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    Liverpool vs Man City LIVE: Klopp and Pep face off for final time in Premier League title clash – latest updates

    GRAB your popcorn football fans as Liverpool and Manchester City face off in a Premier League match which could have huge implications on where the title ends up in May.Both English giants had to sit back and watch Arsenal jump above them following their gruelling 2-1 win over London rivals Brentford.But three points for either side this afternoon would see them climb up to top spot with just ten games to play in this thrilling season.
    Kick-off time: 3:45pm
    Live stream: NOW TV
    TV channel: Sky Sports Main Event / Premier League 
    Liverpool starting XI: Van Dijk; Bradley, Quansah, Van Dijk, Gomez; Szoboszlai, Endo, Mac Allister; Elliot, Nunez, Diaz
    Man City starting XI: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Akanji, Ake, Rodri, Silva, De Bruyne, Alvarez, Foden, Haaland
    Explainer: Why did the game kick-off at 3:45pm?
    PADDY POWER WELCOME OFFER – get £40 in free bet builder betsLiverpool 0-0 Man City
    21. Man City are knocking the ball around and trying to slow down play.
    They look a little unsure of themselves when Liverpool play their high-tempo football, a trademark of a Jurgen Klopp side.
    Pep Guardiola continues to bark instructions from the touchline.
    Copy linkCopiedLiverpool 0-0 Man City
    19. Walker has been penalised for fouls twice now as he looks to drop into the centre of midfield.
    The referee is trying to let the game flow but you feel the next time he will see yellow.
    Nunez makes a run and squares it for Diaz to knock it into an empty net but the flag goes up for offside.
    Copy linkCopiedLiverpool 0-0 Man City
    17. Diaz gets to run at the Man City defence for the first time.
    He clips a cross into the box but Nunez cannot adjust to send his header towards goal.
    This is more like it from Jurgen Klopp’s side.
    Credit: Reuters
    Copy linkCopiedLiverpool 0-0 Man City
    15. Liverpool are starting to knock the ball around more now.
    Making Man City chase it as they look to press high up the pitch.
    Nunez takes up a wide position and drills a ball towards Szoboszlai but the midfielder cannot get it under control.
    Copy linkCopiedLiverpool 0-0 Man City
    13. It is rare in these games to see the away team dominating in the early stages of the match.
    Bradley gets forward for the first time and puts a teasing ball across the six yard box.
    Nunez slides in at the back post but cannot reach it, colliding with the post instead.
    Copy linkCopiedLiverpool 0-0 Man City
    11. Man City are looking to take this game to Liverpool today.
    Jurgen Klopp’s side are failing to hold onto possession currently.
    They need to ask more questions of the visitors’ defence.
    Copy linkCopiedLiverpool 0-0 Man City
    9. An early chance for the visitors as De Bruyne looks to lift the ball over Kelleher but it narrowly misses the far post.
    Moments later, City are coming forward again and the Belgian playmaker tries his luck from distance but Kelleher beats it away.
    Pep Guardiola’s side are trying to turn the screw in the early stages.
    Copy linkCopiedLiverpool 0-0 Man City
    7. The fans are making themselces heard, getting behind their team.
    A loose clearance by Ederson almost gifts the ball to The Reds.
    Walker is looking lively in the early exchanges, using his pace to cover balls in behind the defence.
    Credit: Reuters
    Copy linkCopiedLiverpool 0-0 Man City
    5. De Bruyne gets down the right flank and crosses into the box.
    It is too deep for anyone to attack and Alvarez recycles the ball.
    Liverpool’s defence stands firm as they look to counter.
    Copy linkCopiedLiverpool 0-0 Man City
    3. The whistles and jeers ring out when Man City have the ball.
    Alvarez has the first sight of goal but his left-footed shot is saved easily by Kelleher.
    It maybe a little different this time around with the visitors seeing far more possession than you would usually expect in these games.
    Copy linkCopiedLiverpool 0-0 Man City
    1. The wait is over, this crucial match is finally upon us.
    Nunez is making some runs into the channels early on, looking to stretch the visitors’ defence.
    Games do not get much bigger than this one.
    Copy linkCopiedKick-off: Liverpool vs Man City
    We are underway at Anfield.
    As you can imagine, it is a cauldron of noise as ever.
    Liverpool get the game started.
    Copy linkCopiedThe one they all want to own
    In case anyone needed reminding what the importance of this game has on the title race, the trophy itself is pitchside.
    While this game won’t win either side the crown, it will act as a springboard for the run in.
    If Man City want to make it four in a row, they need to come through this difficult Anfield challenge unscathed today.
    Credit: Getty
    Copy linkCopiedKlopp’s side come into game as underdogs
    Man City are fancied to come away from Anfield with all three points.
    Liverpool – 9/4
    Draw – 13/5
    Manchester City – 11/10
    All match odds brought to you by Betway.
    Copy linkCopiedAtmosphere building at Anfield
    It will be an intimidating place to come as ever for the visitors today.
    As we edge closer to kick-off, tensions are building.
    It will be a cauldron of noise at Anfield when the whistle gets us underway.
    Credit: Getty
    Credit: Reuters
    Copy linkCopiedArsenal laying marker to rivals
    Having gone top of the table with a late victory against Brentford yesterday, it is over to these two teams today.
    Only victory would take either Liverpool or Man City to the summit of the Premier League.
    The stakes could not be higher for this crucial match in the title race.
    Copy linkCopiedA tale of two strikers
    Whoever comes out on top this afternoon will need their strikers on top form.
    One of the exciting things about this crucial match is both sides have forwards who are at the top of their game right now.
    Nobody would fancy being a defender today.

