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      Team guide to Premier League 2023/24 as Man City chase historic fourth title in a row

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      NEVER in 135 years of League football has any club been crowned champions of England for four consecutive seasons.So as a new campaign dawns, the question is . . . who can stop Manchester City from making even more history?
      The title race could be a classic
      Pep Guardiola’s Treble winners have won three titles in a row and five of the last six and with Erling Haaland to the fore, they look unstoppable.
      Last season’s runners-up Arsenal have snapped up Kai Havertz and Declan Rice.
      Yet the suspicion remains Mikel Arteta’s men blew the best chance they may ever have when they topped the table for the vast majority of last term.
      Newcastle, with the wealth of Geordie Arabia behind them, are clearly the great long-term threat to City’s dominance.
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      But can Eddie Howe’s men juggle the demands of a Champions League campaign with a title bid?
      Liverpool, City’s only genuine rivals for most of the Guardiola era, have launched a major midfield refresh, starting with the arrival of World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister.
      If Jurgen Klopp’s revamped forward line — including Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz — can click they may well stage one of their epic duels with City again.
      Boardroom takeover talk has dominated Manchester United’s summer but Erik ten Hag impressed during his first year in charge and is determined to go closer to City.
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      Chelsea and Tottenham are both under new management after disastrous seasons.
      Mauricio Pochettino is a proven overachiever here but he has a serious job on his hands making sense of owner Todd Boehly’s scattergun recruitment policy at Stamford Bridge.
      Ange Postecoglou, the first Australian to manage in the Premier League, was a surprise choice to take over at Spurs.
      Expectations are unusually low but the team should at least be playing more attractive football than at any time since Pochettino’s departure in 2019.
      Might there be any surprise packages to upset the big boys — such as Unai Emery’s revitalised Aston Villa or self- proclaimed champions of Europe, West Ham?
      Can promoted Burnley, Sheffield United and Luton emulate last season’s trio of Fulham, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest by avoiding immediate returns to the Championship?
      Whatever happens in the next ten months, it is unlikely to be dull — and SunSport will be there every step of the way.
      ARSENAL
      Dream Team MVP – Bukayo Saka (£6m)
      By Mark Irwin
      IT has taken Mikel Arteta the best part of four years to turn Arsenal around but now he faces his biggest challenge.
      Because it is one thing to close the gap to Manchester City but something else to overtake probably the best team in the world.
      For the fourth summer in a row, boss Arteta has been given the financial backing of owner Stan Kroenke to strengthen his squad.
      But this time the work came at the very top end of the transfer market, spending £200million to bring in Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber.

      And that has only been made possible by the remarkable progress under ruthless Arteta.
      The Gunners finished 43 points off the title in his first season. 
      Yet last term they ended up just five adrift of Treble winners City after leading the race for 248 DAYS before fading badly.
      Liverpool, Chelsea, Newcastle and Manchester United will all come at them hard — but Arteta has plenty of cause to believe Arsenal will be better than them all.
      Whether they are ready to catch City remains to be seen.
      Man Utd have topped the league for 4,486 days – or more than 12 years
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      ASTON VILLA
      Dream Team MVP – Ollie Watkins (£4.5m)
      By Graeme Bryce
      BRUMMIES will proudly tell you Birmingham boasts more canal miles than Venice and Amsterdam combined.
      And Aston Villa fans swear Unai Emery walks on them.
      He turned Steven Gerrard’s relegation candidates into Europa Conference League qualifiers.
      Villa have talked the talk for years about returning to the days when they were kings of Europe in the 80s.

      Now they have a boss who is capable of walking the walk . . . on water or otherwise.
      Only Manchester City won more points after the turn of the year as Villa reached Europe for the first time in 13 years.
      Now they have made the inspired signing of Youri Tielemans, added the best defender Emery has worked with in Pau Torres and grabbed jet-heeled French forward Moussa Diaby.
      Emery is after a trophy this season but the top four may not be out of the question.
      BOURNEMOUTH
      Dream Team MVP – Justin Kluivert (£2m)
      By Jack Rosser
      HAVING defied the odds to stay up last season, Bournemouth took a huge punt on their future this summer.
      American owner Bill Foley, out of the blue, decided to axe boss Gary O’Neil and appoint unknown Spaniard Andoni Iraola.
      Foley wanted a change in the style to give them a better chance of survival once again, while giving a new man every chance of success with a full pre-season.
      It is a big bet from the billionaire, who will pray his ruthless call pays off.

      Whatever happens, the south coast should provide some exciting football.
      Iraola may not be known to many English fans but he has made a name for himself in Spain by playing some intense football and upsetting the odds on a shoestring. The Cherries have lost out-of-contract Jefferson Lerma.
      But winger Justin Kluivert — son of Patrick — arrived for £9.5million from Roma, while midfield man Hamed Traore turned his loan into a £20m deal.
      And landing exciting Hungarian left-back Milos Kerkez, 19, from AZ Alkmaar for £14m was a real coup.
      BRENTFORD
      Dream Team MVP – Bryan Mbeumo (£3.5m)
      By Isabelle Barker
      BRENTFORD are out to prove that no Ivan Toney is no problem.
      The Bees must cope without their star striker as he serves his EIGHT-MONTH ban from football for breaking betting rules.
      Fans will see him in action again in January.
      The 27-year-old cannot even train with his team-mates until September 17.
      But boss Thomas Frank has the likes of Yoane Wissa, Kevin Schade and Bryan Mbeumo to call upon going forward.

