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      ITV make huge Sabitzer gaffe ahead of Man Utd FA Cup clash with West Ham as fans all say the same thing

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      ITV made a big error with Marcel Sabitzer on their line-up graphic ahead of Manchester United’s FA Cup clash with West Ham. The midfielder, who signed on loan from Bayern Munich in January, is part of the starting XI for tonight’s game.
      Marcel Sabitzer was drafted in on deadline day after an injury to Christian EriksenCredit: Getty
      But ITV failed to include an image of him in the graphic before the game.
      His picture is invisible while all the other United players can be seen.
      As one of the newer signings, it’s possible the 28-year-old does not yet have a squad photo for ITV to use.
      But fans were still baffled by his absence from the line-up photo given the star has been with United for weeks.
      READ MORE MAN UTD NEWS
      One said: “Why is Sabitzer invisible? Haha.”
      Another said: “Errrr……do we have a ghost playing for us??? If not, then why is Sabitzer not worthy of having a headshot image??!! Come on ITV, sort your graphics.”
      While another joked: “ITV coverage is that tinpot that they couldn’t even be bothered to photoshop a picture of Sabitzer.”
      The Austrian starts alongside Scott McTominay in a rotated Man United team as Erik ten Hag opted to rest some of his stars.
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      ITV didn’t have a photo of Sabitzer
      Also coming in are the likes of Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Tyrell Malacia.
      The FA Cup game comes only days after United won the other domestic trophy, the Carabao Cup, with a 2-0 win over Newcastle.
      With the club still within touching distance of league leaders Arsenal and into the Europa League last 16, a quadruple remains possible for United.
      THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY…The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheSunFootball and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunFootball. More

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      I was a Premier League star and had a fight with Ravanelli before turning to management but was hit by family tragedy

