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      Graham Potter saved job with two make-or-break wins after ‘heart-to-heart talks with players, owners and staff’

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      GRAHAM POTTER saved his job with two make-or-break wins after reportedly holding “heart-to-heart” talks with Chelsea’s players, owners and staff.Potter looked a relieved man last night as his Blues clinched a Champions League turnaround against Borussia Dortmund.
      Graham Potter held a series of talks to inspire Chelsea to consecutive wins and save his jobCredit: Alamy
      Stamford Bridge was left bouncing as goals from Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz sent Chelsea into the last eight.
      And the impressive win came hot on the heels of a 1-0 league victory over rivals Leeds on Saturday.
      The two games were both marked as must-wins for Potter, who had previously picked up just one victory in 2023.
      Fans and pundits piled in on the ex-Brighton boss after a disastrous defeat to bottom-place Southampton in February.
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      Yet Chelsea owner Todd Boehly decided not to pull the trigger after doubling down on his long-term vision.
      And the Telegraph claims Potter helped convince the American to stay onboard by having a deep chat with him over the current crisis.
      Potter is also said to have had “heart-to-hearts” with numerous Chelsea players and staff members.
      The tactician gave assurances to any doubters to keep the faith, and also listened to any concerns about his time in charge.
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      Potter’s move certainly paid off, picking up just his third win in 16 league matches against Leeds at the weekend.
      But the best was yet to come as Chelsea moved one step closer to a potential third Champions League title last night.
      The Blues had it all to do after losing the first leg in Germany 1-0.
      Yet a change in formation, which started at Leeds, brought the best out of several below-par players.
      And Chelsea now await their fate in next week’s quarter-final draw. More

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      Man Utd and Arsenal transfer target Ansu Fati ‘offered to half of Europe by Jorge Mendes’ as Barcelona exit draws nearer

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      BARCELONA star Ansu Fati has allegedly been offered to “half of Europe” by his agent Jorge Mendes.We reported last month how a trio of Premier League clubs had allegedly been in contact with the ace over a potential summer transfer.
      Clubs chasing Ansu Fati have received a boost with a fresh report from SpainCredit: Getty
      Super-agent Jorge Mendes has allegedly offered him to ‘half of Europe’Credit: Reuters
      The trio of Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool are all circling for Fati, whose current deal contains a world record €1billion (£898million) release clause.
      The Spanish international forward, 20, has a contract at Barcelona until 2027.
      However, their president Joan Laporta has announced that he wants to sign another forward this summer but one will have to depart.
      With Robert Lewandowski and Ousmane Dembele being first-choice, then that would leave Fati, Raphinha or Ferran Torres as the likely ones to be sold.
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      Fati announced a fortnight ago that he wanted to stay at the Nou Camp – but Catalan journalist Joan Fontes claims that the youngster could be sold.
      He says that the ace feels he should have a bigger role at Barcelona, only his manager Xavi Hernandez disagrees.
      And that has led to Ansu’s agent Mendes offering his client to “half of Europe”’ as he tries to find him a new club.
      Fati was considered the next rising star when he made his senior debut at the tender age of 17 in 2020.
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      However, persistent knee problems have hampered Fati’s development.
      He has 18 goals in 63 top-flight appearances for the club in total since his breakthrough.
      He has played over 30 times this season, but only ten of those have been starts. More

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      Romeo Beckham set to face international team in behind-closed-doors friendly with Brentford

