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      Yaya Toure piles praise on ‘brilliant, unbelievable’ Arsenal star and shares Premier League title prediction

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      MANCHESTER CITY legend Yaya Toure has shared his Premier League title predictions and praised an Arsenal star. The Gunners currently lead the Ivorian’s former club by five points at the top of the table.
      Yaya Toure has made his Premier League title predictionsCredit: Getty
      Thomas Partey has been praised by Yaya ToureCredit: Getty
      And the 39-year-old has been particularly impressed with Thomas Partey this season.
      He told talkSPORT: “He’s brilliant, it’s really nice to see.
      “I think now every weekend when Arsenal play, I have to be honest, I would go just to watch him. He’s just unbelievable.”
      Despite praising the North Londoners, Toure believes Mikel Arteta’s side will lose matches with City waiting to pounce.
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      He explained: “At the moment, it is really tight. Man City are just playing really well and are hoping Arsenal will drop points.
      “I think Arsenal will drop points. It is a long way still, the pressure is there. Manchester United are still doing well, Liverpool got a brilliant result a few days ago, and Arsenal are competing fantastically well. 
      “Sometimes a team who can become champions you can always smell that luck and positivity.
      “When I see games most of the time, you can feel champions when the team score, the camaraderie between the players, the celebrations and they enjoy playing for each other.
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      “It was a [last winner for Arsenal against Bournemouth]. I don’t want to say it is a decider of the league as it’s a long way to go.
      “I hope Man City will do it because I’m a fan of Man City.”
      Toure is speaking from experience having clinched the Premier League title three times and he also won two LaLiga titles with Barcelona.
      He currently works at Tottenham as a youth-team coach and he calls the job “a fantastic journey.” More

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      Man Utd transfer target Jurrien Timber drops huge hint he could quit Ajax in summer transfer window

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      JURRIEN TIMBER has dropped a massive hint suggesting he could quit Ajax. Manchester United wanted to sign Timber last summer, but saw their pursuit fall flat as he signed a contract extension.
      Jurrien Timber has dropped a huge hint he could leave Ajax this summerCredit: Rex
      The 21-year-old was wanted by Manchester United last summerCredit: Getty
      However, the 21-year-old has given perhaps his biggest indication yet that he may leave the Dutch champions.
      As quoted by Ajax Life, Timber said: “Transfer? You never know what crosses your path.
      “This summer I will look at my options and make a decision.
      “I feel good at Ajax, that’s important for now. Last summer there was interest, but I chose to stay at Ajax.”
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      With the failure to land Timber, Man Utd instead signed Lisandro Martinez.
      Timber has previously blasted reports suggesting former Red Devils boss Louis van Gaal told him not to join United.
      Speaking to Dutch outlet AD in September, Timber said: “Many things that are written in the media are false.
      “Like when people say that it was Louis van Gaal who told me not to go to Manchester United.
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      “He actually said I would make minutes there.”
      Timber has played 35 times for Ajax in a season that has seen the club sack Ten Hag’s successor Alfred Schreuder following a seven-game winless run.
      Despite a Carabao Cup victory less than a fortnight ago, United are now trying to get over the 7-0 thrashing by Liverpool.
      The fallout from the result has been severe, with SunSport revealing manager Erik ten Hag was the “angriest he’s ever been”. More

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      Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta wanted by Real Madrid in shock swoop with Carlo Ancelotti under pressure amid La Liga woes