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      IT’S surely only a matter of time before we see former defender Neil Cox back in  football management . . . where he belongs.Since his departure as manager from his hometown club Scunthorpe in November 2021, the 51-year-old has attracted several offers, but admits the next move has to be right.
      Neil Cox has been out of management since departing home-town club Scunthorpe in November 2021Credit: Rex
      Ex-defender Cox played for Middlesbrough from 1994-1997Credit: Getty
      He said: “I have loved every moment of my football career as a player, coach and manager — and I still believe I have so much to give.
      “I’ve been touched that a few clubs have been in contact. But I want it to be the right fit for both parties.”
      Sadly, the last year has taken a tragic twist for the family, with Neil’s ex-wife taking her own life 12 months ago.
      Naturally, it has had a huge effect on his two daughters, who are 24 and 17.
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      He said: “It’s been such a traumatic time for the girls. I understand I will never be able to replace their mum but if I can be a dad and more for them I always will be.
      “It’s almost a year to the day. I could not be prouder of them both.”
      Cox reflects on his football life with vivid first memories of his parents’ house overlooking Scunthorpe’s Old Showground Stadium.
      He said: “At the age of eight, and with a few of my mates, we’d all leap over the wall into the stadium and go and live our dream by actually playing on the main pitch at the ground!
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      “The fact I got to play for my hometown team, and manage them too, is something very special for me.
      “When I was offered the Iron job it was something I couldn’t turn down.”
      As a player, Cox’s rise up the  league ladder was quite some jump.
      Cox spent six years at Watford, never playing under Graham Taylor but thriving once Gianluca Vialli took overCredit: Getty
      He made his debut for United in 1990 and played just 17 league games  that season before attracting interest from several big clubs, with Spurs keen to set up a potential double transfer for Cox and Richard Hall.
      In the end, Cox moved to Aston Villa in 1991 in a bizarre deal that included a then-record £400,000 fee for Scunthorpe, plus 2,000 spare stadium seats for Scunny’s Glanford Park!
      Cox added: “Within days of signing I was suddenly playing over in Hong Kong with seasoned international players like David Platt and Paul McGrath. I had to pinch myself.
      “The club had been knocked out of the FA Cup, so took the opportunity to use the free weekend to play in Asia. It was a whirlwind for me.”
      After two years at Villa, Cox was called up for England Under-21s and made six appearances.
      He said: “It was a great  team with players like Andy Cole and Jamie Redknapp.”
      Cox spent three years at Villa and helped them to League Cup success over Manchester United in 1994, before moving to Middlesbrough and their revolution under manager Bryan Robson.
      The former right-back added: “I was a big Manchester United fan and Robbo was a hero of mine, so it didn’t take much persuading!
      “Playing between the transition from Ayresome Park to the Riverside was an incredible time and being able to share it with the fans, too.”
      Cox moved to the big time when he switched from Scunthorpe to Aston Villa in 1991 for £400k plus 2,000 seatsCredit: Getty
      But it was at Boro that he suffered arguably the biggest one-off disappointment in his playing career.
      He missed the 1997 FA Cup final against Chelsea following an injury and a row on the morning of the match with Fabrizio Ravanelli over the star striker’s own fitness.
      The Italian insisted he was fine to play but limped off after 24 minutes as Chelsea won 2-0.
      After two years at Bolton, Cox’s next move was Watford for £500,000 where he thought he had found the perfect boss in Graham Taylor. It turned out to be anything but.
      He said: “I was born in Scunthorpe and he had grown up there.
      “Graham’s dad was a local reporter in Scunthorpe and I had gone to school with his niece. It seemed perfect but he took an instant dislike to me.
      “Within two weeks he told me he didn’t feel I had a future at the club.  I was never involved in any first-team activity under Taylor.”
      Cox has been interviewed for a recent ‘Under the Cosh’ podcast where he talks animatedly about his horror times with Taylor but how it all turned around for him  when Gianluca Vialli took over the Hornets.
      He became great friends with the Italian and, like so many,  was devastated by his passing in January.
      Cox said: “I count myself lucky that I worked with both Gianluca and Ray Wilkins at Watford.
      Cox celebrates scoring for Bolton in 1998 against old club VillaCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      “It’s hard to believe they are both no longer with us.  They were absolute class acts in terms of their football but more importantly, wonderful, humble people.”
      From Watford, he moved to Cardiff and then Crewe, where he wanted to help old friend Steve Holland, who is now Gareth Southgate’s No 2 for England.
      But Cox always had plans to go into coaching, adding: “While I was at Watford, I was very fortunate that Ray Lewington became manager and allowed me access to all the coaching at the club. I would ask questions and he would do the same with me.
      “My footballing highlights would be Villa’s League Cup win in 1994 and the Boro revolution under Robbo.
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      “But one of my real standout memories was being part of AFC Wimbledon’s rise after being unceremoniously dumped out of the league.
      “What those fans and that club have achieved is quite a story.” More

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      Arsenal legend Ian Wright claims major part of the team is ‘not working’ but knows what will fix it

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      ARSENAL legend Ian Wright has identified a major part of the Gunners that is “not working” – but says he knows the fix. The London club are top of the league but are experienced the biggest wobble of their season last month.
      Ian Wright is hoping his former club can land their first title since 2004Credit: Getty
      Defeats to Everton and Manchester City and a controversial draw against Brentford saw fans begin to worry that the season was unravelling.
      But wins against Aston Villa and Leicester has revived hopes that Arsenal are still in charge of the title race.
      Wright believes the club still has an issue on the left of the pitch that was sparked by Gabriel Jesus’ injury.
      He said on Premier League Productions: “Arsenal are straining every sinew right now to stay in front [of Manchester City].
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      “Yes, we have Jesus coming back which will then hopefully fire up [Gabriel] Martinelli even more because our left-hand side has missed Jesus.
      “Jesus would interchange with Martinelli, and he would get inside and we would get a little bit more going on our left side.
      “That has been a bit redundant even though Martinelli has scored some goals, he’s had to come off the bench to do that. It feels like a whole side of Arsenal is not working.
      “And once that comes back maybe we could start scoring more goals again and getting those goals and chances that we need to score, just to give us a bit more breathing space in the game because I don’t think from now on in Man City are going to relent.”
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      Martinelli experienced a dry patch of form where he went eight games without a goal earlier this year.
      But he has turned things around with goals at Villa and Leicester.
      Eddie Nketiah has been filling in for Jesus and was initially in hot form with five goals in six games, including a crucial winner against Manchester United.
      But he has not scored in any of his last six games. More