    Copy linkCopiedMan City subs:
    18. Ortega, 3. Dias, 8. Kovacic, 11. Doku, 21. Gomez, 24. Gvardiol, 27. Nunes, 52. Bobb, 82. Lewis
    Copy linkCopiedMan City starting XI:
    Both Doku and Nunes make the bench following injury concerns for this top-of-the-table clash.
    31. Ederson, 2. Walker, 5. Stones, 25. Akanji, 6. Ake, 16. Rodri, 17. De Bruyne, 20. Bernardo, 19. Alvarez, 9. Haaland, 47. Foden
    Credit: @ManCity
    Copy linkCopiedLiverpool subs:
    13. Adrian, 11. Salah, 18. Gakpo, 21. Tsimikas, 26. Robertson, 42. Clark, 53. McConnell, 65. Nallo, 67. Koumas
    Copy linkCopiedLiverpool starting XI:
    The big news is that there is no Mohamed Salah in the starting line-up and Andrew Robertson is also on the bench.
    62. Kelleher, 2. Gomez, 4. Van Dijk, 78. Quansah, 84. Bradley, 10. Mac Allister, 3. Endo, 8. Szoboszlai, 19. Elliott, 9. Nunez, 7. Diaz
    Credit: @LFC
    Copy linkCopiedHome is where the heart is
    Under their current managers, these two teams have faced each other twenty times.
    The away side has only ever won twice in all of these encounters.
    If the trend continues today, it would be a huge statement by Klopp’s inexperienced side that they are ready to win the title one last time for their manager.
    Copy linkCopiedInjury-ravaged Reds facing ultimate test
    While Liverpool have managed to continue winning even without a lot of their star players due to injury, the visit of Man City will be the ultimate test today.
    With three clubs locked in a title battle, three points could be the springboard for either of these teams to go on and win the Premier League this season.
    Arsenal went top of the league yesterday with a late winner against Brentford, putting pressure on both of these sides today.
    Copy linkCopiedEnd of an era
    Unless the pair were drawn together in this season’s FA Cup, we may be witnessing the end of a historic era of Premier League football.
    Today’s game could be the final time Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola face each other, something that has elevated the competition in recent years.
    Both managers would love nothing more to get one over the other for one last time.
    Credit: Reuters
    Copy linkCopiedTeam news from Anfield
    Liverpool will be without Ben Doak, Joel Matip, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson Becker, Stefan Bajcetic, Thiago Alcantara, Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch through injury.
    A welcome sight during the week was the substitute appearance of Mohamed Salah who is likely to be involved this afternoon, possibly from the bench.
    Ibrahima Konate will have a late fitness test after he hobbled off in the victory over Sparta Prague on Thursday.
    For Man City, Matheus Nunes suffered a dislocated finger against Copenhagen but is likely to be on the bench for today’s game.
    Jeremy Doku also did not play in the second leg after complaining about muscular issues, it is doubtful he will be involved today and Jack Grealish is out with a groin issue.
    Guardiola rested Phil Foden, Kyle Walker, Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and Nathan Ake to get a complete rest in midweek and if Doku is not fit for today, he is likely to be replaced by Alvarez.
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    Aston Villa 0 Tottenham 4: Spurs run riot to gain upper hand in top-four race after McGinn’s senseless red card