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      REAL MADRID are considering a move to make Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta their next manager, according to reports.Current manager Carlo Ancelotti is said to be under pressure despite winning LaLiga and the Champions League last season.
      Real Madrid are interested in appointing Mikel ArtetaCredit: Alamy
      Real Madrid President Sergio Perez is said to have been left frustrated by some of Carlo Ancelotti’s recent decisionsCredit: AP
      His side trail league leaders Barcelona by nine points and suffered defeat to Xavi’s side in the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg earlier this month.
      President Sergio Perez was believed to be angered by that result and he has reportedly been left frustrated by some of Ancelotti’s decisions in recent weeks.
      According to Spanish outlet Blanca Remontada, Perez is considering replacing the Italian.
      And he reportedly likes the look of Arteta, who has taken Arsenal to the top of the Premier League.
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      However the Spaniard is tied to the club until 2025 after penning a contract last summer.
      He appears to be loving life at The Emirates and will likely be keen to see through his project until he adds another trophy to his collection.
      After agreeing a new deal Arteta said: “I’m excited, grateful and really, really happy today.
      “When I spoke to Josh [Kroenke] he could see the club at the same point and he wanted to take the club the way I wanted to do it.
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      “So everything that he’s said, and that Stan [Kroenke] has said when I’ve been together with both of them, they’ve always delivered.
      “We want to take the club to the next level and to compete really with the top teams. In order to do that, we have to be playing in the Champions League.
      “We have to be able to evolve the team, improve our players, improve all departments, generate even more connection with our fans, improve the atmosphere at the Emirates, be able to recruit top, top talent and the best people for this club to drive this project to that level.” More

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      Chelsea, Man City and Liverpool ‘all want Josko Gvardiol transfer’… but which club leads race for RB Leipzig star?

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      CHELSEA, Manchester City and Liverpool all want to sign Josko Gvardiol, according to reports.The RB Leipzig centre-back is one of the most sought-after players in Europe after impressing at the World Cup with Croatia.
      Josko Gvardiol is wanted by three Premier League clubsCredit: Rex
      The Daily Mail claim that Man City are leading the race to land the 21-year-old.
      Pep Guardiola’s side reportedly view Gvardiol as a priority signing this summer.
      The player has a £98million release clause that will begin from 2024 with RB Leipzig hoping he stays.
      Gvardiol joined the Bundesliga outfit in 2020 from homeland club Dinamo Zagreb for a fee of £14m and he has since helped them win the DFP Pokal last season.
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      City want to bring in a new defender as Guardiola has been forced into regular changes at the back this season and could sell Aymeric Laporte.
      The Spaniard, Ruben Dias and John Stones have all had lengthy spells out injured, while Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake have stepped in.
      Chelsea have already spent an eye-watering £138m on centre-backs Wesley Fofana, Kalidou Koulibaly and Benoit Badiashile this season.
      But with Thiago Silva aged 38, Gvardiol is seen as a potential long-term replacement.
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      Chelsea also have strong links to RB Leipzig, with them hoping to sign his team-mate Christopher Nkunku and the Blues’ technical director is Christopher Vivell, who they pinched from the Germans.
      Meanwhile, Liverpool are also interested in Gvardiol but rumours suggest they could be put off by the fee.
      Jurgen Klopp’s priority is revamping his midfield.
      They have been linked with the likes of Jude Bellingham and Mason Mount. More

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      Bayern ‘unlikely to trigger Joao Cancelo’s £60m permanent transfer option’ as Man City outcast’s loan spell gets worse

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      BAYERN MUNICH will NOT sign Joao Cancelo permanently at the end of the season, according to reports.The Bundesliga champions agreed a deal with Manchester City to take the Portuguese international on loan for the remainder of the campaign.
      Joao Cancelo is not expected to join Bayern Munich permanently in the summerCredit: AFP
      And they have the option of signing him for £59.2million in the summer.
      But according to Calcio Mercato, they are not expected to do so.
      Cancelo’s Bayern stint got off to the perfect start when he assisted in each of his opening two games.
      He started the following three matches, but has been benched by Julian Nagelsmann in recent weeks.
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      Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez are both injured for the home leg of their Champions League last-16 tie with Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday evening.
      Yet Cancelo, 28, is still not set to start as Nagelsmann prepares to select Croatian Josip Stanisic ahead of him in a back three.
      Kingsley Coman and Alphonso Davies are then expected to line up as wingbacks.
      Cancelo is said to be “frustrated” with his role in the Bayern squad and is likely to return to Man City come the end of the season.
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      However, his relationship with Pep Guardiola remains fractured and he could be forced to find a new club.
      Chelsea and Real Madrid have been mooted as potential destinations.
      Speaking about his sudden January exit, Guardiola said: “He left because he always wants to play all the games.
      “I wish him to do it in Germany for the next 4 months and then I don’t know what will happen next season.” More

