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      Chelsea set for heavy fine and points deduction amid Premier League investigation into Roman Abramovich-era finances

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      CHELSEA face a heavy fine and possible points deductions from a Premier League investigation into financial affairs during the Roman Abramovich era.Uefa last month announced the Blues had been fined £8.6m under new owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake after the club reported a number of financial transactions between 2012 and 2019.
      Chelsea are facing a points deduction and heavy fine after a Premier League investigation into financial irregularities during Abramovich’s ownershipCredit: AFP
      Boehly and Clearlake reported the breaches during a Uefa investigationCredit: Getty
      It has now emerged that the scrutiny uncovered payments adding up to millions of pounds to offshore companies.
      And while Uefa’s punishment was the end of the matter for Nyon chiefs, a full Prem probe is now under way with serious punishment potentially down the line.
      Among the payments covered by the inquiry include at least one to a player’s family.
      Uefa’s statement confirming the punishment declared it was for “instances of potentially incomplete financial reporting” under the previous ownership.
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      It is understood that payments to as many as six offshore companies, linked to player transfers, are now being investigated with the belief that they were not registered with the FA, Prem or Uefa.
      In 2018 the “Football Leaks” document dump suggested Chelsea had paid Sten Christensen, father of Danish defender Andreas, more than £656,000 over four years as a “scout” following the player’s 2012 arrival from Brondby.
      Chelsea and the Premier League declined to comment.
      Boehly and Clearlake took over the club in May last year after Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK government.
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      The new ownership has so far spent £768.7million on transfers since taking over – with a particular emphasis on signing young players with a high upside.
      It is unclear yet how, or indeed whether Premier League sanctions will affect Chelsea’s ability to further splash the cash this summer.
      Their latest signing, centre-back Axel Disasi arrived from Monaco for £38.7m last week.
      The off-field news will come as a further blow for Chelsea fans after new-signing Christopher Nkunku was ruled out for three months with a knee injury.
      The forward has thoroughly impressed in pre-season and was looking set to be a talisman for Mauricio Pochettino’s young squad.
      The Blues will kick off their Premier League season at home to Liverpool this Sunday. More

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      Man Utd vs Wolves: Red Devils eye perfect start to new Premier League season – stream, TV channel, team news

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      MANCHESTER UNITED’S 2023/24 Premier League curtain raiser sees them welcome Wolves to Old Trafford.The Red Devils had an indifferent pre-season having comfortably beat Community Shield winners Arsenal and French side Lens.
      Manchester United get back to business on MondayCredit: Getty
      But in between those results, Erik ten Hag’s men lost THREE matches on the bounce.
      However, playtime is over as United look to make a winning start to the new campaign.
      And the English giants will feel as if they have caught their opponents at the best time possible with speculation building that Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui could be on the verge of a shock exit.
      When is Man Utd vs Wolves?

      Manchester United’s opening Premier League fixture against Wolves will take place on Monday, August 14.
      It is scheduled to get underway at 8pm BST.
      Old Trafford in Manchester is the allocated arena for this huge match and it can host approximately 74,310 fans.
      Goals from Anthony Martial and Alejandro Garnacho saw the Red Devils run out 2-0 winners when the sides last met in May.

      Read more on Man Utd
      What TV channel is it on and can it be live streamed?

      Manchester United vs Wolves will be broadcast LIVE on Sky Sports Main Event and Premier League in the UK.
      Coverage is scheduled to commence from 6:30pm BST on both channels – an hour and a half before kick-off.
      Fans can also stream the match through NOW TV.
      Alternatively, SunSport will have minute-by-minute coverage of the entire action including build-up and post-match reaction.

      Team news
      Erik ten Hag will be forced to start the 2023/24 campaign without Amad Diallo (knee), Kobbie Mainoo (ankle) and Tyrell Malacia (muscular).
      Mega summer signing Rasmus Hojlund is also unavailable having sustained a ‘small issue’ during his pre-season training with former side Atalanta.
      Rasmus Hojlund is officially a Manchester United playerCredit: Getty
      However, Frenchman Anthony Martial should be ready to return following his muscular injury.
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      Meanwhile, it is all positive signs for Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui as the quartet of Joao Gomes, Mario Lemina, Sasa Kalajdzic and Chiquinho should all be available for the tough test to Old Trafford.
      Latest odds

      Man Utd to win 3/10
      Draw 4/1
      Wolves to win 15/2

      *Odds courtesy of PaddyPower are correct at time of publication More

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      Why Arsenal’s Community Shield triumph could spell DISASTER as shocking record of previous winners revealed

