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      Man Utd being dragged into Champions League race by Newcastle and Casemiro ban could swing it to Toon, say Nev & Carra

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      MANCHESTER UNITED face a huge fight for a top four finish after Newcastle’s late win at Nottingham Forest, says Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher.Alexander Isak secured a brace and the three points for the Magpies as his last-ditch penalty earned a 2-1 victory at the City Ground on Friday.
      Casemiro is about to serve a four-match ban for Manchester UnitedCredit: Getty
      Alexender Isak secured Newcastle a late win at Nottingham Forest on FridayCredit: Alamy
      That result moved Newcastle to within a point of fourth-placed Tottenham and are only three points behind United in third, with the North East club having a far greater goal difference.
      Eddie Howe’s team will welcome the Red Devils to St James’ Park next after the international break in what promises to be a huge scrap for a Champions League spot. 
      And Carrager believes Erik ten Hag’s team are in a big battle to secure a spot in the top four as he told Sky Sports: “That result pulls Manchester United into the pack, especially with Newcastle playing Manchester United next.
      “Newcastle will have to get used to this. They’re going to be involved in European football, they’ll be expected to go further in cups.
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      “The thing that really impresses me is their running system. Forest went man to man and they couldn’t really cope with them. 
      “I love watching them. The big thing for Newcastle and Tottenham is the fact that Tottenham do have to go to United. 
      “The thing about Liverpool and Tottenham is it feels like there’s a little bit of unrest at both clubs. I don’t think you get that at Newcastle. 
      “Even when they don’t win a game it’s still a really good performance. I very rarely watch them and am not impressed. This break may actually be coming at a bad time for them. 
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      “Just because they’re doing well doesn’t mean they’ll be there next year. Chelsea and Tottenham will be a lot stronger next season.”
      Meanwhile, United legend Gary Neville also agreed – especially with key midfielder Casemiro starting a four-match ban after his red card against Southampton.
      He said: “United will be without Casemiro in the next four matches which will make a big difference and Newcastle are now in a position where they can make a good push.
      ‘This is the time to hit form, but there’s still a long way to go. Eddie Howe won’t be getting carried away, but he will feel more confident after the last few days. It’s a really tough run in for Newcastle. 
      “Chelsea, Tottenham Liverpool, other clubs have had disappointing seasons. What I like about Newcastle is it’s been a measured transition in the way they chose their manager and brought players in. 
      “There’s some pretty solid characters in that dressing room. They’ve got a great chance. 
      “I’m stunned as to where they are this season. I thought they would be seventh or eighth. Well done to Eddie Howe, well done to the players, and it looks like they’ve just turned a corner.
      “Isak is on a roll. He’s really important to them. Callum Wilson is going to struggle to get into the team.”
      Sky Sports pundits Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher believe United face a fight for the top fourCredit: PA More

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      Arsenal target Kaoru Mitoma set to be offered record new deal by Brighton as Real Madrid & Man City join transfer chase

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      BRIGHTON are reportedly set to offer Kaoru Mitoma a record new contract to thwart off interest from Arsenal, Manchester City and Real Madrid.The Japanese international winger, 25, has been one of the star men in what has been an impressive campaign for both him and the Seagulls.
      Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma is set to be offered a record new contractCredit: AP
      Following his season-long loan last year at Belgian side Union SG, he has become one of high-flying Brighton’s key men this term with 14 goal involvement in his 26 Premier League appearances.
      Mitoma, who delayed signing a professional contract in his homeland with Kawasaki Frontale at 19 to instead go to university and wrote a thesis on dribbling, arrived on the South Coast for a fee of just £2.7m in 2021.
      Now his displays have seen his valuation rocket to around £35m with a host of clubs keen to snap him up.
      Arsenal have held an interest since January in Mitoma.
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      Now TEAMtalk are claiming that Pep Guardiola’s Man City and LaLiga giants Real Madrid are also interested.
      And they state that Bayern Munich are also monitoring the situation.
      However, Brighton are desperate to hang on to the attacker and are allegedly willing to pull out all the stops to keep him.
      Mitoma is currently under contract until 2025.
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      But the Seagulls are set to fend off interest in him by offering the ace and record deal to make him the club’s highest-ever earner.
      Meanwhile, Mitoma will be hoping to secure a day at Wembley today when Brighton face Grimsby in the FA Cup quarter-final. More