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      Eden Hazard ‘now Real Madrid’s most expensive transfer ever as add-on triggered with ex-Chelsea ace to see out contract’

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      EDEN HAZARD is now Real Madrid’s most expensive player ever after triggering add-ons to overtake Gareth Bale’s £86million move from Tottenham in 2013.The Belgian penned a five-year deal with Los Blancos when he joined from Chelsea in 2019.
      Eden Hazard has largely been limited to the bench this seasonCredit: Rex
      Madrid pledged to pay the Blues a similar fee for Hazard that they paid for Bale, with potential add-ons possibly taking the fee as high as £142m.
      Due to his underwhelming time at Santiago Bernabeu he has not hit all of the clauses.
      But as he intends to stay until the end of his contract, The Athletic revealed that his fee has comfortably surpassed the £86m paid for Bale.
      Hazard has not played for Carlo Ancelotti’s side in over two months.
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      And he hasn’t featured in a LaLiga match since September.
      Despite his lack of game time, Hazard reportedly made clear in meetings with the club last month that he intends to stay and honour his contract.
      The 126-cap star is the highest-paid player at Real Madrid, and has settled well in the Spanish capital.
      His son Leo, 10, has even joined the club’s academy.
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      The Belgian last played in a Copa del Rey tie back in JanuaryCredit: Getty
      Hazard wants to stay in Madrid, despite being upset by the club’s repeated attempts to sell him dating back two years.
      It’s claimed that he is a popular dressing room figure, although many of his team-mates don’t believe that he can contribute much on the pitch any longer – having been dogged by injuries in recent seasons.
      He has largely been available this term, but shunned by boss Ancelotti – with whom his relationship is believed to be strained.
      Hazard has been an unused substitute 18 times in LaLiga this term.
      His most recent appearance came on January 3, when he played 67 minutes against fourth-tier Cacereno in the Copa del Rey.
      He last played in LaLiga on September 11 in a 4-1 win over RCD Mallorca.
      In total he has made seven appearances this season, scoring once – in a Champions League victory over Celtic.
      He has played just 73 times in nearly four years since leaving Chelsea, scoring only seven times.
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      Asked about his No7 last week, Ancelotti said: “Hazard is fine. He is training and he wants to have minutes. He can have them in the next games.”
      Hazard has been an unused substitute in the two matches that have followed.
      Hazard, 32, reportedly doesn’t have a strong relationship with Carlo AncelottiCredit: AFP More

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      I won the quadruple with Arsenal, now I am a pundit on Monday Night Football and breaking down boundaries

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      KAREN CARNEY is one of the most recognisable female footballers in British history and can be found regularly on our TV screens these days talking sense on footie. Carney, 35, had a stellar career playing at the top level of women’s football.
      Football pundit Karen Carney had a stellar 18-year career as a playerCredit: Getty
      Carney won the quadruple with Arsenal in the 2006/07 seasonCredit: Getty
      Carney made her debut aged 14 for Birmingham CityCredit: Action Images
      Starting off at Birmingham City aged 11, Carney would go on to make her pro debut at just 14 in the FA Women’s Premier League National Division against Fulham Ladies.
      It was also at Birmingham where she earned her first England cap in 2005 before moving on to Arsenal in 2006.
      In her first season at the Gunners, Carney played a major part in the team that won four major honours.
      Carney helped the team win the FA Women’s Premier League, FA Women’s Cup, FA Women’s Premier League Cup and the Uefa Women’s Cup.
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      She made 21 appearances in the Premier League in her first season and scored 10 goals as a winger/midfielder.
      After a brief stint in the US with Chicago Red Stars between 2009-10, Carney returned to Birmingham and then later played for Chelsea, who ended up being the final club of her career.
      Carney retired from football in 2019 with 144 England caps and 15 major honours.
      The football star-turned-pundit is also an England hall of famer.
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      Speaking on her record-breaking quadruple at Arsenal, Carney recalled Arsenal’s quest for Uefa Women’s Cup glory – the last trophy available to win that season.
      Arsenal beat then top team Umea in the final.
      Carney told FourFourTwo: “Umea were known as the Galacticos – they had players like Marta in their side – but we shut them out over two legs to become champions of Europe.
      “We were so together, I’m so proud to have been part of that team. It’ll never be forgotten. 
      “We’d already won the league, the FA Cup and the League Cup, so this completed the quadruple.
      “No one’s ever done that, and no English team has won the Champions League since. We made history. 
      “On paper they had the better team, but we had great players too, like Rachel Yankey, Kelly Smith, Alex Scott and Katie Chapman, as well as a togetherness.
      “Our coach Vic Akers was a great advocate for the women’s game, the only person I call gaffer or the boss.
      “He taught me about Arsenal and respecting the badge.”
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      Now Carney can be seen covering football for a number of broadcasters, and is called in to give her expert opinion on both men’s and women’s football.
      She covered the 2022 World Cup with ITV, is a WSL pundit for Sky Sports and has been seen plenty on the BBC and BT Sport in the past. More