      He also now boasts £23million centre-back Nathan Collins after his switch from Wolves.
      Brentford have punched well above their weight in their two Prem seasons.
      And last term they finished ninth — just two points off seventh and a Europa Conference League spot.
      They also beat Treble winners Manchester City (twice), Manchester United and Liverpool in a memorable campaign.
      The Bees are expected to burst out of the traps with Frank taking no prisoners in pre-season.
      Once again, he has used a gruelling one- kilometre fitness drill to get his hive buzzing.
      BRIGHTON
      Dream Team MVP – Kaoru Mitoma (£3.5m)
      By Jack Rosser
      BRIGHTON supporters are getting excited as they look forward to their first ever European adventure.
      After a record-breaking season, with Roberto De Zerbi replacing Graham Potter in September, the Italian is targeting more magical moments.
      They may have lost Alexis Mac Allister to Liverpool but there are a host of young players ready to step up.
      Julio Enciso, 19, and Facundo Buonanotte, 18, look massive prospects.
      Freebies James Milner, 37, and Mahmoud Dahoud, 27, provide experience.

      Striker Joao Pedro has arrived for £30million from Watford, while £16.3m keeper Bart Verbruggen looks another gem from Anderlecht — as does Fiorentina centre-back Igor Julio.
      But the big excitement may come from seeing Evan Ferguson, 18, get a full season under his belt up front.
      And then there is the Europa League — their displays against the Prem’s big boys indicate they could have a long run.
      De Zerbi has made history but he will not stop chasing more.
      The fastest players from last season’s Premier League
      BURNLEY
      Dream Team MVP – Josh Brownhill (£2m)
      By Martin Blackburn
      WHEN Burnley went down in May 2022 few expected them to bounce straight back.
      In fact many feared they were heading for oblivion due to the financial model set out by owners ALK Capital.
      Yet those worries were washed away as their new boss Vincent Kompany got to work.
      And, 12 months on, they are back in the Prem — after an almost breathtaking transformation.
      Kompany ripped up Sean Dyche’s long-held blueprint.

      A squad largely made up of English and Irish players was moved on.
      Kompany kicked functional football into touch and used his contacts at Manchester City and around Europe to overhaul the place last summer.
      He has been busy in this window, going back to the Etihad to sign England’s impressive Under-21 Euros keeper James Trafford.
      Kompany was linked to the Spurs and Chelsea jobs before he opted to sign a new five-year deal with the Clarets.
      Pep Guardiola thinks the Belgian is destined for his job.
      And the pair get to go head to head on Friday night at Turf Moor.
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      CHELSEA
      Dream Team MVP – Nicolas Jackson (£2.5m)
      By Andrew Dillon
      MAURICIO POCHETTINO admits there are no excuses and no time for Chelsea to pick up the slack from the shocker of last season.
      The new boss can do nothing else but back himself with such a huge rescue mission looming.
      Coming 12th was their lowest Prem finish since 1994. There will be no European football for the first time in seven years.
      A squad revamp with an addition of mainly untried rookies is a huge gamble for a club used to high expectations.
      Poch is banking on youthful ambition and energy but injuries to new man Christopher Nkunku and defender Wesley Fofana are a hammer blow.

      At least the likes of Noni Madueke will be confident. He and Levi Colwill won the Under- 21 Euros with England.
      N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, Kalidou Koulibaly, Cesar Azpilicueta, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Christian Pulisic and Edouard Mendy have all gone.
      But Poch says he took the job because he loves the risk.
      If that is true, he is in for a happy year.
      CRYSTAL PALACE
      Dream Team MVP – Eberechi Eze (£3m)
      By Jack Rosser
      CRYSTAL PALACE’S revolution is right back where it started, with Roy Hodgson.
      The manager, 76 this Wednesday, signed on for another year after returning to keep the Eagles up.
      Hodgson’s sights are higher than just 40 points and survival — he wants a top-half finish.
      New England man Eberechi Eze will be the key to hitting that lofty goal. 

      He struggled under Patrick Vieira but flourished with Hodgson and finally made his Three Lions debut in June.
      Wilfried Zaha’s decision to leave Selhurst Park opens up a vacancy for club talisman — and Eze appears to be the heir to the Palace throne.
      Jefferson Lerma, a free transfer from Bournemouth, comes into midfield, and there has been more ambition in the boardroom to invest.
      Even in the space of ten games at the end of last season, Hodgson showed his sides can be capable of attacking play when the tools are there.
      While there is still goodwill around his return with fans, the challenge is to deliver results with a flourish.
      EVERTON
      Dream Team MVP – Jordan Pickford (£3m)
      By Charlie Wyett
      EVERTON have got away with it for the last two seasons.
      So you can understand the pessimism among fans in the blue half of Merseyside, who fear this could be third time unlucky as the club continues to self-destruct.
      While most football supporters have been counting down to the new season, Everton’s faithful are dreading it.
      Since surviving on the final day of last term with a 1-0 win over Bournemouth, not much has changed.
      The club remained in a dire state cash-wise after years of overspending.
      Their decision not to exercise Conor Coady’s £4.5million option was largely a financial one.