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      DAVID BECKHAM’S son Romeo is poised to face Ukraine in a behind-closed-doors friendly ahead of England’s second Euro 2024 qualifier.Brentford have opened up their training ground to the Ukrainians and their B team will play the warm-up game on Thursday, March 23.
      Brentford B frontman Romeo Beckham is expected to line up against Ukraine in a warm-up game for England’s Euro 2024 qualifying opponentsCredit: Getty
      Romeo celebrated in style after his 93rd-minute winner against Wealdstone
      David Beckham watched Romeo’s Brentford B debut at ninth-tier Erith in January before making an unorthodox exit via a fence and bushes
      That means Beckham Junior is expected to take on Ruslan Rotan’s side, who face the Three Lions at Wembley three days later.
      Manchester United legend David, 47, has regularly watched son Romeo as he impresses on loan from Inter Miami for the Londoners.
      When the transatlantic swap was agreed in January Becks Senior posted:  “Exciting start to the year ❤️. Now the hard work and fun begins. Proud of you mate @romeobeckham.”
      And as he watched Romeo’s debut against Erith & Belvedere, David was all smiles as he was mobbed by fans – although after the game he escaped by jumping over a fence and clambering through bushes!
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      Becks Sr and daughter Harper were then at Woking to see Romeo help Brentford B defeat Aston Villa 3-2.
      And last month the 20-year-old forward was snapped celebrating wildly after hitting a stoppage-time winner against Wealdstone to put the Bees into the Middlesex Senior Cup semi-finals.
      Ukraine have opted to base themselves in the capital as the meeting with the Three Lions is their only qualifier during the March break, while there are also clear logistical issues due to the ongoing war.
      The squad have previously based themselves in neighbouring Poland, but considered a number of options before deciding on a camp in England.
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      With four players based in England – including two in London – the capital was a clear choice.
      Arsenal full-back Oleksandr Zinchenko, Chelsea’s Mykhailo Mudryk, Everton defender Vitaliy Mykolenko and Bournemouth’s Illya Zabarnyi have all been called up.
      They will arrive on Monday, March 20 and stay in west London before facing England at Wembley Stadium on the Sunday of that week and flying out the following morning.
      Ahead of facing England in 2018 for Wayne Rooney’s final cap, the USA used Brentford’s training ground as their base.
      Ukraine’s meeting with Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions will be their first game since a 0-0 Nations League draw with Scotland in Krakow.
      They have not faced England since a 4-0 defeat in the Euro 2020 quarter-finals.
      Southgate’s men visit Italy in their opening qualifier on March 23 before hosting Ukraine three days later. More

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      Kylian Mbappe ‘barely considered’ world-record Arsenal transfer despite Arsene Wenger meeting for brutal reason

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      KYLIAN MBAPPE ‘barely considered’ joining Arsenal for a brutal reason – despite meeting with Arsene Wenger.The French superstar, 24, burst on to the scene with Monaco, breaking into the first team as a 16-year-old in December 2015.
      Kylian Mbappe decided to join PSG from Monaco in 2017Credit: Reuters
      Arsene Wenger met with the forward to try and bring him to ArsenalCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Compatriot Wenger visited the teenager at his home to try and seal a deal in 2016.
      But after unsuccessfully landing the rising star, Wenger made another attempt a year later.
      However, L’Equipe state Mbappe gave a switch to the Emirates very little thought.
      That is because Arsenal failed to qualify for the 2017-18 Champions League.
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      Mbappe had just won Ligue 1 with Monaco while the Gunners finished fifth, one point behind Liverpool, in turn ending their run of 19 consecutive campaigns at Europe’s top table.
      Instead, Mbappe made his switch to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, initially on loan before a £162million transfer 12 months later.
      Both Wenger and Mbappe have spoken publicly about the Gunners’ attempts to lure the forward to North London.
      Mbappe said in 2018 upon joining PSG permanently: “I met with Arsene Wenger, who is a great coach.
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      “He has a great reputation here in France, he’s well-respected and knows how to develop young players. This was a real option for me.
      “I dream of being managed by Arsene Wenger. He is French, he’s had a great career and now he is free because he has left Arsenal.
      “We weighed up the advantages and disadvantages of all the clubs but my family told me it had to be my decision and one I needed to make.
      “It also had to be a long-term decision. So it was up to me and I decided to come here in order to develop.”
      Wenger added: “The player would tell you that I was at his home last year to try to get him here.
      “Because he was at the end of his contract but Monaco managed to keep him and the decision was very, very tight.
      “But I could understand it as well because he was educated there and at the end decided to stay there.”
      Since joining PSG in 2017, Mbappe has racked up a club-record 201 goals at a strike rate of 0.81 goals per game.
      He has added four more Ligue 1 titles, three Coupes de France, two Coupes de la Ligue and reached the Champions League final in 2020.
      The Frenchman – who signed a mammoth £500m contract renewal last year – also won the World Cup in 2018 and the final in 2022, where he took home the Golden Boot.
      Read More on The Sun
      At Arsenal, however, Wenger left in 2018 and they have only been able to add an FA Cup triumph to their trophy cabinet since – although they are top of the Premier League with 12 games of this season to go. More