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      Marcus Rashford slams ‘NONSENSE’ claims Man Utd gave up in Liverpool mauling and throws support behind Bruno Fernandes

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      MARCUS RASHFORD has rubbished “nonsense” claims Manchester United gave up during their humiliating defeat to Liverpool.Erik ten Hag’s men conceded SIX second-half goals as they lost 7-0 to their bitter rivals on Sunday.
      Marcus Rashford has urged Manchester United to bounce back from the Liverpool lossCredit: EPA
      Man Utd take on Real Betis on Thursday eveningCredit: EPA
      But England international Rashford, 25, was quick to shut down talk of the team throwing in the towel during the Anfield demolition.
      He said: “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.
      “I felt the forwards were trying to press, just the forward unit, and were disconnected from the midfield.
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      “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.”
      He then went on to add: “Liverpool versus United is a unique game, it doesn’t matter about form, it’s a special game of football that is decided in 90 minutes on the pitch.
      “Going in at half-time, it could have been a different game. I missed a chance to make it 1-0. They can take the game away from you and that’s what happened. It’s about resetting now.
      “Losing against Liverpool is enough. The scoreline doesn’t matter when you lose a game against Liverpool or any other rivals, it cuts deep, it’s not nice, it’s never a nice feeling but for me, I always remember how many games we’ve won against them. It’s football and why everyone loves the game.
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      “It’s disappointing but we can’t dwell on it and look back. We’re in a position where we’re still fighting on all fronts and we have a lot of games still to play. We want to put it right.”
      Rashford, who has scored 24 goals in 40 appearances so far this season, was also quick to defend Bruno Fernandes.
      The Portuguese star, 28, has been deputising as skipper due to club captain Harry Maguire being dropped to the bench for much of the campaign.
      But he raised eyebrows with his conduct on Merseyside.
      Fernandes repeatedly threw his arms up at his team-mates as Ten Hag’s men capitulated.
      He failed to acknowledge the away support at full-time, before Raphael Varane urged the rest of the team to head over to the Man Utd corner of the ground.
      Fernandes also went down clutching his face while wrestling with Ibrahima Konate, despite replays showing the Liverpool defender only made contact with his chest.
      He also appeared to push linesman Adam Nunn.
      And it has been reported his actions may lead to Ten Hag choosing a different permanent captain if Maguire departs in the summer.
      Yet despite his questionable behaviour, Rashford has nothing but praise for the ex-Sporting Lisbon man.
      He said: “I love playing with Bruno, as you can imagine. He’s the perfect player to play with.
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      “He’s been a good leader for us, even when he’s not captain, which is always a good sign. He’s helped other players become better leaders and the reality is that we can’t be an organised team in terms of just one leader being captain. He’s done a lot for us.
      “I don’t have anything negative to say about Bruno. As the manager said, nobody is perfect. I support him and I’m 100 per cent behind him.”
      Bruno Fernandes came in for a lot of criticism following the Liverpool lossCredit: EPA More