Premier League

A CHELSEA Premier League and Champions League winner joked that he has spent the last 12 months “chilling and drinking beer” since hanging up his boots.John Obi Mikel, 36, retired in September 2022 after a short stint with Kuwait Sporting Club that saw him mutually terminate his contract after just four months and only two matches.
Chelsea legend John Obi Mikel joked that he has spent retirement ‘chilling and drinking beer’Credit: YouTube/HaytersTV
Mikel (left) was part of a Chelsea Legends team that beat Bayern Munich 4-0 in honour of former player-manager Gianluca VialliCredit: Reuters
The Nigerian spent 11 years at Stamford Bridge, helping Chelsea win two Premier League titles, the 2012 Champions League, four FA Cups, two League Cups and the Europa League.
He left west London in 2017, before spells with Middlesbrough and Stoke City in between stops in China and Turkey.
The midfielder, who played almost 400 games in Blue, was in jovial mood after starring in a 4-0 win for a Chelsea Legends XI against Bayern Munich, played to raise money in honour of former player-manager Gianluca Vialli.
Having already joked that owner Todd Boehly and manager Mauricio Pochettino needed to “bring back” his generation to help Chelsea improve, Mikel was in an equally cheery mood when SunSport asked how he had been spending his retirement.
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He laughed: “Me? Just chilling and drinking beer!”
Super-fit Mikel was one of the stars of the show at Stamford Bridge as Michael Essien, John Terry, Gary Cahill and Tiago Mendes all got on the scoresheet for the Blues.
Another former team-mate, Ramires, was also spotted sporting a new look at the game, which drew a huge crowd and some of Chelsea’s biggest heroes.
Speaking after the game, Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola – who only played seven minutes but rolled back the years with a delightful scooped pass – paid tribute to Vialli, his great friend and former team-mate.
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Zola, 57, said: “We were all very emotional [tonight] because he went through a lot of suffering, a lot of pain – him and his family.
“So one thing that struck me the most is the way he faced the whole process, all the pain, with great dignity. He was strong and charismatic.”
The Italian, one of Chelsea’s greatest-ever players, also had his say on the current squad, with Poch’s side back in action at Bournemouth on Sunday.
He added: “Chelsea had a long and difficult season last year and this season there are still problems.
“Again, I have total faith in the coach, but they are a very young team and he will have to make a team. He has all the tools to do that.
“[Finishing] top four… it’s a tough one. Nowadays in England with the teams around them, it will be tough, but I think the key will be to make a team quickly.
“They have potential but if you don’t have [togetherness] it’s difficult. They have a lot of new players, they need to hurry up.”
Mikel won the Champions League in 2012 as well as nine other major trophiesCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Chelsea hero Gianfranco Zola also played in the Legends game and had his say on the current crop of playersCredit: PA More

ERIK TEN HAG warned Jadon Sancho he may NEVER play for Manchester United again.The Red Devils boss chucked the £73million ace out of his squad this week.
Jadon Sancho has fallen out with manager Erik ten HagCredit: Getty
Sancho, 23, has been banished from Man United’s first teamCredit: Getty
It came after Sancho publicly questioned Ten Hag’s claim the winger had not trained well enough to face Arsenal last time out.
Asked if Sancho would play for United again, Ten Hag said: “I don’t know.
“I’m sitting here and we have a big game, we are going into a new block of games, many games in a condensed programme. I focus on that.”
Ahead of Saturday’s Old Trafford Prem clash with Brighton, Ten Hag insisted that he had to take a stand against Sancho after his behaviour.
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He said: “It’s in favour of the team. That is what my decision is based on.
“That is not about me, and to be strict. No. This is in favour of the team.”
Ten Hag also hinted it is not the first time he has had issues with the player.
Rumours have circulated in the past about poor time keeping and attitude.
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The United manager said: “It has never been when someone makes one mistake, it is a whole process before you come to a certain outcome.
“If staff, players or whoever, if there is a structure and you cross lines you have to be strong, absolutely.”
Following United’s 3-1 defeat at the Emirates before the international break, Ten Hag explained Sancho’s absence, saying: “Jadon was absent on his performance in training.
“We didn’t select him. You have to reach a level every day at Manchester United and we can make choices on the front line, so for this game he wasn’t selected.”
It has never been when someone makes one mistake, it is a whole process before you come to a certain outcome.Ten Hag on Sancho
Sancho, 23, responded in a statement claiming he had been made a ‘scapegoat’ and effectively calling Ten Hag a liar.
He said: “I will not allow people saying things that are completely untrue, I conducted myself in training very well this week.
“I believe there are other reasons that I won’t go into, I’ve been a scapegoat for a long time!”
Sancho’s exile comes during Antony’s withdrawl from the squad to focus on fighting assault claims.
Ten Hag does not know how long that process would take, adding: “Of course, he is disappointed but he is OK.”
Ten Hag was unhappy with Sancho’s training levelsCredit: Getty More