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      I was a record British transfer who marked Man Utd legend George Best then got married the next day

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      FORMER full-back Dennis Rofe had the company of two “Best” men for his wedding weekend in 1972.On Saturday November 4, 1972, Rofe was given the tough task of marking George Best as Leicester City drew 2-2 with Manchester United at Filbert Street and the Northern Ireland  wizard scored one of the goals.
      Dennis Rofe marked Manchester United legend George Best a day before getting marriedCredit: PA:Press Association
      Denis Rofe used to be a British record signing back in the dayCredit: Getty
      Dennis Rofe married Sue just a day after one of the biggest moments of his careerCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      Less than 24 hours later, the Foxes defender married Sue with a more conventional best man.
      Last November Dennis and Sue celebrated their golden wedding anniversary.
      Now 72 and retired, Rofe said: “That was quite a 48 hours. All the memories came flooding back when we had our 50th at the end of last year.”
      As a schoolboy, Rofe started playing as a striker before switching to midfield and then full-back, where he spent his entire professional career.
      Read More on Football
      Grammar school-educated, he was spotted by Leyton Orient scouts playing in tournaments in East London — with O’s then manager Jimmy Bloomfield a big influence early on.
      Rofe became a key member in the club’s Third Division triumph in 1969-1970 and the 1971-1972 FA Cup run to the quarter-finals.
      He added: “Jimmy became Leicester manager in 1971.
      “It was a no- brainer for me to rejoin my old boss.
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      “I moved to Leicester for a then British record for a defender of £112,000. That lasted just 24 hours because David Nish left  Foxes the next day to join Derby for £250,000!”
      “I joined Leicester on the same day Frank Worthington moved to the club from Huddersfield. What an incredible character Frank was — and so dearly missed.
      “We stayed at the Holiday Inn together for the first few months.
      “I always joke that I moved into the Holiday Inn at the age of 22 and by the time I had spent time with Frank, I was 58 when I left the hotel a few months later!
      “I remember Sue and I buying our first house for £12,000 with a mortgage of £8,000. My dad was panicking, asking me how on earth I was going to pay it back.
      “I absolutely loved my time at Leicester. We would go out once a week — if we didn’t have a midweek game — to a working man’s club and play darts and snooker and would put prizes into the raffle to help the proceeds to underpin these places.
      “I was honoured to get my chance to play for the England Under-23s.
      “I played against Czechoslovakia. I still have the England shirt and cap. They are treasured possessions.”
      ON THE MOVE
      He switched from Leicester to Chelsea in 1980 after Bloomfield left.
      His three seasons with the Blues were spent in the second tier and by 1982 he was keen to move again.
      He said: “I was living in Aldershot and a neighbour suggested I speak to Lawrie McMenemy at Southampton.
      “I managed to get to talk directly to Lawrie in the oddest way. At the time there was a football agent called Dennis Roach, so when I rang to get through to Lawrie, I was put straight through to him — with them thinking I was the agent.
      “McMenemy was very honest with me. He said he was happy to give me three months to see if it worked out. I spent most of the next 23 years at the club as a player and on the coaching staff.”
      After McMenemy left Saints,  Rofe was soon promoted by new manager Chris Nicholl to first-team coaching duties, until the club got rid of them both in 1991.
      Rofe added: “I became manager at Bristol Rovers but the board had   no   money and it was  impossible.”
      He returned to Southampton as youth team coach until 1997 — and had a third stint from 1998 to 2005.
      That left Rofe admitting: “I must be the only person to have been sacked three times there. But I still have a huge soft spot for the place.”
      Incredibly he was appointed by three Saints bosses and survived under SEVEN more.
      Rofe recalled: “I then went on to work for the Football League as a regional manager for its youth development programme. I would oversee the area between Oxford down to Yeovil. I thoroughly enjoyed the role.
      “Then an old mate, Paul Groves, took over at Bournemouth and wanted me to work with him.
      “However, not long after, Paul was replaced by Eddie Howe — a move which proved great for the club.
      “I moved into scouting for clubs like Wolves, Nottingham Forest and Charlton. Then everything changed after the Covid pandemic hit.
      “It completely stopped scouts  travelling around the country.”
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      He added: “I maintain a huge  passion for the game in a lifetime of playing, coaching and managing. I love watching and being part of matches as much now as when I was playing.
      “Yes I’m 72 and was forced into retirement almost because of the restrictions of Covid but I would still love to be involved in the game. That will never leave me.”
      Denis Rofe played for Leyton Orient, Leicester, Chelsea and SouthamptonCredit: Supplied More

