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      in Boxing

      Golden age of British heavyweights was spoiled when Usyk beat Joshua, Dubois and Fury – now he wants to complete the job

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      THIS was supposed to be the golden age for British heavyweight boxing.At least until Oleksandr Usyk came along.Oleksandr Usyk is hoping to make it two wins from two against Tyson FuryCredit: GettyHe beat the Gypsy King earlier this yearCredit: AFPHe is the current undisputed heavyweight world championCredit: ReutersThe idea of Tyson Fury versus Anthony Joshua was not just the biggest potential British fight of all time — but this country’s most eagerly-anticipated sporting event.Britain had never before boasted two world-class heavyweights simultaneously at the peak of their powers.Nor several other decent contenders regularly in the top ten of the global rankings.After years of dodging and ducking, years of the kind of political wrangling only this sport can bring, the Saudi takeover of elite boxing ought to have been the conduit for Fury and Joshua to finally get it on.READ MORE ON BOXINGHuge sacks of Saudi money may be morally dubious — but the flipside is that it can make any match worth making.Yet now Fury-AJ may never happen.And if it does, it would be staged a decade too late, just like when Floyd Mayweather finally met Manny Pacquiao in a drab welterweight encounter back in 2015.Usyk is the man primarily responsible. And here in the Saudi capital tomorrow, the Ukrainian with the flawless 22-0 pro record fully expects to complete his one-man rout of British heavyweight boxing’s golden generation.Most read in BoxingCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSIt is Usyk’s sixth consecutive fight against British opposition and seventh in his last eight.First there was Tony Bellew, in Usyk’s single defence of his undisputed cruiserweight title, followed by Derek Chisora, Joshua (twice), Daniel Dubois and then Fury to become the first undisputed world heavyweight champion of the 21st century.Watch Tyson Fury’s terrifying rant as Gypsy King vows to put ‘f*****’ Oleksandr Usyk ‘in the hurt lockerAll were crushed by an overfed cruiserweight who just happens to be an Einstein of the sweet science.Usyk exploded into our national consciousness in September 2021, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium,  in one of Britain’s first major post-pandemic sporting events.It was Joshua’s homecoming after two fights overseas against Andy Ruiz Jr and a behind-closed-doors bout during Covid.The ‘world-famous home of the Spurs’ never looked so glorious. The party atmosphere was extreme after 18 months of isolation and misery.Usyk,  seen as a highly-skilled technician but almost 20 pounds lighter than champion Joshua, was odds-on to be knocked out.Nobody present that night can forget the thorough schooling Usyk handed out to Joshua as he outclassed the Watford man to claim the WBA, IBF and WBO world titles.Whereas Joshua’s maiden pro defeat by Ruiz had seen him concussed by one massive early shot, this was a masterclass, which dismantled Joshua’s reputation as a truly elite fighter.It also meant another potential clash between Joshua and Fury —    frequently hyped up since the middle of the last decade — was put on hold again.And while the Joshua rematch — delayed by the Russian invasion of Usyk’s homeland — was a far closer affair in Jeddah, the man from Crimea undoubtedly won it.He also took a sledgehammer to boxing’s oldest chestnut — the one which decrees ‘a good big ’un will always beat a good little ’un’.After Usyk knocked out young British hope Dubois in the first defence of his heavyweight belts, came that undisputed showdown here in May.Fury vs Usyk 2: Ring walk time, TV channels and undercard – all you need to know for big rematchThe Gypsy King was the clear favourite — almost 40 pounds heavier and a man who had outboxed the great Wladimir Klitschko and outpunched the explosive Deontay Wilder to win world titles in extraordinary fashion.Yet after Fury held a slim lead through seven rounds, he was shaken and bloodied by a couple of massive rights in the eighth and saved by the bell in the ninth amid a barrage of blows by the Ukrainian.Usyk earned a split decision  — which ought to have been unanimous — and you will find few experts who don’t believe he will repeat the trick by a more emphatic margin again tomorrow night.In the meantime, this sport’s Saudi paymasters magnanimously allowed an all-British IBF world title bout between Joshua and Dubois to be staged at Wembley — and Joshua was utterly destroyed by the younger man.So AJ-Fury no longer holds any great intrigue.If it were to happen — and  Fury this week played it down,  stating Joshua is ‘in tatters’ after his drubbing from Dubois — it will hold nothing like the same lustre as in years gone by.READ MORE SUN STORIESAnd it is Usyk, a thoroughly laudable and eminently likeable man,  who systematically destroyed the dreams of millions of British fight fans.Saturday night, he intends to complete the job. More

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      in Athletics

      Keely Hodgkinson’s SPOTY win could push Olympic superstar into the £1m-a-year bracket with sponsorships and endorsements