    JOHN McGINN had stated just how much this match mattered to Aston Villa – and perhaps that explained why, when it was all going so wrong for his side, he lost his head.The likeable Scot is known for being a combative midfielder but not a dirty one.James Maddison and Brennan Johnson’s quickfire goals set Tottenham on their wayCredit: PASon Heung-min fired in as the clocked ticked into injury timeCredit: ReutersWhich is why his wild and aggressive kick-out on Destiny Udogie, shortly after Spurs’ quickfire double through James Maddison and Brennan Johnson, seemed so out of character.The man advantage allowed Spurs to run riot, with Son Heung-min scoring a third and teeing up a fourth for sub Timo Werner.McGinn had labelled this game the “most important” league fixture in years in the build-up, given a win for Villa would go a hell of a long way to securing a Champions League finish.Spurs went into this five points behind their fourth-placed hosts, albeit with a game to play.Lose and that would be extended to eight which would surely KO their chances of usurping Unai Emery’s men.Yet now the gap is only two points, with Spurs having the game advantage and a marginally preferable run-in, save for a horrendous-looking end of April/early May.Fifth place may still be enough for qualification to Europe’s elite club competition if the coefficient battle goes England’s way.But even so, Villa will know what an opportunity missed this was.BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSAnd why McGinn, who had never been red-carded for Villa before today, became so frustrated.Emery may well be kicking himself too from a tactical perspective.James Maddison gives young Tottenham fan ‘memory to last a lifetime’ as England star shows his true colours The Spaniard has played a blinder for most of the season but his surprise tweak here to go to five at the back looked a mistake.Perhaps it was due to Villa’s exertions in Europe, drawing at Ajax on Thursday before the second leg with the Dutch giants in three days.But it hindered their attacking output, with man-of-the-moment Ollie Watkins feeding off scraps.Emery’s rejigged system saw Matty Cash pushed from right-back to wing-back.The Polish international had become Public Enemy No1 with Spurs supporters after injuring Rodrigo Bentancur and Matt Doherty with poor tackles in the last two years.Cash received dog’s abuse at every opportunity from the travelling fans, especially when he prepared to take a throw-in right in front of them midway through the first half.The only chance – or half-chance, really – of a dreary first half came when Lucas Digne diverted McGinn’s cross off his shoulder just wide of the far post.This game pitted arguably the striker and defender of the season against each other in Watkins and Micky Van de Ven.But Spurs’ defender Van de Ven was forced off through injury minutes into the second period.The jet-heeled Dutchman had just flung himself in front of a shot from Leon Bailey – who was offside anyway – and seconds later, collapsed to the turf.Encouragingly, Van de Ven managed to walk off the pitch but headed straight down the tunnel, to be replaced by January signing Radu Dragusin.Van de Ven probably was still on his way to the dressing room when Maddison put Spurs ahead.It came from a pinpoint cross from Pape Matar Sarr, who laid the ball on a plate for Maddison to poke past Emi Martinez.The England star then had a bit of fun with the home crowd, who had been ribbing him for his Leicester connections, by throwing imaginary darts their way in celebration.Maddison broke the deadlock just after half-timeCredit: ReutersBrennan Johnson found the roof of the net in styleCredit: ReutersThree minutes later, Spurs doubled their lead after capitalising on some lax play by Ezri Konsa.The Villa defender dilly-dallied on the ball and then played it behind Youri Tielemans, allowing Dejan Kulusevski to intercept.He then passed it onto Son, who fed Johnson to finish high into the net. The ex-Nottingham Forest man followed up Maddison by telling the Villa fans to keep quiet as he wheeled away.A visibly-peeved Emery responded with a three-sub change, bringing on Nicolo Zaniolo, Moussa Diaby and Alex Moreno, doing away with his back five in the process.Among the players to come off was centre-back Clement Lenglet, who spent last season on loan at Spurs before temporarily joining Villa from Barcelona this term.But the new players’ chance to make a difference evaporated when McGinn had his moment of madness on 65 minutes.John McGinn clattered into Destiny UdogieCredit: RexTempers flared on the touchline after the challengeCredit: PAThe Villa captain saw red for the first time in his Villa careerCredit: RexOnly four players have scored more goals for Tottenham than SonCredit: GettyTimo Werner expertly guided the ball inside the far post for the fourthCredit: ReutersSpurs full-back Udogie was embarking on one of his stereotypical dribbles when Villa’s captain came rushing across and went right through him with an X-rated tackle. The young Italian reacted angrily, as did his team-mates and staff, in a mini melee by the touchline.Emery did his best to drag McGinn away, while Spurs boss Ange Postecglou also tried to act as peace-maker.It was such a bad challenge that the red card subsequently produced by ref Chris Kavanagh was the only course of action.The game was up at that point, with the only question remaining whether Spurs were going to rub any more salt into their top-four rivals’ wounds.Son provided the answer of a resounding yes as he dispatched Kulusevski’s cutback in injury time, before then teeing up Werner to do the same three minutes later.The pressure was on going into this important game – as McGinn’s pre-match comments underlined – but only one team managed to handle it.Here’s how the action unfolded at Villa Park… More

