-0 Brighton
      Substitution
      Brighton boss De Zerbi makes his final change with Welbeck coming on for Adingra.
      The ex-Arsenal ace will play next to Pedro as the Seagulls are going for it.
      76 Arsenal 1-0 Brighton
      Yellow card
      Brighton ace Gilmour gets booked for going hard on Jesus with both legs in midfield.

      75 Arsenal 1-0 Brighton

      Chance
      Another opportunity by Arsenal with Havertz registering a header from close range but the ball goes over the crossbar.
      74 Arsenal 1-0 Brighton
      What a chance!
      Arsenal break out in a stunning counter-attack with Martinelli dribbling past both Van Hecke as well as Dunk, whom he nutmegged.
      Odegaard gets the ball, breaks inside the area and tries a powerful shot that Verbruggen denies as he lunges with his right hand.
      72 Arsenal 1-0 Brighton
      Brighton break out on a beautiful and rare counter-attack thanks to a stunning ball by Dunk who finds Mitoma down the left.
      The winger breaks inside the area but goes down while under pressure by White.
      However, it doesn’t look like a penalty as the Japan international went down a little too easy…
      70 Arsenal 1-0 Brighton
      Arsenal continue to push for a second to seal an important Premier League win that could see them topping the table by the end of the day.
      Brighton have been very toothless with only one effort to show, which doesn’t count as they were offside in the build-up.
      69 Arsenal 1-0 Brighton
      What a chance!
      Absolutely superb by Brighton captain Dunk, who gets back up after a nasty hit and saves his team from a second goal.
      Martinelli whips in a corner-kick from the left and White gets a back header on the near post.
      The ball heads towards Verbuggen’s net on the far post but Dunk gets there and heads it away from the goal line!
      68 Arsenal 1-0 Brighton
      Arsenal captain Odegaard delivers a powerful shot from the edge of the box but it’s blocked by Dunk.
      But the Brighton captain needs some time as the ball hit him in the weakest spot…
      66 Arsenal 1-0 Brighton
      Arsenal ace Saliba catches Buonanotte’s ankle with his studs immediately after losing the ball.
      The Brighton ace is in pain but thankfully gets back up, nothing from the referee or VAR.
      65 Arsenal 1-0 Brighton
      Chance
      And Arsenal register another chance with Saka hitting Verbruggen’s side netting More

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      in Soccer

      Chelsea 0-0 Sheffield United LIVE: Blues search for breakthrough but find it tough to score – updates

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      CHELSEA have been labouring to a half-time stalemate at Stamford Bridge in another frustrating first half.The Blues lost their lost two games against Everton and Manchester United but will be confident they can overcome the Blades, who sit rock-bottom of the Premier League.
      There’s good news for Mauricio Pochettino as well as Christopher Nkunku is back in the squad and on the bench following his three-month stint on the injury table.

      Kick-off time: 3pm GMT
      Stream/TV: Not televised in UK
      Chelsea XI: Petrovic, Disasi, Thiago Silva, Colwill, Badiashile, Gallagher, Caicedo, Palmer, Sterling, Mudryk, Jackson
      Sheffield Utd XI: Foderingham, Bogle, Trusty, Ahmedhodzic, Lowe, Souza, Hameer, Brooks, McAtee, McBurnie, Archer

      Follow all the action with our live blog below… More

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      in Boxing

      KSI vs IShowSpeed LIVE RESULT: Reaction as KSI QUITS and leaves Speed in TEARS after spar in London – latest

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      ISHOWSPEED has defeated KSI after JJ tapped out during the fourth round of an epic sparring match in London.KSI dropped his opponent multiple times during the fight with brutal shots to the body and was in complete control.
      However, JJ bizarrely tapped out at the end of the fourth round to hand Speed the win despite the American wanting to carry on for the final two rounds.
      After KSI refused to continue, Speed was left in tears and stormed out of the gym in disappointment.

      CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFER
      Follow our live blog below…
      Toying with him
      KSI was seen dancing in the ring, letting himself be punched and even shouting for “more” from Speed before he left the ring after just four rounds.
      ‘No elbows’
      Despite being battered and bruised, Speed made a hilarious dig at KSI mid-fight.
      In a bout back in May, KSI controversially knocked out Joe Fournier with what appeared to be his elbow.
      It led to Speed shouting “no elbows okay” at him.
      KSI laughed it off and said, “no, no, I won’t.”
      Fans react
      Social media was left in hysterics as KSI wiped the floor with Speed before he surprisingly tapped out in the fourth round.
      One fan said: “KSI was straight up bullying Speed bro.”
      Another added: “Had Speed scared.”
      A third commented: “Speed was suffering.”
      In a rush
      After the sparring session, it appeared a disappointed Speed was in a hurry to leave.
      When approached by interviewer Fred Talks Fighting, he replied: “Get away from me, before I beat yo white a**.”
      KSI dances in the ring
      KSI even took time to have a little dance in the ring while Speed was down for the count at one point…

