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    ‘Should be a ban’ – Fans fuming as Pep wildy celebrates Man City goal in front of Liverpool stars Tsimikas and Melo

    FANS have been left fuming with Pep Guardiola after he celebrated a goal in front of Liverpool’s Arthur Melo and Kostas Tsimikas.The Manchester City manager went crazy after Julian Alvarez cancelled out Mo Salah’s opener at the Etihad Stadium.

    Pep Guardiola celebrated in front of the Liverpool substitutesCredit: Twitter: @Rioferdy
    Kostas Tsimikas did not look impressed as he walked pastCredit: Getty
    Pep even shook Arthur Melo’s hand during the celebrationsCredit: Getty
    As Pep jumped and fist pumped to the home crowd, he then turned to a disappointed Tsimikas and appeared to ask for a high five.
    The Spaniard then excitedly offered a handshake to on-loan midfielder Melo.
    The Brazilian shook his hand before Pep then continued his celebrations aimed at the fans.
    But it did not go down well with supporters who spotted the incident during the first half of City’s 4-1 win.
    READ MORE ON LIVERPOOL
    One tweeted: “Should be a ban.”
    A second commented: “Imagine this being Arteta or Klopp even…. The amount of s**t they would get for it would be unbelievable.”
    A third wrote: “Bloke deserves a slap. If this was certain other managers, we wouldn’t hear the end of it.”
    A fourth said: “Disrespectful.”
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    While a fifth added: “He’s embarrassing. Good on Tsimi for keeping cool.”
    The goal proved to be the catalyst for City as in the second half they powered ahead.
    Kevin de Bruyne put his side ahead before İlkay Gündoğan added a third.
    Man of the match Jack Grealish rounded off the scoring with a tidy finish as Man City keep the pressure on table toppers Arsenal, who were playing Leeds later. More

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    Inside Jack Grealish’s staggering fortune as Man City star’s full earnings are revealed

    ENGLAND footballer Jack Grealish is on target to make a £100million fortune before the age of 30.The Manchester City midfielder recently signed the most lucrative boot sponsorship deal in Britain, teaming up with German sportswear giant Puma for a reputed £10million a year.
    Jack Grealish pictured with model girlfriend Sasha Attwood has amassed a huge fortuneCredit: instagram
    Jack signed a £10 million deal with high end fashion firm GucciCredit:
    And industry insiders claim 27-year-old Grealish could soon be earning close to £1million a week thanks to his exploits on and off the field and his huge following.
    Grealish became the most expensive footballer in British football history when he joined City from Aston Villa for a £100million fee and wages of £300,000 a week in 2021.
    He lifted the Premier League title with Pep Guardiola’s team in his first season and a host of lucrative endorsements have followed.
    The down-to-earth Brummie has signed a £10million deal with Gucci and a sponsorship contract with boohooMan estimated at being worth around £1million.
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    It is understood razor brand Gillette is also eyeing up Jack to join their stable of global sporting personalities.
    A source close to Grealish said: “The staff at City were stunned to learn how much the Puma deal is worth to Jack and are really chuffed for him.
    “We have joked he is now the million dollar man. We reckon he must already be pulling down close to £750,000 a week in wages and commercial stuff — the sky really is the limit for Jack now he is entering his peak years.”
    The Sun revealed last year how City’s tills were also ringing after they had signed Grealish.
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    Youngsters wearing his trademark headband and star-struck teenage girls are visiting City’s Etihad stadium in an attempt to get a glimpse of their idol.
    Our City source added: “Jack is a licence to print money.
    “He will earn £86million in wages over the lifetime of his City deal but all the commercial stuff puts him in another league from most footballers.”
    Grealish recently said of his £200,000-a-week Puma deal: “They are a brand that’s really caught my eye in the last few years.
    “Especially recently, the collabs they are doing with other brands — the people they have on board now in NBA, F1 and football — it’s really eye-catching and it was a no-brainer for me.”
    In November last year, we told how Jack had spent £6million on a seven-bedroom mansion within 20 acres of the Cheshire countryside.
    Jack’s girlfriend, Sasha Attwood, 27, has also bagged several lucrative sponsorship deals since moving to Manchester with her fella.
    Sasha, who started dating Jack while at school in Birmingham, has signed with Elite Model Management and has built up a huge online social media following.
    Jack recently signed the most lucrative boot sponsorship deal in Britain with PumaCredit:
    Jack made a £100 million transfer from Aston Villa to Manchester City in 2021Credit: Getty
    The footballer also signed a six-figure deal with fashion brand boohooManCredit: BOOHOO
    Jack’s girlfriend Sasha has signed several big money modelling deals of her own
    The England World Cup star is described as a license to print moneyCredit: Getty More