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      Mason Mount drops HUGE hint he will quit Chelsea in summer transfer window as Man Utd and Liverpool prepare to pounce

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      MANCHESTER UNITED and Liverpool could have received a boost in their pursuit of Mason Mount.The England international midfielder, 24, is under contract until June 2024 and is stalling negotiations on a new deal.
      Mason Mount has appointed a new agent to look after his interestsCredit: Getty
      Mount is understood to be after a significant pay rise from his current wages of around £80,000 per week.
      And he is reluctant to sign a huge long-term commitment like compatriot Reece James.
      Chelsea’s influx of players has also left Mount pushed down the pecking order.
      Now the Daily Mail has claimed that he has appointed a new agent to look after him.
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      Neil Fewings, who previously worked for Wasserman Media Group but who is now the UK managing partner of ROOF, is in charge of Mount’s interests.
      And the publication states that it is “the strongest indication yet that he is set to leave Stamford Bridge” at the end of the season.
      Chelsea have insisted that they have made their final offer regarding a new contract and are reluctant to risk losing him for nothing next year.
      And that could lead to them trying to cash in on their academy product this summer with both United and Liverpool waiting in the wings to pounce and sign him.
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      Mount’s father Tony has been representing the ace for the last 18 months since the star left previous management company, Stellar Football.
      Now they have “sought more specialist assistance to negotiate with other clubs”.
      And with mounting interest in the ace, with Newcastle also keen, the “change of approach may already be paying off”.
      While it remains to be seen whether he will stay or go, rival English clubs have been put on alert by reports of a £50MILLION price tag. More

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      Antonio Conte adds to Pep Guardiola’s misery as Spurs chief reveals he also met idol Julia Roberts during Chelsea days

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      TOTTENHAM boss Antonio Conte has added to Pep Guardiola’s heartache by revealing he met Julia Roberts at Chelsea.Manchester City chief Pep admitted this week he was gutted to see the Pretty Woman actress take a trip to arch-rivals Manchester United a few years ago.
      Antonio Conte has revealed he met Julia Roberts during his time at ChelseaCredit: Getty
      Man City boss Pep Guardiola admitted the Pretty Woman actress is an “idol” of hisCredit: AFP
      Roberts went to watch a Manchester United game back in 2016Credit: Getty Images – Getty
      His surprising admission came while discussing how he would still be a “failure” even if he wins the Champions League, as his “idol” Roberts chose United.
      And now Conte has recalled the Hollywood star’s visit in 2017.
      The former Blues gaffer said: “She watched the game and then I had the possibility to meet her.
      “It’s good an important person like Julia Roberts likes football. I think it’s important for football.”
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      Conte’s admission comes following Guardiola’s comments in midweek.
      The City gaffer made the remark after watching his side crush RB Leipzig 7-0 in the Champions League, seeing them into the quarter-finals 8-1 on aggregate.
      He said: “I am a failure in the Champions League. If I win the Champions League three times in a row I will be a failure.
      “I have three idols in my life. Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, and Julia Roberts. These are my three idols.
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      “Julia Roberts years ago came to Manchester – not in the 90s when Sir Alex (Ferguson) was winning titles and titles and titles.
      “She came in the period where we were better than United, in these four or five years, right?
      “And she went to visit Man Utd. She didn’t come to see us. That’s why even if I win the Champions League it will not compare for the fact that Julia Roberts came to Manchester and didn’t come to see us.
      “Even if I win the Champions League it will not compare to this disappointment I had.”
      Roberts, 55, visited the Theatre of Dreams in November 2016, taking in the Red Devils’ 1-1 draw with West Ham. More