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    Brighton 1 Nottingham Forest 0: Seagulls make amends for crushing Roma defeat with much-needed home win

    ANDREW OMABAMIDELE’S own goal handed Brighton a win by the skin of their teeth in what was a do or die fixture for their season.The Seagulls desperately needed to steady the ship after their campaign all but imploded after their catastrophic 4-0 drubbing at Roma on Thursday. Brighton bounced back from their European humiliation with a narrow 1-0 winCredit: GettyAn own goal from Nottingham Forest’s Andrew Omobamidele proved to be the differenceCredit: ReutersHere’s how the teams fared on paperThe match was largely evenThey had already crashed out of the FA Cup to Wolves and were thrashed 3-0 by Fulham in the league in the space of ten days. But yesterday’s narrow win was a gleam of hope for the Seagulls getting back on track and securing European football for another season. They came into the game only winning two Premier League games this year and slipping down to ninth place, but have climbed back into eighth.You could tell how much it meant by how Roberto De Zerbi and his coaching staff embraced for a group cuddle when the final whistle sounded. Consistency has been a key problem with Brighton being decimated with injuries this season. It doesn’t help that De Zerbi has chopped and changed the side in every match and yesterday he made a whopping seven alterations to the starting XI from Rome. De Zerbi notably opted for Bart Verbruggen between the posts instead of Jason Steele as he continues to controversially rotate his goalkeepers. Meanwhile for Forest it is now just one win in their last 13 matches across all competitions, and they are teetering just above Luton in the relegation zone by three points. CHELTENHAM BETTING OFFERS – BEST FREE BET DEALS FOR THE FESTIVAL At this rate they are enacting a master plan of dealing with a potential points deduction by ensuring they are already relegated regardless of it. Simon Adingra caused havoc for Forest on the left-flank, and stung the palms of Matz Sels with a curling shot after being teed up by Pascal Gross early on.Every Premier League stadium ranked by the number of pubs nearby with one boasting over 130 local boozersJakub Moder then forced Sels to tip out a menacing header after latching onto a pin-point Pascal Gross free-kick. Ansu Fati had a go with a header which would have gone in had it not ricocheted off Neco Williams. The deadlock was finally broken on 28 minutes – not that anyone knew much about it. It all began with Gross whipping in a free-kick towards Moder who was squeezed between Andrew Omabamidele and Sels. It was actually Omobamidele who turned it in and it went down as an own goal. Forest hit back strongly with Verbruggen making a crucial save with an outstretched foot on an onrushing Divock Origi. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side emerged from the restart with more oomph. And Forest fans were livid when Neco Williams tussled with Pervis Estupinan and the ball deflected behind but a goal kick was given instead of a corner. Tempers flared, with Estupinan the culprit again for body slamming Anthony Elanga.And they reached boiling point when Moder was booked for wildly lunging in on Williams and catching his ankle. VAR checked for a possible red card and it easily looked as though it could have been upgraded – but Craig Pawson agreed with referee Michael Salisbury’s call. Forest were building and Morgan Gibbs-White supplied a peach of a pass to Chris Wood who shaved the face of goal with a low drive. At the other end substitute Julio Enciso nearly nabbed his first goal in ten months after shaving the post with a long-range screamer late on. As the clock was ticking, a looping Cheikhou Koyate header landed on the roof of the net to give the hosts a scare. There were handbags in the dying moments when Adam Lallana was booked for barging into Ibrahim Sanagre.Remind yourself how the game went with SunSport’s live blog below
    Kick off time: 2pm GMT
    TV/Stream: Not available in the UK
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    Man Utd 2 Everton 0 LIVE RESULT: Fernandes and Rashford fire Red Devils to three crucial points

    MANCHESTER UNITED have put their derby day defeat to Manchester City behind them with a comfortable win against Everton.Alejandro Garnacho’s directness earned United their first penalty which Bruno Fernandes comfortably converted.And Garancho also won the second penalty which Marcus Rashford tucked home.
    RESULT: Man Utd 2-0 Everton
    Live stream: discovery+
    TV channel: TNT Sports 1
    Man Utd starting XI: Pickford, Godfrey, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Harrison, Onana, Garner, McNeil, Doucoure, Beto
    Everton starting XI: Onana, Lindelof, Varane, Dalot, Evans, Fernandes, Garnacho, Casemiro, Mainoo, McTominay, Rashford
    PADDY POWER WELCOME OFFER – get £40 in free bet builder betsRed Devils need to find form
    With Liverpool travelling to Old Trafford next weekend in the FA Cup, it offers Man Utd’s last chance for silverware this season.
    They will need to up their levels from the game today when they face Jurgen Klopp’s side.
    Not that the manager should need to motivate his players for such a game when their arch-rivals come to town.
    Copy linkCopiedDyche unable to get Toffees out of rut
    Sean Dyche’s side are still looking for their first win of the calendar year.
    He will be frustrated as their build-up play was good but they lacked quality in the final third.
    Unless Everton can start winning games, they may be dragged back into a relegation dogfight.
    Copy linkCopiedFT: Man Utd 2-0 Everton
    Alejandro Garnacho was awarded man of the match today as the person who won the two penalties but Man Utd’s skipper put in a solid performance.
    He constantly supported the attacks, looking to link play and create chances.
    Having scored the first penalty, Fernandes was integral to victory today for Erik ten Hag’s side.