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    Premier League clubs spend record £318MILLION in agents’ fees with Man City splashing out more than double title rivals

    PREM clubs splashed a staggering £318,219,426 on agents’ fees in the last year.The spending spree – from February 1, 2022 to January 31, 2023 – is a record amount in a 12-month period and is up £46m on last year.
    Here’s how much each Premier League club spent on agent fees
    Manchester City paid more on agency fees overal than they spent for Erling HaalandCredit: PA
    Chelsea rank behind Manchester City, who top the findingsCredit: Getty
    Champions Manchester City topped the charts with £51.6m – £200,000 more than they paid Borussia Dortmund for Norwegian goal machine Erling Haaland last summer.
    Around £35m was paid to agents in the Haaland deal alone.
    Chelsea, who made 21 permanent signings under new American owner Todd Boehly, adding Denis Zakaria and Joao Felix on loan – were the next big spenders on £43.2m.
    Liverpool were third highest with £33.7m while Manchester United splashed out £24.7m.
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    Arsenal and Tottenham follow with £16.7m and £16.1m respectively.
    Nottingham Forest signed a whopping 30 players across both transfer windows but rank last as they spent £4.4m on agent fees.
    The figures, released by the FA today, include payments and transactions involving agents and intermediaries registered in England.
    It covers transfers and loans going in and out of the clubs as well updated contracts, new registrations and scholarship applications.
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    By comparison, the 24 Championship clubs spent just £36.3m – £8m down on the last accounts.
    Norwich were the leaders in the second tier with £4.4m, followed by Watford (£4.3m) and Burnley (£4.1m).
    In League One, the total amount was £5.7m, and £1.67m in League Two.
    Wrexham, who are owned by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, dwarfed every club in the National League with their fees of £163,737.
    Liverpool are third on the list after landing players like Darwin NunezCredit: Getty
    Manchester United rank fourth after signing stars like CasemiroCredit: Getty More

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    Arsenal great Ray Parlour explains why Mikel Arteta can win title and where transfer target Declan Rice needs to improve