MAURICIO POCHETTINO wants his young Chelsea side to become the naughty boys of the Premier League — and embrace the dark arts.The Blues boss has spent the international break brooding over the soft goal conceded in the defeat to Nottingham Forest two weeks ago — and called for his men to wise up and gain an edge.
Mauricio Pochettino wants his players to embrace the dark artsCredit: Getty
And the Chelsea boss knows what he is talking about from his playing days
But with an ever-growing injury list, he has warned it will take time to school his side in football’s black magic.
As they prepare to go to Bournemouth tomorrow, Poch said: “At the moment my feeling is bad because we are playing well, we are showing everyone we can compete and dominate teams like Liverpool.
“But at the end we need to be more, I say competitive because I don’t want to use another word… we need to be a bit more naughty on how to win.
“We need to be more aggressive in this type of situation.
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“We cannot give chances like the teams we only concede one chance to and they score one goal. If you see the data, we are very good in possession, construction and building.
“Only what we are missing is to score goals. That’s the most important thing in football.”
Pochettino, a canny player himself in his day, wants to share his street smarts with his star-studded squad.
The former Argentina defender, 51, said: “I was really naughty, the worst!
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“I was the most competitive but without the quality that we have in this team.”
Tapping his head, he added: “They are much better than me about quality but here I was stronger than them.
“Sometimes you need to show more this quality, this mental strength, to have this experience to better deal with some circumstance in the game. Sometimes it’s not about only talent.
“I need to translate this idea. It’s a joke, always we joke about that.
“I was really naughty, the worst! I was the most competitive but without the quality that we have in this team.”Mauricio Pochettino
“Always with the coaches we think we are better than everyone.”
Pochettino has a clear plan but getting it across to his squad will take some time considering how thin his training sessions currently are.
Midfielder Romeo Lavia, the £53million buy from Southampton, was the latest addition to the treatment table during the break, twisting an ankle with no date on a return known.
Pochettino said: “It’s a sad situation because he was nearly fit to be involved again with the team.
“Now we need to wait and, hopefully, it’s not a big issue for him and the team.”
Pochettino has told Chelsea to be ‘really naughty’Credit: Reuters
Captain Reece James suffered another hamstring injury before the international break — but Pochettino is confident the full-back will be back before the next one in October.
And once the squad looks a little less limited, the Blues chief is hopeful things can progress quickly.
He said: “The perfection only arrives when you have time, the players know each other, the confidence and trust is high and the level of competition is really high.
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“This is all about building every day on the training ground. That is why I am not worried.
“To control the game you need your whole squad fit and involved if you want to control the game.” More

ARSENAL have no survivors from the last time they beat Everton at Goodison Park.Arsene Wenger was still in the dugout for the Gunners’ last victory away to Everton.
Arsene Wenger was still in charge the last time Arsenal won at EvertonCredit: Rex Features
Mesut Ozil was on the scoresheet in a 5-2 Arsenal victory back in October 2017Credit: Getty Images – Getty
Mikel Arteta’s side travel to Merseyside on Sunday afternoon to face the Toffees, hoping to break a run of five matches without a win in the fixture.
Arsenal last won away at Everton in October 2017, claiming a 5-2 victory thanks to goals from Nacho Monreal, Mesut Ozil, Alexandre Lacazette, Aaron Ramsey and Alexis Sanchez.
None of the players included in Wenger’s starting line-up remain at the club almost six years on from the win.
Fans have had mixed reactions to seeing the last Arsenal team to win at Everton, with one writing: “Eras come to an end.”
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However, another commented: “That team on paper is so bad.”
A third also added: “Such a poor team.”
Granit Xhaka and Rob Holding had been the last remaining members of the squad from October 2017 before they were both sold this summer.
In their five visits to Goodison since, Arsenal have drawn once and lost four times.
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Those matches include losses in each of the last three, with Everton winning 1-0 back in March.
Arsenal go into Sunday’s clash unbeaten in the Premier League so far this season and could go top with a win.
Meanwhile, Everton are winless, with just a single point to their name from their first four matches this term. More