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      ARSENAL may have finally beaten Manchester City but their Community Shield success could spell disaster for their title ambitions.The Gunners struck lucky beating City on penalties at Wembley after Leandro Trossard’s last-gasp deflected equaliser.
      Arsenal lifted the Community Shield following a penalty shoot-out win over Manchester CityCredit: Alamy
      City led the game until the dying seconds – until Leandro Trossard equalisedCredit: Getty
      Goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale was the penalty shoot-out hero and he believes getting one over on City will be decisive in gaining the upper hand in a title race.
      Arsenal had lost each of their previous eight matches against the Citizens.
      But winning the Community Shield is far from a guarantee of Premier League success – in fact only on one occasion has a team gone on to win the league after victory in the Community Shield since 2011.
      2022 – Liverpool 3-1 Manchester City
      The Community Shield was held at the King Power Stadium – the only occasion it has taken place outside of Wembley in the last 11 years.
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      The game pitted two blockbuster striker signings against each other – Darwin Nunez and Erling Haaland, with the former coming out on top as he scored in a 3-1 win.
      However Haaland had the last laugh as he broke the Premier League goalscoring record for a single season on the way to winning the title.
      The 2022 Community Shield pitted Darwin Nunez against Erling HaalandCredit: Getty
      2021 – Leicester 1-0 Manchester City
      FA Cup champions Leicester pulled off a surprise thanks to Kelechi Iheanacho’s late penalty.
      However it was City who went on to win the league as the Foxes finished eighth.
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      2020 – Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool (5-4pens)
      Held in front of an empty Wembley due to Covid-19 restrictions, Arsenal picked up the shield after scoring five out of five penalties.
      Rhian Brewster missed for the Reds to make it back-to-back Community Shield defeats for Jurgen Klopp’s side, while City regained the Premier League trophy the following May.
      2019 – Manchester City 1-1 Liverpool (5-4 pens)
      City came out on top in the early season clash but Liverpool went on to win the league with seven games to spare.
      The 2019 Community Shield will be remembered for the introduction of the ABBA penalty shoot-out system, with Gabriel Jesus firing home the winning penalty.
      Raheem Sterling scored as City won the Community ShieldCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      2018 – Manchester City 2-0 Chelsea
      Pep Guardiola’s side of 2018-19 is the only team of the past 12 years to win both the Community Shield and the Prem in the same season.
      Sergio Aguero struck either side of half-time in one of Phil Foden’s first starts for the club.
      2017 – Arsenal 1-1 Chelsea (4-1 pens)
      Arsenal again proved victorious on penalties after Sead Kolasinac cancelled out Victor Moses’ opener earlier on.
      But neither side came close to rivalling City as they won the league at a canter with 100 points.
      2016 – Manchester United 2-1 Leicester
      Jesse Lingard and Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored either side of a Jamie Vardy strike to hand Jose Mourinho a perfect start to his United reign.
      But Antonio Conte’s Chelsea proved unstoppable in the league with the Red Devils finishing sixth.
      Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored on his United debut to hand Jose Mourinho a win in his first gameCredit: Getty
      2015 – Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea
      Arsenal’s success in the Community Shield stretches back several years and they had Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to thank for victory in 2015.
      They were in the title race for much of the season that followed but finished second to Leicester.
      2014 – Arsenal 3-0 Manchester City
      Arsene Wenger’s side were far too dominant as Arteta lifted the shield alongside Tomas Rosicky.
      The Gunners went on to finish third with City one place above them as Chelsea won the league.
      Mikel Arteta lifted the 2014 Community ShieldCredit: Getty
      2013 – Manchester United 2-0 Wigan
      Robin van Persie helped United achieve what City couldn’t by beating Wigan at Wembley – months on from the Latics’ FA Cup triumph.
      However their rivals would go on to claim their second Prem title as United finished seventh after sacking David Moyes.
      2012 – Manchester City 3-2 Chelsea
      Three second-half goals in 12 minutes gave the Citizens a memorable win over Chelsea with Samir Nasri grabbing the winner.
      But United proved too much for them the following season as Van Persie fired Sir Alex Ferguson’s side to the title – their last Prem win.
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      2011 – Manchester United 3-2 Manchester City
      The last Manchester Derby in the Community Shield was decided by a dramatic last-minute winner from Nani.
      A last-second goal would decide the outcome of the Premier League too as Aguero’s goal against QPR snatched the title from United’s grasp. More

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      Arsenal ‘reach agreement with Brentford to sign David Raya with transfer to be finalised BEFORE Premier League opener’