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      Analysing the Dream Team XI currently in pole position to win the jackpot – featuring just one Arsenal player!

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      LET’S not forget that the Dream Team gaffer who tops the leaderboard come the end of the season banks £75,000.Right now, Mark Okrasa is in pole position to win the jackpot.
      The Sheffield United fan’s XI ‘Marky 8′ has amassed 1949 points at the time of writing.
      Let’s take a look at the current make-up of his team.
      The current Game Week isn’t much to talk about but let’s look at the bigger pictureCredit: DREAM TEAM
      Mark is praying for Manchester City clean sheets with this strategy.
      Block-picking an entire defence from one team is a classic Dream Team tactic but it’s quite interesting that Pep Guardiola’s troops are the chosen ones here.
      The defending Premier League champions played seven times in February and their only clean sheet in that time came against Bristol City.
      However, it’s entirely possible (probable even) that Mark has only switched to an all-City back four and keeper since transfers were refreshed.
      The Etihad residents repelled Newcastle on Saturday to register a 2-0 win, meaning the selected crop banked 30 points in one fell swoop.
      Naturally, this provided a huge swing against gaffers with teams stacked full of Manchester United defenders.
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      David de Gea (£3.9m), Luke Shaw (£4.1m), Diogo Dalot (£3.9m), Raphael Varane (£3.5m) and Tyrell Malacia (£3.5m) all incurred minus six points each – whereas Lisandro Martinez (£4.4m) picked up a booking to suffer a seven-point deduction.
      Dozens of gaffers in contention for this season’s top prize were dealt a hammer blow by the Red Devils’ capitulation at Anfield, but not Mark.
      Manuel Akanji appears in just 2.8% of teamsCredit: GETTY
      Prior to Game Week 25, Mark’s midfield trio were the top three performers in their position but Phil Foden (£4.9m) has now jumped above Bukayo Saka (£5.1m).
      Still, the Gunners’ No7 has combined with Bruno Fernandes (£6m) and Kevin De Bruyne (£7.6m) for 469 points this season.
      Interestingly, the England winger is the only Arsenal player in Dream Team’s best XI right now – extraordinary given the state of the league table.
      Not only that, Mikel Arteta’s side will be plenty busy this month thanks to two Europa League knockout legs – perhaps Mark has some changes planned.
      Mark’s only Arsenal assetCredit: GETTY
      Erling Haaland (£9m) and Marcus Rashford (£6.5m) are essentially must-haves and they’re the two most-popular forwards in the game.
      Harry Kane (£7.8m) is the third-most selected forward but Mohamed Salah (£8.6m) isn’t far behind and the Egyptian has been on a tear on late, racking up 60 points in his last five outings.
      Mark will be hoping Tottenham’s premium marksman can make up some ground before the international break.
      Kane faces Milan this evening before taking on Nottingham Forest and Southampton in the league.
      Read More on The Sun
      There’s still a long way to go yet and plenty of points to be claimed but Mark has put himself in a great position to potentially land a life-changing sum of money through Dream Team.
      Good luck to all those in the mix at the top! More

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      Marcus Rashford reveals THREE reasons for red-hot form and shares verdict on Man Utd’s first season under Erik ten Hag