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      KEELY HODGKINSON’S SPOTY triumph is the crowning glory of a magnificent year.And according to financial experts, she is due to receive a cash windfall – possibly pushing her annual earnings towards the £1MILLION mark.Keely Hodgkinson scooped the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year awardCredit: PAThe gong capped off an incredible 2024 for the middle-distance runnerCredit: PAAnd it could soon lead to her raking in the cash courtesy of endorsement dealsCredit: REUTERSShe went into the Paris Olympics with an enormous weight of expectations on her shoulders as favourite for 800m gold.But Hodgkinson, still only 22, coped admirably with the pressure to deliver emphatically over 116 seconds and two laps of the Stade de France track.And now she can utilise her new-found fame with the BBC’s SPOTY award to ensure her financial security for years to come.Dr Dan Plumley, sports finance expert at Sheffield Hallam University, told casino.co.uk: “Scooping the SPOTY award will only increase her fame and status.READ MORE ON KEELY HODGKINSON“She’s already becoming one of the most recognisable faces for UK Athletics.“Her success can lead to off-track partnerships and endorsements with good relationships with brands and marketing agencies.“Off-field earnings are a key driver of financial success for individual athletes.“And it is not unusual to see athletes pursue sponsorship and commercial opportunities to boost their income.Most read in AthleticsBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSKeely Hodgkinson celebrates her SPOTY win with Trevor Painter and Jenny MeadowsCredit: PA“Form and success on the track will continue to drive what happens for next for Hodgkinson.”But there is little doubt that the sponsorship opportunities will continue to come in.”Olympic winner Keely Hodgkinson soaks up the atmosphere with Man Utd fans at Old Trafford Hodgkinson stole the nation’s hearts last summer in Paris.Everybody had expected Hodgkinson – the world’s leading 800 metres runner – to storm to victory on the night of Monday, August 5 and she did just that.Her beaming smile and warm personality is why this girl from the Greater Manchester town of Atherton, who now lives in Salford, was voted last night as BBC Sports Personality of the Year.This is the fourth successive year a woman has lifted the prestigious trophy – following tennis superstar Emma Raducanu and footballers Beth Mead and Mary Earps – and that is a record.It is the 19th time in 60 years someone from track-and-field has received the main SPOTY Award, more than any other sport.Decent company that includes former winners Steve Ovett, Seb Coe, Daley Thompson, Kelly Holmes and Mo Farah.A reminder that even if some big names refuse to do media or the sport continues to suffer financial cutbacks, there is an appetite for athletics at the highest level.These days Hodgkinson, is used to winning races that she enters but that was not always the case.Keely Hodgkinson has the potential to become the face of British athleticsCredit: AlamyUntil this summer, the middle-distance heroine had to accept silver at THREE major championships – the 2021 Olympics and 2022 and 2023 World Championships.Those second-placed results really hit her hard, especially as she was defeated on each occasion by fractions of a second.Concerns that she might once again become the bridesmaid were allayed as she entered the Games having posted a personal best of 1:54.61 in London in July – the sixth-best time in history.Everything went perfectly on the track in 2024 – “the first time in a year where I’ve actually achieved everything ” – something that perhaps only happens once or twice in an athlete’s career.Yet this time 12 months ago, she was unable to run for NINE WEEKS over Christmas and the New Year due to a serious knee issue.READ MORE SUN STORIESIt was all down to a freak accident where she had “torn a ligament and tendon and a little bit of my hamstring around the knee area”.Whilst she was eager to resume training early, it was only by listening to and trusting her coach Trevor Painter that she managed to rest up and then make a successful return. More

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      in Soccer

      How Chelsea & Forest are ripping up the script of how to run a football club… just don’t try to make sense of it