      While picking up Ashley Young on a free and Arnaut Danjuma on loan, at the second attempt, hardly breaks the bank.
      There are still questions over the squad — so the hope is boss Sean Dyche delivers another miracle.
      Club chiefs aim to move into their new £760m stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock in early 2025. By then, it is anyone’s guess which division Everton will be in.
      FULHAM
      Dream Team MVP – Willian (£2m)
      By Jack Rosser
      MARCO SILVA worked wonders to finally shed Fulham’s yo-yo label.
      They even finished above neighbours Chelsea in tenth.
      The Cottagers fell just short of a place in Europe but their first priority will, once again, be avoiding the drop.
      There is always the danger of a second-season slump.
      And the last thing they needed was the Saudi Arabian saga concerning boss Silva AND forward Aleksandar Mitrovic.

      Mitro’s 14 Prem strikes in 2022-23 were crucial and while there were goals spread about the squad, no other player hit more than five in the league.
      Joao Palhinha was always going to attract attention after a stellar year.
      And losing winger Manor Solomon to Tottenham is a blow.
      But they have tied down left-back Antonee Robinson to a new deal and kept hold of Willian, 35, following protracted talks.
      They will also need the Raul Jimenez from his first two seasons at Wolves, when he smashed 44 goals, not the last three.
      The job is only going to get harder as Fulham look to avoid that sinking feeling again.
      LIVERPOOL
      Dream Team MVP – Mo Salah (£7m)
      By Charlie Wyett
      JURGEN KLOPP hopes his major midfield reboot can turn Liverpool back into contenders.
      The Anfield boss made changes after a hugely disappointing season saw them win nothing and finish fifth on 67 points — the lowest tally in a full season under Klopp.
      Dominik Szoboszlai has arrived for £60million from RB Leipzig, while Alexis Mac Allister joined from Brighton in a deal which could cost £52m.
      All eyes will be on how Szoboszlai adjusts to the Prem. He scored six and had eight Bundesliga assists in 2022-23 and can boost their creativity.

      James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain left for free while, for the first time since 2015, Liverpool’s attack will not feature Roberto Firmino.
      But with Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez and Mo Salah, they have plenty of options in that area.
      Liverpool are back in Europa League action for the first time since losing the final in 2016 and will be expected to go deep.
      And the May 22 final is in Dublin, where Liverpool enjoy massive support.
      LUTON
      Dream Team MVP – Carlton Morris (£2.5m)
      By Isabelle Barker
      PREM fans have been waiting for this Luton Town fairytale.
      It has been a ten-year odyssey from non-league football back to the big time.
      And, in May, the Hatters sealed a first top-flight campaign since 1991-92 by beating Coventry in the Championship play-off final.
      The fact Kenilworth Road is a century-old, 10,000-capacity old-school ground, tucked in among back alleys and gardens, only adds to the fun of it.
      Rob Edwards’ side are off to a bumpy start with their opening home Prem match postponed due to a revamp to the stadium.

      They were to host Burnley on Saturday week but now West Ham will be their first Prem visitors.
      Luton are set to move to a new 19,500-capacity ground just a mile from their current home in 2026.
      They have made signings as they prepare to face the likes of Mo Salah and Erling Haaland.
      Danish centre-back Mads Andersen has joined from Barnsley, while winger Tahith Chong arrived for £4million from Birmingham.
      And popular midfielder Marvelous Nakamba is back after a loan spell.
      MAN CITY
      Dream Team MVP – Erling Haaland (£8.5m)
      By Martin Blackburn
      THE big question now is where do Manchester City go from here?
      On a magical night in Istanbul in June, City finally lifted the trophy they coveted most.
      And Champions League glory sealed a historic Treble — with a fifth Premier League title in six seasons.
      So the test for Pep Guardiola is to have his men ready to go again when their new campaign kicks off at Burnley.
      City start as title favourites but rivals will have reasons to believe it could be the season they slip.
      Their epic run-in must have taken a lot out of the squad.

      And City’s focus could be taken off domestic matters early on by their participation in the Uefa Super Cup, then the Club World Cup in December.
      Guardiola lost two of his backroom staff after Rodo Borrell went to the US and Enzo Maresca joined Leicester.
      Skipper Ilkay Gundogan’s exit leaves a huge hole and Mateo Kovacic has big shoes to fill.
      Yet Pep has made a habit of finding new ways to win in seven years at City — and he will have spent the summer hatching a plan to do it all again.
      MAN UTD
      Dream Team MVP – Marcus Rashford (£6.5m)
      By Neil Custis
      MANCHESTER UNITED go into this season reflecting on how far they have come . . . and how far they still need to go.
      That Carabao Cup win last term was a giant step forward — their first silverware since 2017.
      Yet an FA Cup final loss to Manchester City laid bare how far behind the very best they remain.
      The fact City went on to match United’s Treble feat of 1999 only rubbed salt into the wound.
      While fans were left wondering if the takeover saga to rid the club of the unpopular Glazer family would ever end.