    ARSENAL legend Ray Parlour believes his former club will win the Premier League because Manchester City may focus on other competition.The Gunners are top of the table with eight points separating them from second-placed City, who have a game in hand.
    Arsenal can win the Premier League title, claims club legend Ray ParlourCredit: Getty
    Arsenal legend Parlour believes Manchester City prefer the Champions LeagueCredit: The Sun
    Parlour, who won three titles with the North Londoners, believes manager Mikel Arteta can lead his team all the way to the trophy.
    That is because the reigning Prem champions will be preoccupied with the FA Cup and the Champions League, which remains the only major honour that still evades them.
    The former England international loves how Arsenal are playing and advised them to enjoy the challenge as that will help them win more matches and apply more pressure on City.
    Parlour told SunSport: “Well, there certainly is a long way to go. And I’ve always tried to play it down a little bit because the pressure will build on Arsenal because that’s what happens when they’re six or seven games to go but all they can do – and I know it’s a cliche – just keep playing the way you are. Enjoy it.
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    “And again, it’s a young team, so they look a little bit fearless at times. I know Man City beat them at the Emirates and the [Manchester] United game wasn’t great, but even then they had a few chances in the first half.
    “So all I can say is Mikel Arteta has got it really going. What I like about their play now is when they lose the ball they’re trying to win it back quickly. A little bit like City do sometimes, so I think they could do it. I really do.
    “I mean, Man City are gonna have the FA Cup. They’re gonna have the Champions League, which I think deep down Pep Guardiola really wants that Champions League for the club.
    “So hopefully that takes their mind off it a little bit and they’ve got a tricky game against Bayern Munich now with [Thomas] Tuchel going in. So I think Arsenal have a big game at the weekend with Leeds United at home fighting to avoid relegation.
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    “So if you’re getting another three points, it starts putting a little bit more pressure on Manchester City and we know that game against [Crystal] Palace was a big one because Man City didn’t play and went into the international break with an eight-point gap. You know that sometimes mentally that’s really good for you.”
    Arsenal are focused on the Premier League title race, but are also keeping an eye on the summer transfer window with West Ham superstar Declan Rice a top target.
    Parlour insists Rice would be a perfect fit for Arteta’s midfield if the Gunners manage to win the bidding war against the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea.
    However, the former midfielder insists the England international still needs to improve and has to learn to get forward “a little bit more”.
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    West Ham star Declan Rice will have to learn to get forward, claims ParlourCredit: Getty
    Parlour added: “Declan is a super player, we saw him play for England the other night [against Italy] and he was brilliant again as he scored a goal.
    “But yeah, sometimes you have to get forward a little bit more because I always think [when it comes to] holding midfielders there’ll be occasions in a game where you do get past your other midfielder and it’s just a bit of common sense for me that the other midfielder fills in for you.
    “That’s what I used to do when we played for Arsenal, because you know, not everybody’s got a set position at times, you’ll see yourself in a different part of the pitch.
    “And that’s where the other team-mates have got to say, ‘Right, he’s out of position there but we fill in for him and then there’s no problem’. So I think Declan Rice definitely can get forward a little bit more.
    “At any team he goes into he would make them stronger, so if Arsenal have got a chance to maybe buy Declan Rice, especially if they can win the league this year, that would be a fantastic signing.
    Read More on The Sun
    “But I’m sure there’s a big queue of people waiting to see where he’s going in the summer.”
    Ray Parlour was speaking to The Sun on behalf of Fairplay. Fairplay is a peer to peer, free to use betting app which is revolutionising the way people wager, collect and distribute funds. More

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    Man Utd legend Andy Cole makes bold Premier League title prediction and reckons Arsenal will get ‘schooled’

    ANDY COLE has blasted Arsenal’s chances in the Premier League title race and tipped Man City to prevail.Speaking on the Filthy Fellas channel on YouTube, the former Manchester United striker gave a strong warning to the Gunners.
    Andy Cole has given Arsenal a warningCredit: Getty
    Cole revealed how Sir Alex Ferguson would look at the title raceCredit: Getty
    Arsenal currently sit top of the table, with 69 points from 28 games.
    Second-placed Manchester City are only eight points behind, and have a game in hand.
    Cole, who won five Premier League titles under manager Sir Alex Ferguson, didn’t hold back on his assessment of Arsenal’s chances.
    He said “I still think Manchester City will win it [league title].
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    “You are what, eight clear? The way Liverpool have been inconsistent, then I can see Man City winning [in this weekend’s clash]”
    He was asked if he’d change his prediction if Liverpool beat Manchester City at the Etihad on Saturday.
    He replied “Then Arsenal [for the title], yeah, yeah. But then Arsenal need to go to the Etihad and Anfield!”
    “Every time I have seen Arsenal play Manchester City, they have schooled Arsenal. I mean schooled.”
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    He then quoted his former manager, Sir Alex, saying “When I was playing, the manager (Sir Alex) always used to say to us, ‘The season doesn’t get started until Easter’.”
    “That’s when you dropped points. If Arsenal come through that period, because there are mad games during that time, if they come through that dropping three or four points, then yeah [they’ll win the league].”
    Arsenal have been without a league title since the 2003-04 season, which could give the team a boost to win.
    However, it also makes them less experienced compared to Man City, who have Pep Guardiola as manager.
    The Spaniard has won four of the past five English top-division trophies, making him no stranger to a title race.
    Man City are also yet to lose to Arsenal in the Premier League since 2015, making them favourites when they meet on 26 April.
    Arsenal play Liverpool before that on 9 April at Anfield. More

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    John Stones vows to play until he’s 40 as he makes most of second chance at Man City under Pep Guardiola