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      IT’S time to forget everything we thought we knew about how to run a football club.Forget stability, forget continuity, forget financial prudence, forget carefully-targeted player recruitment, forget inspirational managerial appointments.Chelsea chief Todd Boehly has splashed out over £1billion on signingsCredit: RexEvangelos Marinakis has turned Nottingham Forest into top-four contendersCredit: GettyJust tear everything to shreds, sell everyone, then max out the credit card by buying footballers.Dozens and dozens of footballers. Not just one new squad of players but two or three squads’ worth.Buy so many footballers that they can’t all fit into the dressing room at your training ground.Already got seven elite wingers? If another one becomes available, go and buy an eighth. You only live once.Read More on FootballBecause Chelsea and Nottingham Forest are the two great overachievers of this Premier League season — the Blues just two points off the summit and Forest in the Champions League places, above Manchester City.Both clubs have spent like sailors piddling it up on shore leave.If you have previously received the impressions from this column — or pretty much anywhere else in the media — that Chelsea’s Todd Boehly is a clueless American muppet, your mind must be playing tricks on you. Boehly always was a football genius.The nine-year contracts for unproven players. The knifing of more managers than Roman Abramovich. The transfer-window trolley dashes. Genius, all of it.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSAnd any ideas you had that Forest’s Evangelos Marinakis was a panic-buying shopaholic — a wild conspiracy theorist who hired that bloke off Gladiators to rumble referees — must have been the product of your own overactive imagination.Here is a big cuddly Greek Santa, laden with gifts and leading Forest into the promised land.Chelsea player ratings vs BrentfordSince Boehly and his Clearlake crew purchased Chelsea in the summer of 2022, the club has signed 45 players for a total of £1.3billion.Since Forest won promotion to the Premier League that same summer, they have got more than 40 players for a combined total in the region of £300million.And at both clubs, somehow, it’s working.At the age of 33, Forest’s Kiwi striker Chris Wood is the new Erling Haaland. Chelsea star Cole Palmer was Pep Guardiola’s blind spot.Anthony Elanga and Jadon Sancho are more effective than any winger currently on Manchester United’s books.The Premier League is a madhouse. To succeed, join the stark-raving lunatics, as Chelsea and Forest have done.Understated managersWhat both clubs needed, it turns out, was an understated, unheralded manager to sift through the shopping, to settle on a core squad, to play ball with eccentric owners and coach a bloody good football team.Neither Enzo Maresca nor Nuno Espirito Santo were wildly popular appointments.Maresca had led Leicester to the Championship title but was nobody’s first choice to succeed Mauricio Pochettino this summer.Yet the Italian was 20/20 in his vision of Chelsea’s best team, ruthless in his pre-season squad-slashing and he is now presiding over a premature vindication of Boehly’s seemingly-unhinged regime.Nuno, after his car-crash reign at Tottenham, replaced Forest’s promotion-winning Messiah Steve Cooper to a chorus of shrugs, just before the club would be deducted four points for breaching PSR last season. The Portuguese boss with the charisma bypass is the polar opposite of Brian Clough. Yet he is threatening to become the best of Forest’s 29 managers since the exit of Old Big ’Ead.Enzo Maresca is proving his doubters wrong alreadyCredit: GettyDon’t make sense of itSimilarly to Maresca, it’s been a case of clearing dead wood from the Forest, seeing the Chris Wood for the Tricky Trees.Of course, this is a snapshot in time. Nobody expects Forest to play in the Champions League next season and nobody expects Chelsea to win the title this term.There are still PSR concerns at both clubs, still plenty of unwanted players on long, lucrative contracts.For every Palmer at Chelsea, there’s a Mykhailo Mudryk. Boehly’s mob are still paying Raheem Sterling £200,000 a week not to play for Arsenal.And at Forest, for every Morgan Gibbs-White, there’s a Jonjo Shelvey.But, at present, these two clubs — who seemed to be giving us a crash course in how not to run a football club — are doing exactly the bleeding opposite.Whatever you do, just don’t try to make sense of any of it.Andy’s AwfulLIVERPOOL’S exhilarating 2-2 draw with Fulham will be a contender for the Premier League’s match of the season.Which suggests that, to make things more interesting for everyone, the Reds should always be reduced to ten men for no apparent reason inside 20 minutes.One troubling aspect for Arne Slot is that his side were better AFTER Andy Robertson’s harsh early dismissal than they had been with the Scot, 30, on the pitch.Full-backs don’t tend to go over the hill, they fall off cliffs — as Robbo and his fellow stalwart, 34-year-old Kyle Walker at Manchester City, have done.Cottagers’ Antonee Robinson, 27, man of the match on Saturday, has a Scouse accent despite his USA international allegiance, and would be an ideal replacement.Except that Fulham are loath to do business with Liverpool, after the Kop outfit signed academy products Harvey Elliott and Fabio Carvalho on the cheap.Is Andy Robertson coming to the end of his prowess at Liverpool?Credit: EPABrit Of A ChangeTHERE can rarely have been a more predictable sacking than that of Gary O’Neil at Wolves.It wasn’t just two wins from 16 matches, it was his players’ meltdowns in consecutive defeats by West Ham and Ipswich which turned his side into Wolver-tantrum Wanderers.His exit came just before the equally obvious departure of Russell Martin at Southampton.It means there are   only  two  English bosses — Eddie Howe and Sean Dyche — in the top flight, along with just one other Brit, Kieran McKenna at Ipswich.A complete wipeout of homegrown bosses is on the horizon. Unless the Etihad sheikhs decide it’s time to break the glass on the emergency alarm and call up Fireman Sam Allardyce?He’s A Must PickJORDAN PICKFORD’S heroics in Everton’s 0-0 draw at Arsenal on Saturday suggested that, of all the changes Thomas Tuchel might make as England boss, the goalkeeping position will NOT be one of them.He has as many caps as Gordon Banks and more major final appearances than every other goalkeeper ever to play for England put together.And with the Wembley debacle against Greece in October perhaps his only truly bad performance in a Three Lions shirt, it might soon be time to show Pickford some proper appreciation.Jordan Pickford should continue to be England’s No1 for a while yetCredit: ReutersGive Spoty Men A GoIF the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award were for sporting achievement it would go to  Joe Root, who this year confirmed himself as England’s greatest ever batsman.If it were down to force of  personality, it would go to 17-year-old darts phenomenon Luke  Littler, who has made the Ally Pally arrow-slinging jamboree a global must-watch. But it will go to athletics’ Keely Hodgkinson — not unreasonably, as she’s an Olympic 800 metres gold medallist with a sparkling personality.And note that the previous three winners have all been women. Is it time for separate SPOTY awards for either sex — some  positive discrimination just to give the blokes a chance?Not Gund enoughWHILE  focus has fallen on Rodri’s injury, Kyle Walker’s terminal decline, Phil Foden’s form crisis and Erling Haaland’s lack of goals, the  re-signing  of  Ilkay  Gundogan has escaped much criticism.But Manchester City’s decision to bring back their 34-year-old former captain —  a year after he decamped  for Barcelona — was an extremely retrograde step from such a forward-thinking boss as Pep Guardiola.READ MORE SUN STORIESIlkay Gundogan has hardly pulled up trees on his return to Man CityCredit: Getty’Statistical anomaly’   TOTTENHAM have lost as many Premier League games as they have won this  season, yet after a 5-0 win in the “principles derby” at Southampton, they boast a goal difference of plus-17.This wild statistical  anomaly is perfect  testimony to the unique wonders of Angeball. More