    Copy linkCopiedFT: Man Utd 2-0 Everton
    The scoreline suggests a comfortable victory for the Red Devils but it was far from it.
    The result papers over the cracks but they will need better performances than this if they have any hope of securing Champions League football.
    For today, it is mission accomplished as they move to within three points of Tottenham.

    Copy linkCopiedFT: Man Utd 2-0 Everton
    Simon Hooper brings the game to a close at Old Trafford.
    This was by no means a classic but it is the three points that count.
    Man Utd continue to put pressure on the teams above them.
    Copy linkCopiedMan Utd 2-0 Everton
    90+2. Antony twists and turns out wide before trying to cross.
    Branthwaite reads it well and puts the ball behind for a corner.
    Man Utd work it short before whipping a cross into the box, but it is too close to Pickford.
    Credit: Reuters
    Copy linkCopiedMan Utd 2-0 Everton
    90. As the cross comes in, Casemiro has a free header at the back post but heads it well wide.
    That pretty much sums up the Brazilian’s afternoon.
    We are going to have four minutes added.
    Copy linkCopiedMan Utd 2-0 Everton
    88. McTominay wins a free kick as he is fouled by Tarkowski.
    The Everton defender is not happy with that decision.
    Chermiti comes on for Mykolenko for the visitors.
    Evans is replaced by Kambwala.
    Copy linkCopiedMan Utd 2-0 Everton
    86. Amrabat is penalised for a foul in the middle of the park.
    It is too far out for a shot so Everton try and work a cross into the box.
    Onana reacts well and comes to claim the ball.
    Copy linkCopiedMan Utd 2-0 Everton
    84. Dobbin crosses into the box but Mykolenko’s header goes wide of the goal.
    Antony did enough at the back post to put the Ukrainian off.
    At this stage, it seems Man Utd are heading for a much-needed win.
    Copy linkCopiedMan Utd 2-0 Everton
    82. As Everton whip in another corner, Calvert-Lewin does well to lose his marker and win the header.
    There is no power in the effort which makes for an easy save for Andre Onana.
    Antony comes on for the hosts, replacing Garnacho.
    Credit: AP
    Copy linkCopiedMan Utd 2-0 Everton
    80. Calvert-Lewin has now gone 21 games since his last goal.
    What the Everton striker would give to get that monkey off his back.
    The visitors continue to dominate possession but are rarely threatening the Man Utd goal.
    Copy linkCopiedMan Utd 2-0 Everton
    78. Onana tries an outlandish bicycle kick from the edge of the box.
    It is easily saved by the Man Utd keeper.
    The Everton midfielder was looking to outdo Garnacho’s effort in the reverse fixture.
    Amrabat comes on for Mainoo for United.
    Copy linkCopiedMan Utd 2-0 Everton
    76. As the ball is whipped into the back post, Godfrey heads it across goal.
    Dobbin has the chance to shoot at the back post but his effort goes out for a throw in.
    That pretty much sums up the visitors’ performance here today.
    Copy linkCopiedMan Utd 2-0 Everton
    74. Everton are still looking for their first win of 2024.
    Unless they can improve their shooting, that wait is looking likely to continue.
    Ashley Young replaces James Garner for the visitors.
    Copy linkCopiedMan Utd 2-0 Everton
    72. The longer the game goes on, the more desperate the visitors are becoming.
    Man Utd need to improve their final ball as they are not taking advantage of the counter-attack.
    Gomes comes forward, laying the ball off to Calvert-Lewin but a poor first touch allows the keeper to gather.
    Credit: AFP
    Copy linkCopiedMan Utd 2-0 Everton
    70. McTominay is booked for a rash challenge on Onana.
    A heavy touch by the Scottish midfielder gifted possession back to the visitors and he lunged in to try and win it back.
    It is quite a subdued atmosphere at Old Trafford.
    Copy linkCopiedMan Utd 2-0 Everton
    68. Gomes looks to shoot from distance but it strikes Casemiro in the wall.
    Everton are having a good period here, camped out in the Man Utd half.
    Just as in the first half, the visitors are not doing enough with possession.
    Copy linkCopiedMan Utd 2-0 Everton
    66. McNeil comes over to take a corner for the visitors.
    He manages to pick out Tarkowski in the box but Man Utd manage to clear their lines.
    Lindelof is penalised for a foul on Onana, giving Everton a free kick in a very dangerous position.
    Copy linkCopiedMan Utd 2-0 Everton
    64. Fernandes gets a shot away in the box but Pickford does well to tip it behind for a corner.
    He would have seen that late as it came through bodies in the box.
    The corner comes in and drops dangerous in the middle of the box, a yard from goal, but nobody can convert.
    Copy linkCopiedMan Utd 2-0 Everton
    62. Dyche decides to make a triple change for Everton.
    Calvert-Lewin, Dobbin and Gomes replace Beto, Harrison and Doucoure.
    They will have some fresh legs now to try and stretch the Man Utd defence.
    Credit: PA
    Copy linkCopiedMan Utd 2-0 Everton
    60. Everton are pressing well in the final third.
    Man Utd are struggling to play through them so are having to go more direct with their balls into the front three.
    Fernandes gets down the flank and spots Garnacho unmarked at the back post.
    He manages to pick him out but the young winger cannot test Pickford in the visitors’ goal.
    Copy linkCopiedMan Utd 2-0 Everton
    58. The standard of passing in this game has been poor.
    Beto has a brief glimpse of goal but his shot is blocked.
    It comes to Onana who tries his luck from a tight angle but it is easily saved by his namesake.
    Copy linkCopiedMan Utd 2-0 Everton
    56. Sean Dyche looks set to make some changes.
    Andre Gomes and Dominic Calvert-Lewin look ready to come on.
    Everton need to get the next goal and the manager seems ready to shuffle his pack in order to do just that.
    Copy linkCopiedMan Utd 2-0 Everton
    54. Fernandes spots Garnacho in space.
    As he feeds him the ball, the Argentine has a sight of goal but puts his shot well over the bar.
    He really should be working Pickford at the least there.
    Copy linkCopied More