      Still, there were positives from Erik ten Hag’s first season after the mess of the previous 12 months.
      He has got a firm grip on the club, knows where he wants to go — and how to get there.
      Ten Hag let David de Gea go and signed Inter Milan keeper Andre Onana as well as Mason Mount from Chelsea to energise his midfield.
      But their best business was finally sorting Marcus Rashford’s new contract.
      The problem is City chief Pep Guardiola does not look ready to be knocked off his perch. 
      NEWCASTLE
      Dream Team MVP – Kieran Trippier
      By Oscar Paul
      SANDRO TONALI is the new poster boy as hope, excitement and expectation fill the Tyneside air.
      Newcastle boss Eddie Howe can do no wrong but now he must build a squad capable of fighting on four fronts, given Champions League football is back following a 20-year hiatus.
      And you better believe they will go for everything.
      The arrival of £55million midfielder Tonali, 23, from AC Milan was an early warning the Saudi-owned Magpies mean business.
      The Gennaro Gattuso-like terrier’s best years are ahead of him.
      And the prospect of seeing him in midfield alongside Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton has fans salivating.

      The Toon Army will also hope local lad Elliot Anderson, 20, gets the chance to demonstrate he is the real deal.
      Up top, Callum Wilson is still deadly while Alexander Isak will be a threat.
      Anthony Gordon could fly into the campaign after being named the best player at the Under-21 Euros.
      Harvey Barnes can also provide the scoring threat from wide areas the fans have been craving.
      NOTTINGHAM FOREST
      Dream Team MVP – Morgan Gibbs-White (£3m)
      By Graeme Bryce
      AFTER the euphoria of last season’s bonkers Prem return, you might think Steve Cooper would welcome a season of steady progress.
      But do not bank on it.
      Premier League snobs sneered when the new boys chucked cash around like Jack Grealish on a night out in Ibiza.
      In total, boss Cooper was presented with 30 new signings across two frenetic transfer windows.
      What is overlooked is he also had to contend with 45 separate injuries.

      Yet he pulled it all together — like an expert cocktail maker — to produce an intoxicating brew which knocked everyone’s socks off.
      He may not have as many ingredients this time but signing Anthony Elanga from Manchester United looks a smart deal.
      And with classy Morgan Gibbs-White pulling the strings, Forest will fear no one at their City Ground fortress.
      The key to whether they thrive, instead of simply survive, is can they finally crack the code of how to win on the road?
      SHEFFIELD UNITED
      Dream Team MVP – Anel Ahmedhodzic (£2m)
      By Oscar Paul
      FEW Sheffield United fans hold out much hope of repeating their first-season heroics from four years ago.
      Bamboozling the Prem with funky overlapping centre-backs, the Blades finished ninth following promotion.
      This time? Take 17th now and run. Cash is tight amid takeover uncertainty, with boss Paul Heckingbottom eyeing loans and free agents due to a limited budget of around £20million.
      The squad is almost identical to the one relegated after that miracle 2019-20 term under Chris Wilder.

      Question marks hang over strikers Oli McBurnie and Rhian Brewster, who hit ONE goal in 50 outings between them when they went down.
      Norwegian Sander Berge offers class in midfield alongside Oliver Norwood but they will badly miss Manchester City loanees Tommy Doyle and James McAtee.
      Anel Ahmedhodzic proved a good addition at the back beside John Egan and Chris Basham.
      Three of their first four games are at Bramall Lane — so a fast start is vital for the Blades.
      TOTTENHAM
      Dream Team MVP – James Maddison (£4m)
      By Tom Barclay
      OPERATION ‘make fans fall in love with Spurs again’ starts now for Ange Postecoglou.
      Supporters were bored stiff at times by the dull fare served up by predecessors Antonio Conte, Nuno Espirito Santo and Jose Mourinho.
      New man Postecoglou has promised football that will excite — music to the ears of the regulars in N17.
      The back three Conte was so wedded to is set to be axed for 4-3-3 and a playmaker has finally arrived in the form of £40million James Maddison.
      Keeper Guglielmo Vicario — signed from Serie A side Empoli — may not be a household name over here but glowing reports from Italy suggest he could be one day.

      Dejan Kulusevski was snapped up from Juventus permanently for £25m, while Harry Winks left for Leicester.
      And free transfer Manor Solomon adds another option on the wing.
      Ex-Celtic chief Postecoglou, 57, is known for being a builder of teams.
      That is why Spurs need the Aussie — regardless of the Harry Kane saga — due to the mess left by Conte which sees them out of Europe.
      Fans do not expect instant success . . . just a chance to enjoy some g’days again.
      WEST HAM
      Dream Team MVP – Jarrod Bowen (£4.5m)
      By Jordan Davies
      TEARY-EYED and wistful, West Ham must move on.
      Not a man, woman nor child had dry cheeks that June night in Prague when Declan Rice lifted the Europa Conference League trophy on his final outing for the club.
      The fans knew it was their captain’s way of saying goodbye — now his name will be chanted by Arsenal supporters at the Emirates.
      But this is no time for the Hammers to bask in what has been and gone. This season, more than ever, is a chance to push on.