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      Mark Halsey: The offside rule is an ass and Elliot Anderson’s Newcastle goal being ruled out doesn’t sit right with me

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      FORMER Premier League referee Mark Halsey has branded the decision to rule out Elliot Anderson’s goal against Nottingham Forest a “nonsense decision”. The 20-year-old was robbed of his first Newcastle goal after VAR instructed Paul Tierney to go to the monitor over offside concerns.
      Elliot Anderson thought he had his first Newcastle goal – but Paul Tierney had other ideasCredit: PA
      Mark Halsey took exception to the controversial decision at the City GroundCredit: Rex
      The ref then controversially ruled out the goal.
      It has sparked debate on the offside rule with Tierney’s interpretation not shared by many fans and pundits.
      The moment came after the impressive Alexander Isak played a low cross into the Forest area.
      It was then cleared by Felipe into the path of an offside Sean Longstaff who briefly touched the ball back to Isak.
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      The striker delivered a wonderful cross for Anderson who sparked wild celebrations in the away end after converting his chance from close range.
      But Felipe was judged to have not deliberately played the ball to Longstaff and therefore making the Newcastle midfielder offside.
      Halsey, who refereed hundreds of Premier League games between 1999 and 2013, disagreed with the reasoning.
      He told SunSport: “The offside law is an ass.
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      “It’s a nonsense decision. Surely it’s a deliberate play by Forest defender Felipe?
      “But goals being ruled out for something like this does not sit right with me.”
      Anderson’s came with the game drawn at 1-1.
      Emmanuel Dennis scored an impressive chipped effort in the first-half but that was cancelled out by an equally inventive goal by Isak at the end of the 45.
      The Swedish forward would eventually get the winner for the Magpies with a stoppage time penalty. More

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      ‘Neville can replace Crawley’ – Fans in awe of Man Utd icon’s cricket skills as he and Carragher face Broad in the nets

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      FANS have been left in awe at Gary Neville’s cricket skills as he and fellow pundit Jamie Carragher were put through their paces by England legend Stuart Broad. The bowler is a huge Nottingham Forest fan and was at the City Ground for their friday night clash against Newcastle.
      Stuart Broad gave the football pundits a lesson on cricketCredit: Sky Sports
      It turned out that former youth cricketer Neville had lost very few of his skillsCredit: Sky Sports
      Given his connections to the Tricky Trees, Sky Sports recruited Broad to get Neville and Carragher out of their comfort zone with some top-level cricket.
      The pair took to the indoor crease with Broad sending down some thunderbolts in their direction.
      Decked out in full cricket gear, both Neville and Carragher initially struggled to get to grips with the challenge, with the former Liverpool defender at one point quipping of his rival: “This is worse than his Valencia moment!”
      But the longer the challenge went on, the clearer it became that there was a quality gap between the pundits.
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      And Neville, the former opening batsman for his local cricket club Greenmount, impressed both Broad and Sky Sports viewers.
      One wrote on Twitter: “Think Nev can open in place of [Zak] Crawley.”
      Another viewer went with a similar theme as they said: “Neville can’t be worst then Crawley being honest.”
      While another fan said: “[Neville is] a much better batsman than a manager.”
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      Other tweeters dug out an old newspaper headline from the Bury Times which showed a young Neville alongside Australian opener Matthew Hayden as they clocked up a century apiece for Greenmount.
      The former Manchester United full-back managed to respond impressively to some of Broad’s fierce bowling, smacking the ball back towards the bowler on multiple occasions.
      But Carragher struggle to connect with most of Broad’s balls and even had his wickets taken out on one occasion.
      Broad, 36, declared Neville the winner at the end of the challenge.
      A fun day for England’s cricketer would however finish with a duff note as his beloved Forest side conceded a late penalty to lose against Newcastle.
      Bowler Broad is England’s second highest wicket taker in test cricketCredit: Sky Sports
      Neville was happy with his superior performance compared to CarragherCredit: Sky Sports More