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      in Soccer

      Meet ‘new Match of the Day host’ Kelly Cates, who is the daughter of a Liverpool icon and studied maths at university

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      KELLY CATES is reportedly set to quit Sky Sports and move to the BBC.The 49-year-old, Gabby Logan and Mark Chapman will reportedly share hosting duties of Match of the Day and MOTD 2 next season, when Gary Lineker stands down.Kelly Cates has built a stellar career in the media over the past 20 yearsCredit: HandoutCates is familiar to Sky Sports viewers as the host for Super SundayLiverpool legend Kelly Dalglish poses with his familyCredit: PA:Press AssociationCates has worked for the BBC on and off since 2013, for Radio 5 Live.She presented iconic fan phone-in show 606 alongside Ian Wright on Sunday’s between 2013 and 2018.After joining Sky Sports her role was reduced, but Cates returned to host midweek sports show, 5 Live Sport, mostly on Tuesday’s, while she also provided coverage of the 2022 World Cup.The daughter of Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish became a TV presenter at Sky Sports, working on several Premier League shows including Friday Night Live.Read more football newsSky Sports bosses are reportedly sad to see her leave – but she was understood to be the BBC’s leading external candidate to take over from icon Lineker.It completes a remarkable journey for Cates, who has had an impressive rise in sports broadcasting.It was a role she had no intention of taking when she was at university studying maths!She comes from footballing royaltyKelly grew up with football around her.Most read in FootballIt was mum, Marina who would take her to games dad Kenny was playing in.”When I was a baby my mum took me to matches to watch my dad play,” she said in an interview with magazine When Saturday Comes.Kelly Cates on Super Sunday amid reports she’s leaving for BBC”I don’t remember a time when I didn’t go to football games – my earliest memories are of being in the players’ lounge with the other players’ children.”However, that didn’t make Kelly a Liverpool fan.When her father moved to clubs, including Blackburn and Newcastle United as a manager, she hoped they did well – even against the Reds.Despite football being in her blood, she revealed she didn’t have as much of a flair for it as her famous father.She laughed: “I ran down the wing thinking ‘Oh, this will be easy’, tripped over and knocked myself out!”That was the end of my football career.”Thought of a different lifeAlthough she has become football broadcasting royalty, Cates nearly snubbed a chance to work in the game.At university being a sports TV presenter was far from her mind.She said: “I did a degree in maths but after I left university I wanted to do something different.When she was at university Cates studied mathsCredit: GettyHowever, when Sky Sports News launched she decided to give presenting a goCredit: PA:Press AssociationFather and daughter share a laugh during Sky Sports’ coverageCredit: PAread more sport features”The Sky Sports News channel was being launched and they were looking for young people who loved football.”It was new and no one was watching so they pretty much said to us: ‘Go and play at being on the telly!”‘Family came firstSince the Millennium, Cates’ career rise has followed a steep trajectory.She initially left Sky Sports in 2016, after wanting to start a family with then fiancé Tom Cates, who she shares two children with.”I left Sky Sports News in 2006, after the Germany World Cup,” she told The Overlap’s ‘Not Just Football’ podcast back in October.”I’d been there for eight years and I had just turned 30, or I was just turning 31. I was engaged, but not yet married. I knew I wanted to have children quite soon at that point.”It had just been, for a long time, kind of filtering away and running in the back of my head. I came to the end of my contract and was working under my new contract and within the space of about three days, made the decision.Kelly got married to Tom Cates in 2007, although they divorced in 2021Credit: Luke InmanCates has worked at ESPN, ITV, Setanta Sports and more through the years tooCredit: Getty”I was driving into work one day, I walked in and I said, ‘I don’t want to sign this new contract, I want to go!’ I had nothing to go to.”I just walked away, but I was so sure that I had to go and make that change. I did it when I left university to go to Sky, which is different, because then you get something that’s really exciting, shiny and new, dangled in front of you and you think, ‘I’m going to take this jump'”.Cates got married in 2007, although they sadly divorced in 2021.That same year she began a job at the now defunct Setanta Sports – bouncing around jobs at ESPN, ITV, and STV.However, in 2016 she made her return back to Sky Sports – feeling she had unfinished business.Initially, she fronted their EFL coverage before becoming the main anchor for the Premier League.Cates has been a huge success for the channel, alongside Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher.Who can forget when she hilariously turned her back on them, after they turned their back on her during a segment that went wrong.READ MORE SUN STORIESSky’s loss is BBC’s gain, as Kelly will divide her time between MOTD and her role working for Radio 5 Live.It could be a match made in heaven.Kelly will divide her time between MOTD and BBC Radio 5 LiveCredit: News Group Newspapers LtdSky’s loss will be BBC’s gain – as Super Sunday will need a new hostCredit: PA:Press Association More