      David Moyes will not survive another woeful start, regardless of his new place among the list of all-time great West Ham managers.
      With another Europa League journey to contend with, a top-ten finish should be the aim but that requires this side’s usually reliable faces to step up in Rice’s absence.
      Jarrod Bowen needs to recapture the net-bulging touch. Nayef Aguerd needs to stay fit at the back. Lucas Paqueta needs to sparkle.
      Rice is gone but hope remains in East London.
      WOLVES
      Dream Team MVP – Jose Sa (£3m)
      By Graeme Bryce
      THERE were plenty of moans and groans at Molineux last season.
      And that was before pundit Gary Lineker was hilariously upstaged by a blue-movie soundtrack during Wolves’ FA Cup replay with Liverpool!
      But having flopped early on under Bruno Lage, Wolves rediscovered their mojo with Julen Lopetegui when the top flight returned after the World Cup. 
      At that point they were rock bottom — but ended up 13th.
      Boss Lopetegui boosted his limited options with a few key January deals.
      Unlike Leicester, Wolves managed to live with the fact stars Joao Moutinho and skipper Ruben Neves already knew they were set to leave in the summer.

      Mario Lemina added steel to midfield and Craig Dawson tightened things up in defence, where Max Kilman shone.
      Old favourite Matt Doherty is back but another one, Raul Jimenez, has gone.
      It remains to be seen if Matheus Cunha can provide the goals Wolves desperately need.
      Qualifying for Europe looks a tall order but Lopetegui should keep them up for another term.
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      Luton back in the top flight it’s… UNBELIEVABLE JEFF
      WHEN Luton were last in the top flight, Chris Kamara was right in the middle of a survival scrap.The much-loved pundit and sidekick of Jeff Stelling was pictured squaring up to Notts County’s Paul Harding in the final match of the 1991-92 season.Luton lost it 2-1 and were promptly relegated, missing out on the first season of the Premier League.Now 31 years on, the Hatters are back in the promised land.That fateful day in May ’92 brought to an end a ten-year stay in the top flight which saw Luton regularly defy the odds.From Raddy Antic’s survival- securing goal to David Pleat’s dancing and, later, Brian Stein’s League Cup winner, it was a period of success played out in a quirky ground on a plastic pitch.And it helped turn the likes of Ricky Hill and Mick Harford (left) into household names and England internationals.Now the current crop have a chance to make their own Hatters history. More

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      Who is Manchester City and England star Demi Stokes and why is she not playing at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World cup?

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      DEMI Stokes has risen to fame through her football career.The Manchester City star has carved out quite the career, but why isn’t she at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World cup?
      Demi plays for Manchester CityCredit: Getty
      Who is Manchester City and England star Demi Stokes?
      Demi Stoke is best known for being a Manchester City and England footballer.
      She plays as a left-back and previously played for Sunderland in the English FA Women’s Premier League.
      In June 2022 Stokes was included in the England squad which won the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022.
      She was also selected in the Great Britain women’s Olympic football team for the 2020 Olympics.
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      Stokes was just eight-years-old when her football career began, joining Sunderland’s youth academy before playing in the first team at 16.
      She is in a relationship with Katie Harrington, with he couple getting engaged and having a baby in 2022.
      Why is Demi Stokes not playing at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup?
      Demi has explained that the reason she is not at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is due to injury.
      Talking to the Sunderland Echo, she said: “You have to be honest and from Christmas onwards, I really struggled with injury.
      Most read in Football
      “I was either ill or injured. I just couldn’t catch a break, to be honest, but I always say that there’s a silver lining in things.
      “When you go through hardship you have to look for a positive and not everything is doom and gloom.
      “There’s a silver lining and that’s me being able to be home and spend time with my family which is another thing that makes me happy.”
      She added: “I am gutted to miss out but I wouldn’t have been ready and I wouldn’t have been fit and I wouldn’t have been at my best self to help the team.
      “But I am excited to watch my teammates play and thrive so it is still exciting times.”
      When did Demi Stokes first appear for England and how many caps has she won?
      Demi made her England debut back in 2009 when she played for England under-19 when she won the 2009 UEFA Women’s Under-19 Championship in Belarus.
      She first appeared for the main England squad in 2014 and currently has 69 caps. More

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      Premier League clubs will pray Erling Haaland suffers from second season syndrome… rival strikers aren’t at his level

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      WHAT chance is there of Erling Haaland being struck down by a case of ‘second-season syndrome’?On the eve of the Premier League’s big kick-off, that is the wishful thinking of Manchester City’s potential title rivals as Pep Guardiola’s men bid to become the first team to be crowned champions of England for four consecutive seasons.
      Premier League fans will be hoping for Haaland to suffer from second season syndrome… But that does not look likelyCredit: Getty
      Because if Haaland keeps on doing Haaland things — and in his maiden campaign at the Etihad, he netted 35 league goals in 32 appearances — there is surely no hope for the chasing pack.
      City already boasted the strongest squad and the most inventive manager in the top flight before last summer but after they added the finest young finisher in world football, the Treble was theirs.
      Tomorrow night, Haaland heads to Burnley — no longer the ‘trip to the dentist’ Guardiola regarded it during Sean Dyche’s reign — having flopped in Sunday’s Community Shield, just as he did in the corresponding fixture last year.
      Yet he scored both of City’s goals on his Premier League debut at West Ham the following weekend and, by the end of August, he had already netted back-to-back hat-tricks.
      READ MORE ON FOOTBALL
      Haaland ended City’s all-conquering campaign with his longest barren run in club football since he was a teenager at Molde in 2018 — yet he collected three major trophies during that five-match drought.
      The mighty Norseman is well liked by his City team-mates but on the training ground and especially during matches, his attitude is described by one team-mate as “chilling”.
      It is not usually difficult to ascertain the form of a striker by his mood in training — when they are banging in the goals they are all smiles but, if they are going through a drought, they tend to be irritable or downright angry.
      But 23-year-old Haaland is different.
      Most read in Football