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      ARSENAL have reached an agreement with Brentford over the transfer of Spanish goalkeeper David Raya, according to reports.The 27-year-old will undergo a medical at the club’s London Colney training centre this week ahead of completing a move to the Emirates.
      Arsenal have agreed a deal to sign Brentford’s David RayaCredit: Getty
      Arsenal agreed personal terms with Raya last week but have since been locked in negotiations with Brentford over a fee.
      But the deal now looks to be done with documents set to be exchanged to complete the signing imminently according to Fabrizio Romano.
      Raya is expected to sign a five year contract which will run until the summer of 2028.
      The Brentford man had just a year left to run on his current deal and had been subject to interest from both Bayern Munich and Tottenham.
      READ MORE ON ARSENAL
      But Brentford rejected offers from both as they did not meet the £40million fee the Bees had been demanding.
      Raya has had his heart set on leaving the club this summer and Brentford have already signed his replacement in the form of Mark Flekken from Bundesliga club Freiburg.
      As a result, Raya has barely featured for Thomas Frank’s men during their pre-season – managing just one 45 minute appearance against Fulham as part of the Premier League’s Summer Series in America.
      With Brentford’s season opener just five days away it seems as though the Bees were keen to sort a deal quickly rather than face the prospect of having Raya warm the bench for a season before losing him on a free next summer.
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      That’s allowed Arsenal to swoop in and sign the keeper for £30m according to reports rather than the original £40m fee being demanded.
      Raya will provide competition for Arsenal no.1 Aaron Ramsdale who enjoyed a fine campaign last season.
      Ramsdale produced a match-winning performance in Arsenal’s recent Community Shield triumph over Manchester City that saw him make several impressive saves from close-range. 
      But he will now have to deal with a more than capable goalkeeper breathing down his neck and looking for a starting berth in Mikel Arteta’s side.
      Both Ramsdale and Raya have ambitions of starting for their respective countries at the European Championships next summer so competition will be fierce. More

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      Man Utd fans concerned about ‘Liverpool vibes’ as Red Devils release ‘weird’ third kit with new look badge

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      MANCHESTER UNITED fans have voiced their concerns about the ‘Liverpool vibes’ of their new third kit.The third shirt offers an off-white main colourway with a dark red used on the collar, crest and sponsors.
      Manchester United’s new third shirt for the 2023-24 seasonCredit: Adidas
      United legend Roy Keane also modelled the shirt… Which has been compared to a Liverpool kit by fansCredit: Adidas
      It also features a minimalist take on the United badge.
      While the shirt was generally well received, some on Twitter feel it is too similar to Liverpool kits of old.
      A United Twitter account posted the new shirt and asked fans to rate the kit out of ten.
      One United fan replied: “One.. Liverpool vibes.”
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      Another wrote: “Feels like we’ve literally just copied one of the past season Liverpool kits but made it a little different?”
      And a third conflicted fan tweeted: “I’m not really sure about this one, I don’t like it but I’d very much get it. It just feels weird.”
      Liverpool have had at least one white away or third kit every year since 2019 and had a similar off-white away shirt during the 2021-22 season.
      United said in a press release that the shirt is inspired by the “1909 Cup jersey and street style trends”.
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      It was unveiled with a video that featured a giant version of Casemiro hovering over Old Trafford and Roy Keane leering at a silver platter of prawn sandwiches.
      The third shirt has been generally well received despite the Liverpool concerns with one fan tweeting:  “This jersey is the best Man U has revealed in a long time.”
      Another wrote: “Brother, this kit is an 11/10”
      While a third added: “Best 2nd or 3rd kit in a long long time”
      The third shirt is a more conservative effort compared to United’s away shirt this season.
      The club’s green white and red striped shirt was branded “atrocious” by some sections of the United faithful on its release.
      Whether it will go on to become a cult classic remains to be seen. More

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      Man Utd make transfer decision on Hannibal Mejbri after giving youngster pre-season to impress Erik ten Hag