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    Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou LIVE RESULT: AJ sparks Tyson Fury fight after landing brutal KO punch on MMA star

    ANTHONY JOSHUA delivered a brutal right hand on Francis Ngannou to knock the Cameroonian out in Saudi last night.AJ is now firmly back in the world title picture after a brutal victory over the MMA legend.On the undercard, Joseph Parker picked up a huge win over Zhilei Zhang, Roman Fury kicked the show off with victory, and Nick Ball controversially DREW with Rey Vargas.AJ a ‘class act’
    Boxing fans were quick to praise Anthony Joshua for delaying his celebrations until after he saw Francis Ngannou get back to his feet after being brutally put down in the second round of the Saudi showdown.
    One wrote on x: “Top class this much respect.”
    A second posted: “Class act. Well done AJ, go get ur belts back!!”
    A third commented: “Class from AJ and complete respect to Francis Ngannou.”
    And another added: “Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou are both class acts.”
    Copy linkCopied’Best heavyweight’
    Eddie Hearn insists Anthony Joshua’s demolition of Francis Ngannou proves he’s the best heavyweight on the planet.
    The Matchroom Boxing chief said: “I’m so proud of him because there was a huge amount of pressure.
    “If we won this fight then he would fight the winner of Fury vs Usyk.
    “You’re looking at the number one heavyweight in the world.
    “Tyson Fury please beat Usyk because you will get the biggest fight in the history of the sport.
    “As a fighter, he’s an inspiration to young people.
    “What I said would happen, happened. He destroyed Francis Ngannou.
    “He’s a beast and I cannot wait for him to beat Tyson Fury.”
    Credit: REUTERS
    Copy linkCopiedAJ reveals private Ngannou conversation
    Anthony Joshua has revealed what he told Francis Ngannou moments after knocking him out cold.
    He said in the post-fight press conference: “I said, ‘Don’t let this discourage you.’
    “‘Don’t let this success get to your head. And you should never failures get to your heart.’
    “I told him he could be an asset to boxing – he’s an asset to the fight game. Don’t get discouraged and I respect you regardless.”
    Credit: GETTT
    Copy linkCopiedJoshua gives Ngannou boxing verdict
    Anthony Joshua has urged Francis Ngannou NOT to leave boxing, despite his brutal defeat last night.
    Victorious AJ, 34, said: “When I saw the fight with Tyson Fury I thought ‘I want some of that’. [Ngannou] is a great champion and this doesn’t take anything away from his capabilities.
    “I told him not to leave boxing. He’s two fights in and he’s fought the best.”
    Copy linkCopiedFans spot Tyson Fury’s reaction
    Viewers spotted Tyson Fury’s “terrified” reaction immediately after Anthony Joshua’s explosive knockout of Francis Ngannou.
    The Gypsy King, 35, was in the front row for the heavyweight clash in Saudi Arabia.
    AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn leapt out of his seat in excitement when his man delivered the crushing right hand to his Cameroonian opponent.
    Frank Warren in the seat next to look perplexed while Paris Fury appeared visibly horrified before she started clapping.
    But her husband Tyson sat completely still for a few moments, taking in the heavy shot.
    And fans were convinced the WBC heavyweight champ is worried about the prospect of a possible showdown with Joshua after witnessing his raw power.