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      in Soccer

      Mikel Arteta backs Bukayo Saka to emulate idol Cristiano Ronaldo as boss opens up on ‘evolving’ star winger

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      MIKEL ARTETA backed Bukayo Saka to emulate idol Cristiano Ronaldo by becoming a world-class centre-forward.From Hale End product to global superstar, the 23-year-old Arsenal winger’s evolution has taken most people by surprise — even within the club itself.Mikel Arteta has backed Bukayo Saka to emulate Cristiano RonaldoCredit: AFPSaka previously revealed that Ronaldo was his idol growing upCredit: ReutersUsed as a left-back in the early stages of Arteta’s Emirates reign, he made his first senior Gunners start six years ago this week.That was as a 17-year-old under then-boss Unai Emery in a 1-0 Europa League victory at home against Qarabag.Saka is now a world-class winger and undroppable starter for Arsenal and England, who belongs in the same conversation as the very best.But boss Arteta believes it is only a matter of time before he follows in the footsteps of the legendary Ronaldo and moves from out wide to a more central No 9 role.Read More on ArsenalRonaldo — now aged 39 and at Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr — made his name at Manchester United as a winger.The Portuguese went on to become one of the game’s greatest goalscoring strikers at Real Madrid.Asked if he could envisage a similar path for his talisman, Arteta said:“We are thinking about these things.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSArteta regularly heaps praise on ‘starboy’ SakaCredit: AP“It will depend on the qualities of the players around him. For somebody to be inside rather than outside, somebody has to be outside.“That player, the full-back, the attacking midfielder and the No 9 has to allow the space to do that.Arsenal star Bukayo Saka’s glam girlfriend Tolami Benson steals the show in daring outfit at The Fashion Awards“But I’m certainly very open to keep evolving players.”With two goals and an assist in the Gunners’ 3-0 Champions League win over Monaco on Wednesday, Saka now has 21 goal involvements in 21 games in all competitions this term.Since the start of last season in the Champions League, only Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane (18) and Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr (16) have been involved in more goals than Saka’s 14.And with ten assists and five goals in the Prem this campaign, he tops Europe’s big five leagues for assists — more than Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal (9) and Liverpool’s Mo Salah (8).On what Saka’s goalscoring targets should be, Arteta continued: “We always set targets. The idea to score 30 or 40 goals is fine but how are we going to do it?“How are we going to create a plan to try to develop the player and give him the best possible chance to make sure he is able to do that.I’m certainly very open to keep evolving players.Mikel Arteta“Sometimes it is a role, sometimes it a position on the pitch and sometimes it is other things.“When the understanding of the game and the spaces and the timing of how they move in relation to each other is strong, the freedom has to increase.“The decision-making is going to improve as they understand it better. That will create uncertainty for the opposition and now they have much more freedom than in the past.”Speaking of his admiration for Ronaldo previously, Saka explained: “I love his mentality. He just always wants to be the best, always working hard on and off the pitch.“He’s one of the best players to ever play football. He is unique.“We are two different players but I always try to look at him and take the good things from his game.”Fellow academy graduate Myles Lewis-Skelly, 18, made his Champions League debut against Monaco.And the rookie left-back could make his first Prem start at home to Everton tomorrow, with fellow teen sensation Ethan Nwaneri, 17, on the bench.Full-backs Oleksandr Zinchenko and Riccardo Calafiori are absent with muscular issues but Brazilian centre-back Gabriel is in contention to return.I love his mentality. He just always wants to be the best, always working hard on and off the pitch.Saka on RonaldoArteta says he is in a better position to give young stars debuts because of his “unbelievable” Gunners dressing room.Unlike the toxic group that he inherited in December 2019 when he took over as boss.The Spaniard said: “They can be ready — but then the context in that team, dressing room, moment, is not right…“Now the work has been done and it is exceptional what everybody has done and now they have the right environment.READ MORE SUN STORIES“The way they look after them and make them feel.“The jump is so big but they are showing that they are capable of doing it.”How to stop Arsenal at cornersArsenal have turned into a prolific team when it comes to scoring from corners.The Gunners have now scored 22 goals from them since the start of last season – seven more than their nearest rival Manchester City and eight more than Premier League leaders Liverpool.Two of them came against Manchester United – Jurrien Timber and William Saliba netting in the second half to earn Mikel Arteta’s men a vital win as they chase down Arne Slot’s Reds.Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka were the architects with their deliveries, and each now have seven set-piece assists since the start of the 2023/24 campaign – more than any other player.United legend Dimitar Berbatov joked Arsenal are the new Stoke City of the top flight – a side under Tony Pulis who terrorised the so-called “bigger clubs” with set-piece mastery.Here are four ways to stop Arteta’s side at corners More