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      Arsenal 4 Everton 0 RESULT: Gunners run riot against Toffees to go five points clear of Man City – latest

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      ARSENAL ran riot against Everton to go five points clear of Manchester City in the Premier League.Bukayo Saka popped up with a customary goal to put Arsenal ahead before Gabriel Martinelli doubled their lead.
      Martin Odegaard’s superb team goal made it three and then Martinelli grabbed his second to round off the scoring.

      RESULT: Arsenal 4-0 Everton
      TV channel: Not televised in the UK 
      Arsenal XI: Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Jorginho, Xhaka; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli
      Everton XI: Pickford; Coleman, Keane, Tarkowski, Mykolenko; Doucoure, Gueye, Onana; Iwobi, McNeil, Maupay

      CASINO SPECIAL – BEST ONLINE CASINOS FOR 2023
      Follow ALL the action with our live blog below
      That’s all from us!
      Thank you so much for joining us for this game, it was a cracker as we expected, maybe even better!
      After watching that, of course you want more football in your life, and boy do we have good news for you…
      Read the full match report for this game here, or check out the results of the FA Cup fixtures that took place alongside this one here.
      Thanks for reading, and goodnight!
      Match stats
      This is how the stats look after the full-time whistle.
      It was a game which was ultimately dominated by Arsenal, and that was reflected in the scoreline.
      The full-time match stats between Arsenal and Everton
      Everton rue their mistakes
      It was poor from Everton tonight, and they were ultimately outclassed.
      They had their chances in the first half, but failed to capitalise before being torn apart by Arsenal’s attack.
      They find themselves in the relegation zone tonight now, but they have the opportunity to turn it around against Nottingham Forest up next.
      Everton can turn things around when they face Forest away at the weekendCredit: Getty
      Arsenal go five points clear
      It’s five points now that separate Arsenal and Manchester City, having both played 25 Premier League games.
      Arsenal were worthy winners in the end tonight, and grew to dominate the game after a shaky start.
      Everton had two big chances before The Gunners even registered a shot on target, but the inability to convert came back to bite them when Bukayo Saka opened the scoring.
      Once they were in the lead, they never looked like losing it.
      Gabriel Martinelli added a second, before Odegaard made it three 20 minutes before the end.
      At the death it was Martinelli who made it four, following some great work by substitute Eddie Nketiah, who was unfortunate not to have a goal of his own.
      Arsenal have now moved five points clear at the top of the Premier LeagueCredit: Getty
      FT. Arsenal 4-0 Everton
      The referee calls the game to a close following two minutes of added time.
      What a game it was, with four goals and so much action.
      It sees Arsenal go five points clear at the top of the Premier League.
      90. Arsenal 4-0 Everton
      Nearly all over at the Emirates, and they have a corner at the death as they look to make it five.
      Odegaard crosses, but it is cleared first by Godfrey, and then by Holgate.
      87. Arsenal 4-0 Everton
      Smith Rowe almost gets a fifth for Arsenal!The Gunners are piling the misery onto Everton here.
      His shot just goes over the bar.
      “You’re going down” Chant the Arsenal fans…
      84. Arsenal 4-0 Everton
      Two changes for Arsenal, as Zinchenko and Saka are taken off.
      Tierney and Emile Smith Rowe are the players who come on.
      82. Arsenal 4-0 Everton
      It’s four for Arsenal!Champagne futbol.
      After that huge miss from Nketiah he does brilliantly this time to ghost in behind and lay the ball off to Martinelli.