    Copy linkCopiedParis Fury reacts to KO
    Paris Fury looked stunned as Francis Ngannou was brutally knocked out by Anthony Joshua.
    The Cameroonian, 37, had already been sent to the canvas twice before being viciously KO’d in the second round.
    Heavyweight rival Tyson Fury was watching the action from ringside, sat alongside wife Paris.
    After initially clapping, Paris, 34, raised her hand to the her mouth in shock at the brutal nature of the knockout.
    Sat next to her, the Gypsy King smiled as he applauded the finish.
    Having processed her initial shock, Paris then resumed her applause.
    Credit: DAZN
    Copy linkCopiedCristiano Ronaldo no show
    Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo was not in attendance last night despite having a front-row seat reserved for him.
    The 39-year-old now plies his trade in Saudi Arabia and was expected to be in attendance as Anthony Joshua KO’d Francis Ngannou.
    A seat was emblazoned with “CR7” especially for Ronaldo.
    But he did not show up to the event.

    Copy linkCopiedJoshua praised for classy gesture
    Anthony Joshua was called a “class act” after refusing to celebrate until he saw that Francis Ngannou was okay.
    The Brit, 34, viciously knocked Ngannou out cold during the second round of their Saudi bout last night.
    Rather than go wild in the ring, Joshua kept it respectful until Ngannou was back on his feet.
    When the Cameroonian was eventually able to get up, AJ made a point of going over to shake his hand.
    He then told the MMA star: “Don’t leave boxing.
    “If you need anything let me know. We’ll speak another time.”
    Copy linkCopiedFrancis Ngannou breaks silence
    Beaten star has taken to social media to apologise to fans.
    The Cameroonian, 37, was beaten by Anthony Joshua via vicious second round knockout.
    Ngannou later wrote on social media: “Sorry guys I let you all down.
    “Today was a bad day in the office but tomorrow will be another day.
    “Thank you all for the love.”
    Credit: Reuters
    Copy linkCopiedJoshua reacts on social media
    Anthony Joshua has posted a selfie with Francis Ngannou on social media.
    He captioned the snap: “Respect my guy. African Giants.”

    Copy linkCopiedAJ: ‘It is what it is’
    Anthony Joshua said after his triumph: “It is what it is. On the route to the championship you should always stay focused and I had to step away from the mission.
    “I am still learning and pushing, I don’t know if I am coming into my peak, if that was me down there you would be saying ‘Anthony Joshua should retire’.
    “In five years I will be finished fighting and sitting down and all this will be a distant memory.
    “I am going to go back and lock myself in my cage and they can let me out when they want me to fight. I just want to fight.”
    Credit: Getty
    Copy linkCopiedJake Paul speaks on fight
    Jake Paul – who has a big fight himself coming up against Mike Tyson – has heaped praise on Anthony Joshua.
    Paul wrote on X: “Francis Ngannou is one of the greatest fighters of all time. Respect due. Anthony Joshua is back. Activity & focus drives dominance.”

    Copy linkCopiedFrancis Ngannou takes to X
    The beaten man Francis Ngannou has taken to X after his big loss, and has apologised to his fans.
    Ngannou wrote: “Sorry guys I let you all down. Today was a bad day in the office but tomorrow will be another day. Thank you all for the love.”