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      in Soccer

      Inside the mind of Pep Guardiola as he suffers sleepless nights and lives on soup during horror Man City run

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      PEP GUARDIOLA is really finding Manchester City’s current slump difficult to swallow.The Catalan admitted a run like this can affect everything — from the amount of sleep he gets to his diet.Pep Guardiola has struggled amid Man City’s poor run of formCredit: APThe Spaniard appeared to scratch his head several times during Man City’s match against Feyenoord last monthRecently, he has just been having soup for his evening meal as he is struggling to digest much else due to the nerves.With his kids grown up and his wife Cristina back in Barcelona, Pep admits it can be a lonely business being a coach during a bad run.He said this week: “You have people by your side but the pain of defeat only happens to one.“It’s true your friends are there but when you go to sleep and you turn off the light, there’s no consolation possible.Read More in Football“You have to swallow on it, spend a day or two and then come back.”But by and large Guardiola says his frame of mind is not much different to how it was in the spring, when his team were crowned champions for a fourth straight year.That is despite a run of seven defeats in the last ten matches — the same number as City suffered in the previous 105 games up until the end of April.The decline in his all-conquering team has been sudden and alarming and left many people scratching their head.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSCity have managed just one win in the last 10 gamesCredit: GettyThat includes Pep himself, who showed up for his press conference after the draw with Feyenoord last month with marks on his head and a cut on his nose.At the time he put it down to his nails getting too long — although he explained this week there was another factor.Man City manager Pep Guardiola sings song for Barcelona’s 125th birthdayPep Guardiola’s horror Man City runPEP GUARDIOLA admitted he is having sleepless nights as he endures his worst-ever spell as a manager.Here are the three-time defending Premier League champions’ nightmare last 10 games…Oct 30: Tottenham 2 Man City 1 – DEFEATNov 2: Bournemouth 2 Man City 1 – DEFEATNov 5: Sporting Lisbon 4 Man City 1 – DEFEATNov 9: Brighton 2 Man City 1 – DEFEATNov 23 – Man City 0 Tottenham 4 – DEFEATNov 26: Man City 3 Feyenoord 3 – DRAWDec 1: Liverpool 2 Man City 0 – DEFEATDec 4: Man City 3 Nottingham Forest – WINDec 7: Crystal Palace 2 Man City 2 – DRAWDec 11: Juventus 2 Man City 0 – DEFEATTOTAL – WINS 1, DRAWS 2, DEFEATS 7He said: “I have a skin problem. I have to take antihistamine for the last two or three years. The nails, yes, I did them on my nose. But the rest was that.”Guardiola turns 54 next month and said in a recent interview he does not have the energy to take another club job after he leaves the Etihad.The question some have been asking since is whether he has enough within him for the rebuilding job needed at City.Some of the older players who have achieved so much for him — the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Kyle Walker and Ilkay Gundogan — are reaching the end of the road.And having achieved pretty much everything he set out to — and even more — with City, some wonder if he has the drive to go again.Yet is easy to forget amid the chaos of the last seven weeks, that he signed a new two-year contract at the Etihad in the middle of it all.It was Pep who indicated he was ready to talk — despite a run of four straight losses before then — and the deal was concluded in a couple of hours.Given what has happened since and the problems he is facing, he may be asking himself whether he did the right thing.Those around him say he has no regrets and is more determined than ever to turn the season around.He accepted the challenge of staying on less than four weeks ago and there is no way he has changed his mind already.I have a skin problem. I have to take antihistamine for the last two or three years. The nails, yes, I did them on my nose. But the rest was that.Pep GuardiolaHis feeling all season has been that this was not the right time for him to hand over the keys to his successor and three months in, he was sure of it.The imminent verdict on the 130 charges of financial wrong-doing was a factor, as he has previously said he would not desert the club he loves in their hour of need.But the Club World Cup in the USA in the summer was also a consideration, as it will make the start of next season extremely difficult to navigate.Guardiola felt he wanted to navigate City through this tricky period and he remains determined to do that.In any case, Pep had predicted this would be a tough start to the season — partly due to strain of their recent success and the summer of international duty at Euro 2024 for most of his stars.He did not quite expect it to be this tough, though, as the injuries have made the early months of the season even more challenging.But he remains convinced that once his trusted players are back, he will be able to turn them back into a force.Nothing that has happened since things started to unravel at the end of October has changed his mind.He said: “I have learned with football, not to go against feelings, what you feel at that moment.READ MORE SUN STORIES“If I am sad, I am sad but I know it will pass. That’s how I see it.”A derby win over United on Sunday would help it to pass very quickly. More