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      MANCHESTER UNITED have made a decision on the transfer future of youngster Hannibal Mejbri.The midfielder was given the opportunity to impress manager Erik ten Hag during pre-season.
      Hannibal Mejbri will not leave Manchester United permanently this summerCredit: Getty
      Several clubs have shown an interest in the 20-year-old this summer, with Borussia Dortmund even tabling an offer earlier in the window.
      Teams in England and France have also eyed both permanent and loan moves for Hannibal.
      Although talks are ongoing about a potential loan move, the Manchester Evening News report that United have ruled out selling the youngster this summer.
      Figures at the club, including Ten Hag, have been impressed with his performances during pre-season.
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      He starred in the Red Devils’ final friendly against Athletic Bilbao in Dublin on Sunday as his side played out a 1-1 draw.
      There are still doubts over the first-team playing time he will get this season, though, and Hannibal may still depart on loan.
      Premier League newcomers Luton are amongst the clubs who could sign him on a temporary basis.
      Hannibal spent last season on loan at Birmingham, making 41 appearances across all competitions.
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      He also has three senior United appearances to his name, with all of them coming in the Premier League.
      The Tunisia international has continued to be a regular for his country too, and featured at last year’s World Cup in Qatar. More

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      Former Man Utd star Ben Foster tears into Andre Onana for pre-season stunt calling him ‘bang out of order’

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      BEN FOSTER has called Andre Onana “bang out of order” for his pre-season antics.Onana was spotted berating Manchester United team-mate Harry Maguire during a friendly against Borussia Dortmund.
      Ben Foster has ripped into Andre OnanaCredit: PA
      Andre Onana has been called ‘bang out of order’ for berating Harry MaguireCredit: MuTV
      The goalkeeper could be seen racing out of his box to confront Maguire, reacting angrily after the defender had lost possession.
      Foster has now given his thoughts on the incident and ripped into Onana’s behaviour.
      Speaking on The United Stand, he explained: “I saw that thing with Maguire and I didn’t like it one bit.
      “I don’t think it’s necessary. I get it, you’re annoyed but it’s a pre-season friendly. You don’t need to go shouting and raving.
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      “I guarantee you, every player in any dressing room up and down the country will have seen that and gone ‘nah that’s bang out of order.'”
      Onana himself had justified his actions after the match by explaining how he holds his team-mates to high standards.
      He told reporters: “He’s big, he’s good with the ball so I will demand him a lot. He’s a great guy, I have a good relationship with him.”
      The former Ajax man joined United from Inter Milan for £47million last month, reuniting with Erik ten Hag.
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      He has already suffered a blunder of his own, though, after being lobbed against Lens on Saturday.
      Onana was caught out off his line and left stuck in the net after racing back in a bid to save the ball.
      United fans were left fuming at his error, with some even demanding a “refund” on the transfer. More

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      How does injury time work in the Premier League this season?

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      TIME wasting has been a massive problem in football for years, with players doing everything they can to waste a bit of time for their team should they be in the position they want to be in during the game.The Premier League and EFL have taken action and launched a strict approach to cut down on time-wasting and increase ball-in-play time this season.
      Referees will be adding on more time in the 2023-24 seasonCredit: Getty
      The average ball-in-play time last season in the top flight was a staggering 54 minutes.
      This is the lowest average time in play for the Premier League since recording began in the 2012-13 season.
      VAR and additional substitutions were key factors for the eye-opening ball-in-play time last season.
      How does injury time work in the Premier League in 2023/24?
      The Premier League have added some different rules and guidelines, due to start this season.

      Most importantly, the time-wasting clampdown, with officials becoming increasingly concerned about how little the ball is actually in play during games.
      With these added rules, we will see more lengthy added time periods – very similar to the numbers at the 2022 World Cup where we saw up to 10 or more minutes added on most games.
      It’s also been announced that referees are allowed to punish players who try to complete impactful or effective ways of time wasting.
      How is injury time calculated?
      Injury time is calculated by the accumulation of every incident that has occurred which has halted or affected a match at any point, such as goals, substitutions, injuries, penalty kicks and red cards.
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      Every single detail will be calculated for a more reasonable game of football and one where fans will come away getting their money’s worth.
      Has this style of injury time used in football before?
      We first saw this new injury time rule back in 2022 at the World Cup in Qatar and now at the Women’s World Cup that is currently taking place.
      These changes have definitely caused a stir within the football world and players and managers have been quick to disagree with the footballing authorities.
      Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola spoke about the new rule after his side conceded a late equaliser to Arsenal during their Community Shield clash at Wembley.
      The Spaniard said: “We will have to get used to this. We were winning 1-0. I had a feeling that not much happened to extend eight minutes.
      “But it is a good question for the international board and all the people because they don’t consult with the managers, they don’t consult with the players.
      “We have to accept it. We have to do it. Now the games will be 100 minutes, that’s for sure.
      “They extend for goals. Every time you score a goal. (Imagine) a 4-3 and they put on 45 seconds for seven goals.
      “Tomorrow morning at 8am we will still be here playing. Don’t ask me my opinion, please.” More