      Martinelli makes no mistake, and taps home.
      80. Arsenal 3-0 Everton
      That would have been an unbelievable goal if Arsenal got the ball in the back of the net there!That was so, so slick.
      Textbook Arsenal as they glide around the pitch, it falls to Saka in the end, who misses the target this time.
      Nketiah then misses a glaring opportunity in a 1v1 with Jordan Pickford. Poor.
      77. Arsenal 3-0 Everton
      Arsenal are enjoying themselves, and exuding confidence here now.
      They are spraying the ball about the pitch at their will, and have been brilliant in the second half.
      74. Arsenal 3-0 Everton
      Eddie Nketiah and Fabio Vieira are on for Arsenal, they come on in replacement of Granit Xhaka and Leandro Trossard.
      73. Arsenal 3-0 Everton
      It was a lovely finish from Martin Odegaard, following some great work by Leandro Trossard.
      He got down the left hand side, and cut it back perfectly for the Norweigan attacker on the penalty spot.
      He arrived perfectly, and rifled it home.
      71. Arsenal 3-0 Everton
      Odegaard makes it three for Arsenal!
      It is Trossard who gets the assist for The Gunners!
      68. Arsenal 2-0 Everton
      Yellow card for Ben Godfrey for a foul on Trossard.
      He is too worried about getting his body in the way, rather than taking the ball away from the Belgian.
      Slightly too aggressive from Everton as of late…
      66. Arsenal 2-0 Everton
      A chance for Arsenal again, but this one is squandered by Martinelli following the corner.
      64. Arsenal 2-0 Everton
      So neat and tidy from Arsenal here.
      Partey has injected that calmness into this Arsenal side.
      Xhaka underlaps Martinelli, and wins a corner for The Gunners, Trossard to take.
      62. Arsenal 2-0 Everton
      Double change for Everton…
      Demarai Gray is coming on for Neal Maupay here, and Ben Godfrey is on for Seamus Coleman.
      60. Arsenal 2-0 Everton
      Chance for Trossard!It is lashed at by the Belgian after a teasing cross from Ben White.
      The ball sails over the crossbar, but Seamus Coleman has done so well there to put him off.
      57. Arsenal 2-0 Everton
      All the Arsenal songs coming out now at the Emirates.
      “SALIBA! Dudududududududu”
      Arsenal are in absolute control here now, and the fans are enjoying it.
      It looks like they will be five points clear at the summit tonight.
      55. Arsenal 2-0 Everton
      Maupay tries a half-volley, but gets it all wrong…
      Arsenal attack on the break, but Mykolenko does well to put a stop to that.
      52. Arsenal 2-0 Everton
      James Tarkowski gets the first yellow card of the evening.
      He has been aggressive all evening, but this one is a stretch too far for him and he gets a booking.
      50. Arsenal 2-0 Everton
      Mykolenko tries to make a challenge on Saka, but the Arsenal winger stands on him in the process.
      The Ukrainian needs some medical attention so the ball goes out of play.
      It is given back to Pickford to play on…
      46. Arsenal 2-0 Everton
      Back underway in the second half, and there is one change for each team.
      Mason Holgate has come on for Idrissa Gueye for Everton.
      Thomas Partey is on in place of Jorginho for Arsenal.
      HT. Arsenal 2-0 Everton
      This game could have been so different, as Everton missed two chances before Arsenal even registered a shot on target.
      However, The Gunners soon turned the game on it’s head before half-time.
      Saka firstly with a brilliant turn inside the box, which was matched by the finish.
      Then it was Martinelli’s turn to get on the score-sheet, as Saka played him through after pouncing on an Idrissa Gueye mistake.
      This is how the match stats look at half-time:
      The half-time match stats between Arsenal and Everton
      Load more entries… More