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      in Boxing

      Oleksandr Usyk puts Tyson Fury rivalry aside and invites Gypsy King to the pub to ‘drink beer’ and cheer on Man Utd

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      OLEKSANDR USYK would happily sit down for a pint with Tyson Fury if he were to spend the day with his fierce rival.The pair renew their rivalry in Saudi Arabia next Saturday just seven months after their historic dust-up for all the heavyweight marbles.Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury will renew their rivalry a week on SaturdayCredit: PAThe trash talk has wll and truly been flowing ahead of their rematchCredit: GETTYBut Fury’s recent verbal jabs haven’t put Usyk off from being willing to visit the pub with the Gypsy KingCredit: SKY SPORTSThe trash talk has ramped up in recent weeks but there remains a healthy respect between the pair, so much so that Usyk is willing to put all the Gypsy King’s “rabbit” jokes aside and visit the boozer with him.During an interview with Sky Sports, Usyk said: “Listen I can go to the pub, drinking beer.”After, we go to play golf and then we go to play football. Then we go horse racing.As he fought back fits of laughter, the fan favourite added: “Yes [a few beers]. No problem.”READ MORE ON USYK VS FURY 2As well as a love for boxing, both men have a soft spot for Manchester United, who they’ll be cheering on this Sunday when Ruben Amorin’s men take Manchester City.When asked which Premier League team he’d love to play for, Usyk said: “If I had a choice, I’d play for Manchester United.After being told both he and Fury will be on the same page during the Manchester derby, Usyk replied: “Yeah, of course, The same.”When asked to predict the result, the slick southpaw said: “I think Manchester United [will win]. Most read in BoxingBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS”But Manchester City have good players and a good coach.”Usyk became the first undisputed king of the heavyweights in nearly 25 years with a split-decision victory in his May melee with Fury.Moment Tyson Fury tells Oleksandr Usyk ‘you look like a sexy beast’ as heavyweight boxer shows off new lookFury, 36, insists the judges robbed him of fulfilling his childhood dream and has vowed to take the legacy-defining rematch out of their hands.The former unified heavyweight champion said: “I’ve always been a bad man my whole life, and I’m still one today at nearly 40 years old, a few years off 40.”I’m going to go in there with destroy mode. Last time, I went to box him, I was being cautious.”Anybody can get caught as we have seen in a lot of these heavyweight fights.”But this time I’m not going for a points decision. I’m going to knock that motherf****r out.”Tyson Fury has vowed not to leave his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk in the hands of the judgesCredit: GETTYHe added: “There’s no secret. I’m going in there to knock you out.”Because I don’t think I’m going to get a decision no matter what I do.”I don’t think I’m going to get a boxing decision.READ MORE SUN STORIES”So I’m going to have to take it out of the judges’ hands like I did in America that time [against Deontay Wilder].”And I’ve got to get him out of there. Hand on heart, I have to get him out of there to see victory.” More

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      in Soccer

      Football team-mates’ best fights, from Le Saux punching Batty, Hartson kicking Benayoun to brutal Bowyer vs Dyer scrap