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      Ex-Arsenal star Lukas Podolski, 37, rolls back the years with thunderbolt free-kick as he scores twice in comeback win

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      LUKAS PODOLSKI showed he still oozes class as he inspired his side to a thrilling comeback victory. The former Arsenal star is currently plying his trade in Poland’s first tier with Gornik Zabrze, who are just up the road from where Podolski was born, Gliwice.
      Lukas Podolski stepped up to take a free kick for Gornik Zabrze
      Podolski saw the effort crash into the top corner
      The strike showed the ex-Arsenal man still oozes class

      And as he often was for Arsenal, Podolski was proving his knack for scoring goals.
      With Zabrze down 2-1 in the second half, the 37-year-old stood over a free-kick not too far outside of the area.
      He then ran up to the ball and lashed a left-footed shot towards the top corner.
      And the goalkeeper could do nothing as Podolski’s effort thundered into the top bins.
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      The German forward was then involved in drama at the end of the game.
      He found himself free as a ball was whipped towards the far post.
      Podolski then shook off a covering defender for an open header at the far post to complete a sensational 3-2 comeback and claim a win against their top-half opponents.
      And the goals got fans, including some Gooners, talking.
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      One fan wrote: “He still got it.”
      A second said: “Lukas Podolski still unleashing rockets in 2023.”
      While a third added: “🚀 37-year-old Lukas Podolski still scoring stunners in the Polish Ekstraklasa!”
      Podolski has enjoyed a decent campaign with his current club, scoring five times and adding seven assists in the league alone.
      The 37-year-old played for Arsenal between 2012 and 2015, scoring 31 times and adding 17 assists in 82 games. More

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      Erik ten Hag backs red-hot Marcus Rashford to achieve feat not seen at Man Utd since Robin van Persie a DECADE ago

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      ERIK TEN HAG is backing Marcus Rashford to be the first Manchester United star to smash the 30-goal barrier in TEN YEARS.Rashford’s Europa League winner against Real Betis on Thursday night took his season tally to a personal best 27.
      Marcus Rashford has hit 30 goals for club and country this season and needs three more to reach the same landmark for just UnitedCredit: Alamy
      Robin van Persie was the last United player to score 30 goals in all competitions in the 2012-13 season but Ten Hag says he saw Rashford’s goalscoring potential when he took over.
      Ten Hag said: “I said it in the summer, when you asked if I believe in Rashford or (Anthony) Martial, one of them, could score 20-plus goals and I said, ‘yes I believe it’.
      “He has progressed during the season. Marcus was also not in the best shape when he started the season.
      “But the way of playing gives him a base, then he brings his skills in and his attitude and mentality and that is bringing him a lot of progress.
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      “That gives the team a lot of joy and gives him a lot of goals and us a lot of wins.”
      United host Fulham in tomorrow’s FA Cup quarter-final and Ten Hag says last month’s Carabao Cup final win over Newcastle handed his cup treble-chasing stars an incentive for a return to Wembley.
      The Dutchman said: “It is huge motivation. We all enjoyed Wembley and winning a trophy.
      “That has to be the fuel for the next one — to get pushed by that idea and that has to bring extra energy to beat Fulham.
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      “We have to set a winning culture — we are Manchester United. We have to win all the games, we have to compete. That has to be the mentality.”
      United face Cottagers midfielder Andreas Pereira, who left Old Trafford last summer.
      Ten Hag said: “I have known him a long time. I had him in the youth team of PSV before he transferred to Man Utd.
      “He didn’t do it over several years at United and there comes a point you have to make a step maybe back to make a step in the future.” More