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      His colleagues will tell you that whether he’s netted a hat-trick or fired a rare blank in his previous match, the Norwegian never shows it.
      While there have been suggestions that Guardiola’s team might lack prime motivation levels having secured the Treble, nobody at City believes 6ft 5in Haaland will ease up.
      He has so many obvious physical attributes — pace, strength, ball-striking — but it is the evenness of his temperament which team-mates believe sets him apart.
      And none of City’s major rivals go into the new campaign with a settled first-choice centre-forward able to rival him.
      Arsenal — for all their impressive summer business and the confidence from their Community Shield victory — do not possess an elite goalscorer.
      Gabriel Jesus was rarely employed as a No 9 by Guardiola at City, even when the Etihad boss did not have an authentic centre-forward.
      The Brazilian, 26, will miss the start of Arsenal’s campaign with a knee injury and Kai Havertz, who led the line at Wembley on Sunday, squandered a couple of excellent chances.
      Havertz is an intelligent player with a satin touch but he is no goal machine — netting 19 times in 91 Premier League appearances for Chelsea.
      The 24-year-old German was Chelsea’s top scorer with just seven last term and no Blues player has scored more than 16 in a league season since Diego Costa six years ago.
      Of this summer’s new recruits, Christopher Nkunku, 25, is already facing a lengthy lay-off after knee surgery, leaving 22-year-old Nicolas Jackson — with 12 goals for Villarreal last season — as Mauricio Pochettino’s attacking spearhead.
      Manchester United have spent £72million on 20-year-old Danish striker Rasmus Hojlund, who scored just nine Serie A goals for Atalanta last season.
      That may be an upgrade on Wout Weghorst but Erik ten Hag’s men — having refused to make a move for Harry Kane — will be over-reliant on the goals of Marcus Rashford cutting in from the left.
      Newcastle have two decent centre- forward options in Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak.
      But Eddie Howe has been unsure which man to deploy down the middle, with Swede Isak, 23, often used out wide.
      Kane is the only world class forward outside of Haaland in the Premier League… But may leave for BayernCredit: Getty
      With a goal every 105 minutes, 31-year-old Wilson came closer than any other top-flight player to Haaland’s strike rate of one every 77 minutes but Isak is expected to take over as Howe’s first-choice centre-forward. Liverpool’s problems are largely in defence and midfield, with Jurgen Klopp boasting a potent clutch of forwards.
      Mo Salah is a three-time Golden Boot winner but the 31-year-old Egyptian went through the least impressive of his six seasons at Anfield last term.
      Klopp needs a big season from Darwin Nunez, 24, the Uruguayan who netted nine times in his maiden Premier League campaign.
      Kane, 30, is the only other genuine world-class centre-forward in the Premier League but he may leave Tottenham for Bayern Munich.
      Read More on The Sun
      Even when he bagged 30 goals last season, Spurs finished a distant eighth in the title race.
      So perhaps the best hope for City’s rivals is that Haaland might suffer a lengthy layoff — at which point Guardiola will call for 23-year-old Julian Alvarez, the first-choice centre-forward for world champions Argentina… More

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      Man City star Jack Grealish leaves new £200k Lamborghini on double-yellow line for 4 hours

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      MAN City party boy Jack Grealish left his new £200,000 Lamborghini on double-yellow lines for four hours.The England star’s flash motor blocked the pavement while he and girlfriend Sasha Attwood went out for a fancy dinner.
      Jack Grealish left his new £200,000 Lamborghini on double-yellow lines for four hoursCredit: Eamonn and James Clarke
      Grealish’s flash motor blocked the pavement while he and girlfriend Sasha Attwood went out for a fancy dinnerCredit: Eamonn and James Clarke
      Three traffic wardens did nothing to move the car but issued a Penalty Charge NoticeCredit: Eamonn and James Clarke
      Three traffic wardens were seen stood around the Performante Urus — customised in City’s sky blue — but seemingly did nothing to move on the car, which forced any passing wheelchair users into the road.
      A source at the scene near The Ivy in Manchester on Tuesday said: “It’s madness.
      “They checked out the car, then wandered off for ten minutes and when they came back, Jack was returning to his car.”
      Grealish and Sasha, both 27, drove off, heading to their £6million Cheshire mansion.
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      But the star, who earns in the region of £230,000 a week at Man City, has been blasted by disability campaigners for his selfish parking antics.
      Alison Kerry, of disability equality charity Scope, said: “When cars park on pavements, it makes life difficult for disabled people.
      “It can leave them with no choice but to go on to the road, which can be dangerous.
      “It’s important drivers are considerate when parking.”
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      Grealish splashed out on the new Lamborghini after helping City win the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League treble last season.
      Celebrity car customiser Yianni Charalambous got the motor in shape for its new owner, and posted online at the time: “It’s going to look great on the training ground.”
      Grealish was seen driving it for the first time last week.
      After being contacted by The Sun yesterday, a council spokesman said: “We can confirm this motorist was issued a Penalty Charge Notice at 11.02pm on August 8.”
      Grealish’s representatives were also approached for comment.
      Grealish and Sasha drove off to their £6million Cheshire mansionCredit: Instagram More