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      WHEN tensions run high and the pressure is on, these footballers could not help but fall out with one another.Man Utd were the latest club to see two of their stars get in a barney on the pitch.Rasmus Hojlund and Amad Diallo got into a row after Man Utd’s Europa League clashCredit: TNT SPORTSTeammates stepped in to break it up but it’s not the first time footballers have foughtCredit: TNT SPORTSTeam-mates Rasmus Hojlund and Amad Diallo were involved in a furious row after full-time in Plzen after their Europa League clash.Substitute Hojlund, 21, was United’s game-winning hero but was left raging as he accused Amad of wrecking his chance at a first club hat-trick by refusing to pass to him when in front of goal deep into injury time.While Amad was also angry that Hojlund did something similar moments before.However, United boss Amorim could only see positives in their actions. Read more football newsAmorim said: “It’s a positive thing, a healthy thing, perfect. In this moment, we need to feel something, if we need to fight each other it’s like a family, for me it’s a very, very good sign.“When you don’t care, you do nothing, when you care, you fight with your brother, with your father, with your mother.“It’s a normal thing, so I leave it to the players and captain to calm things down.“If it’s too much I will go inside the dressing room. But it’s their space, they have to talk, to fight — it’s very important.Most read in Football“I am happy we win the game and still fight each other, that is a very good thing.Club mascot provokes opposition players, starts a fight, gets sent off and then does Ronaldo’s siu celebration“When you win and you fight with your team-mate because you want to score one more. It’s a very good day for us.”While Hojlund and Amad’s row was just a squabble, there have been times when things have got further out of hand, as SunSport explains.White and ZinchenkoBack in January, Ben White and Oleksandr Zinchenko had to be held back by set-piece coach Nicolas Jover following Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest.Gunners boss Mikel Arteta revealed why they fell out after the match.Taking the Amorim approach, Arteta said: “I love it. They are demanding more from each other. They are not happy with the way they conceded and they are just trying to resolve it.”It got a bit heated. But that means that it’s enough. Playing the way we played the result has to be bigger and the clean sheet has to be there.”Ben White and Oleksandr Zinchenko are separated by Arsenal coach Nicolas JoverCredit: TNT SPORTSMings and El-GhaziAt the beginning of the 2019-2020 season, Aston Villa’s Tyrone Mings and Anwar El-Ghazi locked horns during a game against West Ham.The Aston Villa bad-boys’ disagreement was put to bed at half-time, according to then captain Jack Grealish.Ming was said to be livid with El-Ghazi for not tracking back, and shouted at him on the pitch.The Dutchman retaliated by pushing his head into the face of Mings.Anwar El Ghazi feels Tyrone Mings’ wrath after not tracking backCredit: Getty – ContributorEl Ghazi leans his head towards Mings after their war of wordsCredit: AFP or licensorsBatty and Le SauxOne of the infamous, and most shocking, saw a Blackburn Rovers Champions League game momentarily halted.David and Graeme Le Saux accidentally collided when going for the same ball in a match against Spartak Moscow in 1995.The game was just four minutes in when Le Saux aimed a punch at the tigerish midfielder.Tim Sherwood stepped in to separate them, but Le Saux had already broken his hand at that point.Tim Sherwood has to step in to stop David Batty and Graeme Le Saux scrappingCredit: PAThe pair made up pretty quickly after their fisticuffsCredit: PA:Press AssociationMitrovic and KamaraYou could say it all started when Aboubakar Kamara snatched the ball off regular Fulham penalty taker Aleksandar Mitrovic and missed a vital spot-kick against Huddersfield in a 2019 Premier League match.Then, just two weeks later during a supposedly calming yoga session, the pair got into a heated row as boss Claudio Ranieri looked on.Mitrovic believed Kamara had insulted the yoga teacher, and he let Kamara know about it.Talk about holding a grudge.Fulham’s Aboubakar Kamara and Aleksandar Mitrovic’s argument began over a squabble over a penaltyCredit: PA:Press Associationread more sport featuresHartson and BerkovicWhile a lot happens during in the heat of a game, this astonishing fight happened in a training session!John Hartson and Eyal Berkovic, as centre forward and playmaker respectively, are supposed to tee each other up for goals.However, that seemed far-fetched when Hartson lost his temper with Berkovic and kicked his West Ham team-mate in the head in 1998.The training ground outburst was caught on film and Hartson, who was fined £20,000, called it his “biggest regret”.John Hartson’s infamous kick to Eyal Berkovic’s face was caught on cameraCredit: SkyBerkovic and Hartson soon made up after their bust-upCredit: News Group Newspapers LtdBowyer and DyerAnother to be filed under the Batty and Le Saux category, Lee Bowyer’s scrap with Kieron Dyer also escalated to punches being landed.In a match their Newcastle team would lose to Aston Villa 3-0, Dyer reportedly called Bowyer “s***”.The outrageous melee saw players from both sides try to intervene as they ripped each other to shreds.They were sent off and tried to get at each other in the changing rooms but stopped when boss Graeme Souness allegedly offered to fight them both!Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer have to be held back by players after a furious fightCredit: GettyBellamy and Arne RiiseCraig Bellamy often lost his cool.While, John Arne Riise was an uncompromising defender who didn’t suffer fools.But, they were supposed to be letting their hair down on a team bonding trip with Liverpool to the Algarve in 2007.A row over Riise’s refusal to take part in karaoke led to Bellamy attacking the Norwegian in his hotel room with a golf club. Bellamy later used it in his goal celebration.Craig Bellamy made fun out of his incident with a golf celebrationCredit: GettyAdebayor and BendtnerAdebayor wasn’t going to let Arsenal’s departure out of the Carling Cup go without growling at a team-mate in 2008.And it was Danish star Bendtner who was on the receiving end of the Togo-born striker’s frustrations.Arsenal had a corner, but rather than concentrate on making space Adebayor and Bendtner began shoving each other.Bendtner was left with a cut above his nose, and they had to be separated by club captain William Gallas.Allegedly, Adebayor – a second half substitute – told the starting Bendtner, “I’m on because you’re s***.”Emmanuel Adebayor confronts Nicklas Bendtner and slams his performanceCredit: MARC ASPLANDSon and LlorisFormer team-mates Hugo Lloris and Son Heung-min got particularly aggy at half-time in Spurs’ 1-0 loss to Everton in a match in 2020.The two were spotted on Sky Sports’ cameras in an angry exchange – shouting and pushing each other,READ MORE SUN STORIESIt was later revealed the Frenchman was livid that the Korean wasn’t tracking back.They made up during the interval, but didn’t face the wrath of boss Jose Mourinho who applauded their passion, even calling the moment “beautiful.”Hugo Lloris and Son Heung-Min argued over the Korean allegedly not tracking backCredit: Sky Sports More