      What’s next for KSI?
      Fans will naturally want to see the YouTube mogul take on Jake Paul but KSI has previously said he wants to take a bit of a break.
      Paul has already spoken about potentially fighting KSI’s former trainer Viddal Riley.
      Riley is a pro boxer himself and is signed to Anthony Joshua’s management company.
      KSI may instead go down the route of a Tommy Fury rematch.
      Another one
      Adding salt to the wounds, KSI slammed Jake Paul after his win over Andre August.
      He said: “I mean, am I shocked? No. We all know that Jake just look for super easy fights and he fought a cab driver this time.
      “It is what it is. I don’t really care about him, I didn’t even know he was fighting the same time as me.”

      KSI takes a dig
      He looked to have taken a swipe at Jake Paul, who was fighting Andre August at the same time as the spar.
      KSI told Fred Talks Fighting: “I think it was definitely the event of the night. I think there was a lot of boxing fights happening at around the same time.
      “But I’m pretty sure there were more watching ours than anyone else’s.”

      Jake Paul speaks out
      He was asked about the spar following his KO over Andre August.
      Paul said: “I don’t care it’s just two different things, right? He’s chasing views as a 30-year-old man and I’m chasing legacy and belts.
      “All kudos to him, I hope he makes his wildest dreams come true.”

      KSI speaks out
      The YouTube star has spoken out for the first time since the spar and laughed at the fact Speed refused to shake his hands.
      KSI tweeted: “Can’t lie, I’m proud of speed. He got HEART!”
      Elsewhere…
      Jake Paul defeated Andre August with a stunning first-round KO.
      A right uppercut left August out for the count and Paul is now 8-1 in his boxing career.
      Credit: Reuters
      IT’S ALL OVER
      Speed is visibly upset as he wanted to continue for the remaining two rounds of the spar but KSI left the ring after dropping his opponent multiple times.
      JJ ‘tapped out’ in the fourth round and handed the win to Speed.
      Round 4
      KSI continues to taunt Speed by dancing in the ring.
      The American looks visibly hurt after receiving multiple brutal blows to the body.
      Speed grew back into the fight at the end of the round with a flurry of punches to KSI’s midsection.
      Round 3
      Speed starting to grow into the fight and throw more punches at KSI.
      JJ constantly taunts his opponent and DOWNS Speed for the second time.
      Credit: YOUTUBE/ISHOWSPEED
      Round 2
      KSI starting to show his ring experience and dominate the spar.
      Speed holding strong despite taking multiple shots to the body.
      Round 1
      KSI DOWNS IShowSpeed with a brutal blow to the body.
      The first huge hit to land in the fight so far and Speed is saved by the bell.
      Fight underway!
      KSI and IShowSpeed are all set!

      Trash talking
      The two are now trading words and Speed is getting more and more annoyed.
      “I will be breaking him goodbye Speed,” KSI says.
      Almost there
      Despite being advertised as a 4am start, it looks as though things might kick off early.
      Jake Paul has just walked out for his fight with Andre August and it looks as though KSI will try and tie the spar in for the same time.
      On guard
      Speed takes off his head guard because he doesn’t like the fit!
      KSI finds it “jokes” but Speed isn’t laughing.
      Ring it in
      KSI is seen in the ring warming up, he’s already got all his boxing gear on.
      Speed is on the outside of the ring taking his time.

      And we’re live
      The livestream has now started and Speed is getting hyped up.
      He’s carrying a speaker shirtless mentally preparing himself.

      Hour warning
      Just under an hour to go until the spar is set to go down!
      KSI tweeted: “THE FIGHT IS ALMOST HERE!”

      What TV channel is KSI vs IShowSpeed on and can it be live streamed FREE?

      KSI vs IShowSpeed will not be broadcast on a TV channel.
      You can watch the spar for FREE in the UK and the USA on IShowSpeed’s official YouTube channel.

      When is KSI vs IShowSpeed?

      KSI will face IShowSpeed in a sparring match TONIGHT – Friday, December 15th.
      The event will begin at 4am GMT/ 11pm ET, the same time Jake Paul is expected to take on Andre August.
      The spar will take place in London.
      All donations and YouTube revenue from the sparring match will be donated to the Anthony Walker Foundation. More