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      Phil Foden involved in X-rated row with Pep Guardiola.. before Man City boss APOLOGISED to England midfielder

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      DETAILS have emerged of a furious X-rated rant between Phil Foden and Pep Guardiola.Foden, 23, is expected to play a bigger role for City this season, after both Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez left the club.
      Details have emerged of an argument between Pep Guardiola and Phil FodenCredit: Reuters
      The young England star is expected to step either into Mahrez’s right-wing spot or play more centrally in the midfield, a position he has long coveted.
      And now The Telegraph have revealed details of an argument that proved to be a turning point between Guardiola and Foden, where the City manager realised he could trust Foden as a more senior player.
      The row took place during a Champions League tie with Porto, when Foden was criticised by Pep for not taking a free-kick in the precise way he demanded.
      Guardiola scolded him from the touchline, saying: “F****** hell Phil! F****** hell!
      READ MORE MAN CITY
      “You haven’t done what I said!”
      Foden carried the grudge after the game and was fully dressed before some of his team-mates had even arrived back in the dressing room.
      When Pep arrived in the changing rooms, an angry Foden was reportedly at the exit door and told him: “Don’t ever do that to me again!”
      He followed that up by saying: “You wouldn’t do that to other players.”
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      It is claimed Guardiola apologised profusely for his actions the next day, calling a team-meeting to apologise to Foden in front of his players and paid a self-imposed fine into the players’ kitty.
      Privately though, Guardiola was impressed with Foden’s ability to stand up for himself.
      Aged just 20 then, it marked the moment that Foden had gone from being a youth player to a man.
      This upcoming season looks to be a make or break one for Foden to cement a place in Guardiola’s starting XI.
      With Mahrez and Gundogan leaving, two places in the XI where Foden can operate have opened up.
      But he will face competition, Mateo Kovacic was signed to fill the Gundogan-shaped hole in City’s midfield and the club have been linked with a move for Michael Olise to cover Mahrez’s spot.
      His 32 appearances last season were the most he has made in a City shirt but he is still not an assured starter in the side.
      The midfielder was left on the bench on Sunday for City’s Community Shield defeat to Arsenal and only came on in the 58th minute.
      He will be hoping to nail down a place throughout the 2023-24 campaign. More

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      Man City make shock £70m transfer of West Ham midfielder.. but Hammers insists he is NOT for sale

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      MANCHESTER CITY have launched a shock £70million bid for West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta.City are in the market for a playmaker having lost Riyad Mahrez and Ilkay Gundogan this summer.
      Lucas Paqueta is linked with Man CityCredit: Getty
      Chelsea’s Mateo Kovacic has already been drafted in but Pep Guardiola has now set his sights on Brazil star Paqueta.
      However, West Ham insist he will NOT be sold this summer.
      Paqueta became the London club’s record signing in 2022, joining from Lyon for £53m.
      And the Hammers say City’s current £70m offer is “unacceptable”.
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      Paqueta has £85m release clause, which City are unlikely to match despite reports the player is keen on a switch.
      Paqueta scored five in 43 games last season, helping David Moyes’ side to the Europa Conference League trophy.
      West Ham do not need the money from a potential deal as they already have £105m to play with after selling Declan Rice to Arsenal.
      And as revealed by SunSport, they have agreed a £35m deal for Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez.
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      Mexican Alvarez, 25, is seen as a direct replacement for Rice – and is expected to fly to London in the to complete his medical.
      While the Hammers finally agreed £30m deals for Manchester United defender Harry Maguire and Southampton playmaker James Ward-Prowse on Wednesday morning.
      They have also been strongly linked with Maguire’s United team-mate Scott McTominay.

      And City will hope the influx of midfielders may help the Hammers change their stance on Paqueta.
      West Ham are confident Alvarez will be available to face Bournemouth in their Premier League opener on Saturday should there be no issues with his medical in East London.
      But they may have to wait for Maguire and Ward-Prowse deals to be completed.
      Edson Alvarez is close to signing for West HamCredit: Rex More

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      Barcelona ‘launch joint loan transfer bid for TWO Man City stars’ just days before Premier League opener