    Copy linkCopiedMore from Joseph Parker
    Parker beamed after his big win: “It’s a great win. I feel I am on the up right now.
    “Zhang is a tough man but my team just kept telling me to follow the plan.
    “Now I want to go home and celebrate and then we will come back and do the rematch.”
    Credit: Getty
    Copy linkCopiedJoseph Parker stuns Zhilei Zhang
    If it wasn’t for Anthony Joshua’s stunning main even finish, the performance of the night would have been to Joseph Parker.
    Parker bounced up off the deck TWICE to outpoint Zhilei Zhang and cement his place in the heavyweight world title race.
    The 32-year-old – whose wife is pregnant with their fifth child and first son – was decked in the third and eighth but resurrected to be daddy cool in the desert.
    Two months after he put on a masterclass to stun Deontay Wilder, he did the same to the 21st China star – apart from two blips.
    Copy linkCopiedStunning finish
    Anthony Joshua had already knocked Francis Ngannou down twice…before a ferocious right stopped it.
    Ngannou was briefly seen by medics after the punch before getting back to his feet.
    Credit: Getty
    Copy linkCopiedJose Mourinho exclusive
    Jose Mourinho arrived for Anthony Joshua’s fight with Francis Ngannou to heavy fanfare – and flashed his personalised phone case.
    The former Chelsea and Manchester United manager – without a club after being sacked by Roma – took a ringside seat in Riyadh.
    And he did so to huge elevation from the crowd, drawing a smile from The Special One.
    Mourinho was captured by SunSport taking in the action and filming from his front row spot.
    And he revealed his personalised JM phone case while recording the fights.

    Copy linkCopiedNick Ball controversy
    Fans have claimed Nick Ball was robbed after his fight with Rey Vargas ended in a draw.
    The pair fought on the undercard of Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou in the Kingdom Arena, Riyadh last night.
    Brit Ball took a while to get to grips with the featherweight champion as Vargas edged the early exchanges.
    But the Liverpudlian started to find his target and rocked the Mexican on more than one occasion.
    He dropped Vargas twice and viewers had Ball winning each of the last six rounds.
    So many were, including a fuming Frank Warren, were shocked when the judges scored the contest a draw, and the announcement was greeted with boos inside the venue.

    Copy linkCopiedTyson Fury’s reaction
    Anthony Joshua knocked down Francis Ngannou in the first round – and Tyson Fury was loving it.
    The Gypsy King had a front-row seat for the heavyweight clash in the Kingdom Arena, Saudi Arabia.
    Fury laboured to a points win over the MMA champion in October but Joshua made lightwork of his opponent.
    Joshua knocked down Ngannou two minutes into the contest and Fury reacted with enthusiasm as he vigorously nodded his head and passionately applauded his compatriot.
    That was just the beginning of the excitement as Ngannou staggered back to his feet before seeing out the round.
    Credit: GETTY
    Copy linkCopiedJoshua poses with Ngannou after
    Anthony Joshua has taken to Instagam to post a picture of himself alongside beaten opponent Francis Ngannou.
    AJ wrote: “Respect my guy. African Giants.”
    Respect from the winner there.

    Copy linkCopiedRyan Garcia speaks on KO
    Boxer Ryan Garcia – who has a big fight himself coming up – has said AJ’s stunning KO win should be a big warning to MMA fighters stepping in the boxing ring.
    Garcia wrote: “Let this be A BIG WARNING to MMA fighters!! Stop coming to boxing it will only get worst.
    “ITS more even if we just go to your sport! OVER! ONE PUNCH. Sending healing prayers to FRANCIS!”

    Copy linkCopiedFrancis Ngannou breaks silence
    The beaten man Francis Ngannou has taken to X after his big loss.
    Ngannou wrote: “Sorry guys I let you all down. Today was a bad day in the office but tomorrow will be another day. Thank you all for the love.”

    Copy linkCopiedAJ: ‘It is what it is’
    After he was finally back on his feet, Joshua told the cameras: “It is what it is.
    “On the route to the championship you should always stay focused and I had to step away from the mission. I thought it was just a gimmick for the broadcasters.
    “When I saw the fight with Tyson Fury I thought damn this guy can fight, I want a piece of that.
    “I wanted to welcome him and this does not take anything away from him, he can come again.
    “I am still learning and pushing, I don’t know if I am coming into my peak, if that was me down there you would be saying ‘Anthony Joshua should retire’.
    “In five years I will be finished fighting and sitting down and all this will be a distant memory.
    “I am going to go back and lock myself in my cage and they can let me out when they want me to fight. I just want to fight.”
    Copy linkCopiedAJ stops Ngannou – ringside report
    Anthony Joshua obliterated Francis Ngannou in two sensational rounds to cement his place back in the heavyweight world title race.
    The same man who took Tyson Fury the 10-round distance on his boxing debut in October – and dropped the WBC Gypsy King- never laid a glove on our 34-year-old superstar.
    AJ was punch-perfect, calm and measured while also being ruthless and savage, putting the former UFC star on the ground twice before delivering the knockout punch.
    Ngannou leaped up off the Riyadh canvas twice initially but he needed an age to recover from the final blow that almost took his swede-like head clean off.
    He was subsequently given oxygen after being helped to his corner.
    Credit: Getty
    Copy linkCopiedThat winning moment
    Brutal.

    Copy linkCopied More

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