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      MARCUS RASHFORD has revealed the three key reasons behind his red-hot form this season.And the Manchester United star has also delivered his verdict on Erik ten Hag’s first season at the helm.
      Marcus Rashford has explained the reasons behind his amazing form this seasonCredit: PA
      Rashford, 25, has been in sparkling form this term with 25 goals in all competitions.
      It’s the forward’s best-ever campaign, with three months still left to play.
      And Rashford has already collected a trophy after beating Newcastle in February’s Carabao Cup final.
      The England star also bagged three goals at the World Cup in November.
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      And he has now revealed the three reasons behind his upturn in form.
      Rashford reckons being fully fit, having a proper training camp before the new term and slotting seamlessly into Ten Hag’s system have helped him hit new heights.
      And needless to say, Rashford is a big fan of the Dutchman already.
      That’s despite being part of the misfit side that lost 7-0 to Liverpool on Sunday.
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      Rashford said:  “The main thing is that I came into the season fit. 
      “I was 100% fit, I had a good training camp before pre-season and then it was a change with the new manager, new staff and way of playing. 
      “It was exciting for me and I’ve not looked back since then. 
      “We’ve come on a lot as a team and won big games in our style and it’s been a while since I could say that. 
      “We’ve tried our best to play our football.”
      Rashford also hit out at critics who claim he and teammates STOPPED playing in the hammering at Anfield.
      He added: “We didn’t give up – that is nonsense. We were unorganised and communication was bad.
      “It comes down to the fact I believe everyone was trying to get back into the game that much, we came away from the principles in and out of possession.
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      “I felt the forwards were trying to press, just the forward unit, and were disconnected from the midfield.
      “We were talking but weren’t in agreement on what to do. The only thing we can do is learn from it and move on.” More

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      We hate living near major Premier League ground… parking is a nightmare, our cars get damaged by fans & cops won’t help

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      RESIDENTS living near a major Premier League ground say that parking is a nightmare and that fans keep damaging their cars – but cops won’t help.Chaotic parking, road closures and a mass of noisy sports fans near the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium have left residents furious. 
      Residents have slammed the chaotic parking around Tottenham Hotspur’s stadiumCredit: Getty
      Concerned resident Mukhtar Laiche has lived in the area for 11 yearsCredit: Louis Wood
      One local, who wished not to be named, has been affected first hand by rowdy crowds when her car wing mirror got knocked off by football fans. 
      The resident lives along Bromley Road, which is often used to herd football fans as security tries to separate the home and away supporters. 
      She said: “This road is sometimes where they herd fans through so it is always very busy with people.
      “They can be trouble. Our car wing mirror got whacked and broken and when we went to the police they just said ‘you have car insurance’.”
      Read More Football
      For events, the roads around the area are closed, making it difficult for residents to get out or in.
      The local added: “My husband had to go to work one day and he couldn’t get out. 
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      “He had to argue with the stewards because he had to go to work and they wouldn’t budge. 
      “In the end he was allowed to go but it shouldn’t have to take him arguing to go to work.”
      Parking also is challenging during game days, when some residents are forced to park far from their houses because visitors take over the spaces. 
      The disgruntled local said: “You can get permits to park but it is normally not near the house and it is hard to find spaces.”
      As the chanting football fans or concert goers meander past, it’s impossible to not hear them. 
      She said: “It’s extremely noisy when the fans are herded down the road but they are not always too bad. It depends on the game really. 
      “The times we worry is when we have a football team that is kind of local like Arsenal. Then the crowds can be bad.
      “We complain but nothing really happens.”
      Another resident said: “The road is closed all the way to Seven Sisters so I see that it can be inconvenient. 
      “And the tubes and trains are completely over crowded making travelling anywhere from here difficult.”
      “There are sometimes some crazy people and when they congregate together they can be more boisterous.”
      Local Codon Traian, 40, dreads big game days. 
      He said: “There is a lot of noise and it can be dangerous because there are fights.
      “People smash those Corona bottles so it is bad sometimes.”
      While the construction worker does not feel worried going out on game days, he does fear for his son.
      He added: “I don’t feel scared but I do have a son and I would be scared for him.”
      One resident, who didn’t want to be named, shared this opinion and simply said: “It’s absolutely terrible.”
      Not all residents mind living next door to Spurs.
      Sarah Ring, 30, said: “I think it’s great having it there. 
      “There are so many events available for residents – they even do career days. 
      “It’s great going down there when events are on as they have lots of markets so it’s really fun to take the kids.
      “It’s very safe during big events. There are so many stewards. It feels very safe.”
      The mum said: “It’s a really good system. They put letters through our doors about upcoming events so we are prepared. 
      “Road signs are put up too telling us which roads will close and they are very quick when the event has finished to move the barriers and put everything back to normal.
      “When the new stadium was built they ensured that there was a level of sound proofing.” 
      Sarah added: “It’s not as loud with the new stadium, you can’t hear it really and when you can it doesn’t bother me.
      Read More on The Sun
      “The club has really boosted the area and I’m sure pushed up the value of houses as more is going on here now.”
      Tottenham Hotspur and the Metropolitan Police have been contacted for comment.
      Sarah Ring has defended the stadium against its local detractorsCredit: Louis Wood
      Resident Susan Broad is more positive about the stadium than many residentsCredit: Louis Wood
      Rowdy fans have damaged residents’ cars in the area around the new Spurs groundCredit: Rex More