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      BARCELONA have launched a joint loan bid for TWO Manchester City stars just days before the Premier League is about to kick off.Spanish outlet Sport report that Barcelona are “very interested” in acquiring both Bernardo Silva and Joao Cancelo ahead of their season opener against Getafe this Sunday.
      City do not want to lose Bernardo Silva this summerCredit: Getty
      But Cancelo could be attainable for BarcelonaCredit: Getty
      The Catalan club hold a long standing interest in both players.
      Barca pushed hard to sign Silva last season when it looked as though the midfielder would leave the Etihad.
      In Cancelo’s case, Barcelona tried to sign him in January after the full-back fell out with manager Pep Guardiola, but he ultimately joined Bayern Munich on loan.
      Barcelona are set for a cash injection once Ousmane Dembele’s transfer to PSG is completed and view the Manchester City players as an ideal way to reinvest the cash.
      READ MORE ON FOOTBALL
      Both Cancelo and Silva have operated in Dembele’s vacant right-wing position in the past but it is likely that Silva would play in Barca’s midfield three and Cancelo would play his preferred role of right-back.
      The report says that Barcelona would include a mandatory buy clause of £60million at the end of Silva’s loan deal.
      Silva’s City contract is set to expire in the summer of 2025.
      Sport say that City while City are open to letting Cancelo leave the club, they are not interested in selling Silva, particularly having already lost Riyad Mahrez this summer.
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      City have been linked with Palace’s Michael Olise and Rennes’ Jeremy Doku as they look to replace Mahrez – but Silva has operated off the right-wing in the past and started there during Sunday’s Community shield defeat to Arsenal.
      Cancelo, though, is free to leave the club and has reportedly already agreed personal terms with Barca.
      City will look to bounce back from Sunday’s penalty shootout defeat against Arsenal when they kick off their Premier League campaign away at Burnley on Friday night. More

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      Dream Team 2023/24: Manchester City’s best players, bargain options & potential flops

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      THE new Dream Team season gets underway this week!Almost every gaffer will want to start Gameweek 1 with multiple Manchester City players in their XI.
      Pep Guardiola’s side racked up mountains of points on their way to a treble in 2022/23 but with so many viable options it can be difficult to strike upon the perfect balance.

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      Class is permanentCredit: DREAM TEAM
      Here we’ve assembled the defending champions’ absolute best players, bargains options and potential flops.
      BEST PLAYERS
      Let’s not pretend Erling Haaland (£8.5m) isn’t the blindingly obvious candidate to top this category.
      Last season the Norwegian poacher became just the second man to ever achieve 400+ Dream Team points in a single season.
      He’s comfortably the most-expensive player in the game this time around but even so his ownership is a monstrous 84.7%.
      Good luck to the 15.3% of gaffers prepared to go without Haaland, you’re going to need it.
      Every year Kevin De Bruyne (£7m) is among the most-expensive assets in the game and every year he’s worth it.
      Fizzing crosses, rasping shots, pinpoint passes… the brilliant Belgian is the kind of midfielder a mad scientist would grow in a laboratory.
      Had the new scoring system been implemented last season, KDB would have amassed 331 points – enough said.
      Stones was excellent at the back end of 2022/23Credit: GETTY
      A timely reminder that John Stones (£5m) may well be a Dream Team cheat code this season.
      The England international is classified as a defender but it’s likely he’ll play his fair share of minutes in the hybrid role he fulfilled so impressively post-World Cup.
      If Stones is to play alongside Rodri (£4m) in Guardiola’s 3-2-4-1 system then he will be more likely to acquire points related to midfield duties while also directly benefiting from clean sheets.
      BARGAIN OPTIONS
      Such is City’s pedigree, even their semi-regulars start with moderately costly price tags.
      While genuine bargains are nonexistent, there may still be value for money to be had at the Etihad.
      For example, Manuel Akanji (£4.5m) is a full £1million cheaper than Ruben Dias (£5.5m) and may well match the Portuguese centre-back’s tally.
      So much more than an understudyCredit: GETTY
      It may surprise some gaffers to learn that Julian Alvarez (£4m) would have finished on 227 points last season had the new scoring system been applied.
      The World Cup winner spends a lot time of the bench but he’s made the most of his minutes on the pitch and the fact he’ll start the campaign cheaper than Ollie Watkins (£4.5m) and Callum Wilson (£4.5m) represents potential value.
      For those impressed by his Community Shield finish, Cole Palmer (£2m) is very cheap but it would be a bold move to back the 21-year-old from the get-go.
      POTENTIAL FLOPS
      The words ‘flop’ and ‘Man City’ don’t go together in the realm of Dream Team but that doesn’t mean gaffers can just select any player and expect healthy returns.
      Kalvin Phillips (£2m) will be hopeful of more opportunities this season but the gulf in quality between him and Rodri has been unavoidable in recent times.
      Kovacic is an excellent player but there are better options in Dream TeamCredit: REX
      Mateo Kovacic (£3m) is a very fine footballer but he doesn’t have the same eye for goal Ilkay Gundogan displayed in his final seasons under Guardiola.
      The Croatian technician may have an inviting price for a Man City midfielder but there are better options in his range – Eberechi Eze (£3m), Moussa Diaby (£3m), Bruno Guimaraes (£3m) for three.
      Finally, please be aware that Kyle Walker (£3.5m) may be on his way out – his current ownership of 9.9% is very high.
      In fact, even if the speedy right-back stays, he tends not to earn the points some think his performances deserve – he would have mustered a moderate 138 last season in the new scoring system.

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