    JOHN STONES would love to make the most of his second chance — by playing on at Manchester City until he is 40.The England centre-back’s time at the Etihad looked to be over when he lost his place in Pep Guardiola’s side in the summer of 2020.
    John Stones has had a career resurgence under Pep Guardiola after looking like he was out in the cold three years agoCredit: Getty
    The centre-back has already won four Premier League titles under PepCredit: News Group Nrewspapers Ltd
    Yet he is back at the heart of the champions’ defence — and looking to make history in what could be a thrilling end to the season.
    It all starts with the visit of old rivals Liverpool tomorrow, when City will be aiming to keep themselves firmly in the title race.
    Stones, 28, could have been forgiven for fearing days like these had gone for good when he slipped out of Guardiola’s first-choice team three years ago.
    The manager picked wantaway Eric Garcia ahead of him for key games — and a few months later paid what was then a club-record £64.5million to sign Ruben Dias.
    READ MORE PREMIER LEAGUE
    Guardiola strongly hinted that Stones may be allowed to go that summer — but the defender was determined not to give up without a fight.
    He knuckled down and won his place back and is looking to be part of a City team that makes history.
    Stones said: “This is home for me now and has been for seven years — I would love to play here for as long as I can. I would even love to finish at 40 if I could.
    “The time when I was out of the side was hard. I didn’t want to leave first and foremost. I didn’t want to give up.
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    “I’ve always been a fighter from when I had setbacks in age groups because they said I was too small.
    “I wanted to stay true to myself and show — not anyone in particular, but myself — that I could do it.
    “I believe I am here for a reason and I am good enough.
    “That seems a while ago now but I’m really proud of myself for what I did and what I’m doing now.

    “I’m trying to go from strength to strength. I want to achieve everything I can . . . trophies, make history.”
    Some might say he has done that already — as Stones is one of several players at the club to already have four Prem title medals in his back pocket.
    The former Everton defender has also lifted five domestic cups with City — but says the feeling in the dressing room is that they are by no means finished.
    Stones told Arab News: “We definitely want to be remembered among the great teams of the past.
    “I think we have already done that with some of the milestones we’ve achieved. I’d love to be in this club’s history — and go down as maybe the best-ever team.
    “That comes with time, though, and you don’t really think about that when you are in the moment.
    “It happens after you finish and I will always give 110 per cent to the team, to myself — and hopefully that shows out on the pitch.”
    But to have any chance of being remembered in those terms, City will have to end their long wait for a Champions League trophy.
    Stones has been part of the journey that took them agonisingly close in the last couple of seasons, only to come up short both times.
    They have reached the quarter-finals again but German giants Bayern Munich and then either Real Madrid or Chelsea — teams who have ended their dream in the last two years — stand in the way of reaching Istanbul in June.
    But Stones said: “We can achieve whatever we want.
    “We have got the ability, we’ve got the chemistry together and we all want the same thing as well, to be successful.
    “We have got that hunger, which is exciting. My aim is to win the Premier League again, then to make history and win the Champions League for everyone.”
    First, though, City have to get past Liverpool as the two old rivals line up for what could be another epic clash.
    Stones famously produced an incredible goalline clearance to deny the Reds what could have been a crucial goal in this fixture back in January 2019.
    That was a moment that cemented his place in the hearts of City fans.
    And he added: “I think the fans have always had a love-love relationship with me. I can’t thank them enough.
    “I hope they appreciate that I also appreciate them, I always give everything and fight right until the end.”
    As well as carrying on with City for at least another decade, Stones revealed his other target is to win 100 caps.
    Between November 2018 and March 2021, Stones made only two appearances for England — and did not feature at all in the last 17 months of that spell.
    Stones, on 66 caps, said: “I set my goal for England at 50 caps and didn’t think I was going to get to that when I wasn’t in the squads and I was on 42.
    “Now my next goal is to get 100. I’ve set the bar high, but why not? I think it’s achievable.”
    Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold’s own England ambition has stalled.
    The Liverpool right-back was left out of the last squad — and he is now concentrating on helping the sixth-placed Reds spring a surprise at City.
    He said: “We’ve got it in us. We haven’t shown that this season but we’ve been together long enough to know our qualities — we know we are able to put a run of great results together.
    “There’s no better way to go and start than against the reigning champs. We’re excited to go and try to get that started on Saturday.
    “We’ve got our aims — to make sure that we get Champions League football for next season.