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      Incredible unseen footage shows Jude Bellingham’s full Chelsea meltdown as he lobs bottle & yells at Cucurella

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      JUDE BELLINGHAM was absolutely fuming after Borussia Dortmund’s Champions League exit to Chelsea – and didn’t bother trying to hide it.Dortmund were eliminated from the last 16 after losing 2-0 to the Blues in a controversial clash at Stamford Bridge.

      Borussia Dortmund superstar Jude Bellingham was furious at full-time
      Jude Bellingham was incensed with Chelsea ace Marc Cucurella after the whistle
      Jude Bellingham slammed his bottle on the ground after the Champions League exit
      Jude Bellingham appeared to push the lens of a cameraman as he left the pitch
      The West Londoners opened the scoring with Raheem Sterling just two minutes before half-time but it was their second goal that led to intense protests from the visitors.
      Graham Potter’s side earned a contentious spot-kick after the ball hit Marius Wolf’s arm, which appeared to support the rest of his body during a tackle.
      Kai Havertz took the shot and rattled the post but the referee called for a retake as players got inside the box too early and the Germany international didn’t miss his second attempt on 53 minutes.
      That was the goal that made it 2-1 on aggregate and took Chelsea through to the quarter-finals, but Bellingham was incensed at full-time.
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      Fan footage caught the midfielder having an intense shouting match with Marc Cucurella.
      The England international had some angry words with Cucurella while he was held back by Kalidou Koulibaly, Enzo Fernandez and Christian Pulisic, but the situation thankfully didn’t escalate.
      However, the 19-year-old was still enraged as he slammed his bottle to the grass and sent its contents flying all over the pitch.
      Bellingham then appeared to push away the lens of a cameraman, who was trying to film him walk off.
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      The ex-Birmingham star, who has been linked with a move to Chelsea amid an ongoing bidding war for his signature, didn’t hold back during his post-match interview and described the penalty as a “joke”.
      Bellingham told BT Sport: ‘I’ve not seen the incident back.
      “From where I was, it looked like it was pretty close and I’m not sure what more he can do with the hands.
      “A yard or two away, I’m not too sure. I don’t want to get in trouble, I’ve paid enough to them lot.
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      “I think that in itself was disappointing, and then the fact that they’ve had a retake, I think it’s a joke.
      “For every penalty, especially when he has such a slow run-up, there’s going to be people encroaching into the box by a yard or so.
      “But that’s the game I suppose, he’s made the decision and we’ve had to live with it.” More