    “This is a very important week to go on and secure it.
    “And every time you play against Man City, the motivation is there.”
    Stones says he wants to play until he is 40Credit: Getty
    The City star is also a key player for Gareth Southgate with EnglandCredit: Getty More

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    Vincent Kompany is shock leading contender for Tottenham job despite Pep saying Man City move is ‘written in the stars’

    VINCENT KOMPANY has emerged as a leading contender to become Tottenham’s new boss.The Belgian looks to be leading Burnley back to the Premier League at the first attempt but SunSport understands he would be interested in the Spurs job.
    Kompany’s stunning debut season as Burnley boss has seen his managerial stock sky rocketCredit: Rex
    Manchester City icon Kompany’s work in his debut season at Turf Moor, where he plays an exciting brand of football, has impressed Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy.
    Spurs are putting together a shortlist after Antonio Conte finally left the club on Sunday.
    Julian Nagelsmann, Mauricio Pochettino, Luis Enrique, Marco Silva and Thomas Frank are all in the running.
    Kompany’s Championship leaders Burnley are 16 points clear of third spot ahead of hosting Sunderland tonight and can confirm automatic promotion by next weekend.
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    Yet he knows he will not be able to spend big to keep the Clarets in the top flight.
    Kompany, who cut his teeth with two years as Anderlecht boss, rebuilt the squad last summer after losing top stars like Nick Pope, Ben Mee, James Tarkowski and Dwight McNeil.
    Last May’s relegation saw Burnley owners ALK Capital hit with an early repayment of £65million on a loan taken to help fund their 2020 takeover.
    At 36, Kompany is just a year older than Nagelsmann who was axed by Bayern Munich last week.
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    And City boss Pep Guardiola claims it is “written in the stars” that Kompany will one day be manager at the Etihad.
    The Clarets were beaten 6-0 at City in the FA Cup quarter-finals this month — and Kompany reckons that is just what his players needed.
    He said: “The timing of it was impeccable. 
    “By that, I mean you could have seen the start of international weeks as like a mini-break where you rest with maybe one foot on the beach.
    “But it gives you a shock effect. The result was dramatic but the game was enough to show we’re not passengers here — that’s the standard, that’s the level.”
    Cristian Stellini, who was Conte’s No 2, takes charge as interim Spurs coach for the first time at Everton on Monday.
    He said: “I’m sad, when you change manager in the middle of the season everyone feels responsible. 
    “My relationship with Antonio is the same because we are friends.
    “I feel honoured to be trusted with the team to the end of the season. The players and everyone have to do more.” More

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    Man Utd, City, Chelsea and Liverpool in major Jude Bellingham transfer boost as Real Madrid set £88m limit

    REAL MADRID have reportedly set a limit on how much they will pay for Jude Bellingham.And the news comes as a boost to Premier League rivals Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea, who are all linked with a swoop for the teenage sensation.
    Jude Bellingham is a summer transfer target for Europe’s top clubsCredit: Rex
    Spanish newspaper AS claim Real Madrid have set a limit on how much they will pay for BellinghamCredit: AS
    Spanish newspaper AS claim Real Madrid will not fork out more than £88million for Bellingham.
    The La Liga giants are adamant that they will not overpay for the 19-year-old.
    It’s thought Real hope to persuade Bellingham to snub a Premier League move and tempt him to the Bernabeu thanks to the club’s “legendary history”.
    But Real are refusing to enter a bidding war for Bellingham – on both the transfer fee and his salary.
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    The club know any potential fee is in the same sort of ballpark as what they would have to pay for a striker.
    Karim Benzema is 35-years-old and Real know buying a new goalscorer in the near future will not be cheap, meaning they do not want to overpay for Bellingham.
    Liverpool and City are reported to be the two front runners for his signature.
    Borussia Dortmund are also hopeful of keeping Bellingham for another season, and reportedly plan on offering him a contract extension with a mammoth pay rise and release clause for 2024.
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    However, Real Madrid are hopeful of reaching an agreement with Borussia Dortmund if Bellingham opts to join them.
    AS report the two clubs have an “excellent” relationship, and negotiations would not prove to be much of a problem.
    Real Madrid president Florentino Perez and Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke are said to be good friends.
    Although Real appear prepared to miss out on Bellingham if a bidding war drives his price up past £88m. More