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      How long Ivan Toney faces being banned for after Brentford star admitted breaching FA betting rules

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      IVAN TONEY could be banned for “at least six months” after admitting to breaching FA betting rules, according to reports.The Brentford striker was charged with 232 alleged breaches between 2017 and 2021 last November, and another 30 a month later.
      Ivan Toney could be banned for ‘at least six months’Credit: Reuters
      Toney, 26, admitted to many of the 262 charges, but has contested others.
      The forward has now submitted his response to the FA, who will assess it before setting a hearing date.
      An Independent Regulatory Commission will then be tasked with reaching a verdict and deciding on a potential punishment, based on the evidence at their disposal.
      According to Sky Sports, Toney is expected to be banned for a minimum of six months.
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      Thomas Frank’s side would like a verdict to be reached as soon as possible, so that Toney could begin a ban without interrupting too much of next season.
      The fallow months of June and July would be included as time served by Toney.
      It is not anticipated that the FA will finish assessing Toney’s response for a while – with an April hearing likely.
      The striker has scored 26 Prem goals across two seasons for the Bees.
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      There is no suggestion that Toney placed wagers on any matches – which took place between 2017 and 2021 – in which he was involved.
      Toney, 26, was on loan from Newcastle at Wigan and Scunthorpe during the early part of that period before his moves to Peterborough and Brentford, whom he joined in 2020
      England star Kieran Trippier was penalised for breaking FA betting rules after telling a friend to “lump on” ahead of his transfer from Tottenham to Atletico Madrid in 2019.
      Trippier did not directly place a bet but following an investigation he was banned from football activity for ten weeks and fined £70,000.
      In 2016 Joey Barton was found to be in breach of the betting rules after placing 1,260 bets over a period of ten years.
      The following April he was banned for 18 months, effectively ending his career as he retired instead of deciding to appeal his punishment.
      Former England striker Daniel Sturridge was banned for four months and fined £150,000 in January 2018 after being found guilty of passing on information relating to his transfer. More

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      Chelsea striker Aubameyang keeps himself busy as he gets incredible £270k hologram Lamborghini rewrapped in France

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      CHELSEA star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has sent his incredible Lamborghini off for a rewrapping. The star is enduring a difficult season on the pitch as he struggles to get into Graham Potter’s team, despite the Blues’ struggles going forward.
      Petrol head Aubameyang owns a number of stunning supercarsCredit: Instagram / @msmotorsofficiel
      The Chelsea striker took his lambo out for re-wrap jobCredit: Instagram / @msmotorsofficiel
      Aubameyang is struggling for game time at Stamford BridgeCredit: Rex
      But the former Gabon international is keeping himself busy by focusing on one of his many super cars.
      He took to Instagram to show off his Lamborghini being shipped off to France for a face lift.
      The fancy chrome-wrapped car was taken away in a container to have some work done it, with Aubameyang snapping pics of its progress.
      He shows the vehicle, worth around £270k, up on a stand being picked apart by mechanics.
      READ MORE CHELSEA NEWS
      And he shares pics of the super car out on the streets with its new updated design.
      Aubameyang was caught on camera after crashing one of his Lamborghinis back in 2019.
      Back when the striker was playing for Arsenal, he got into a shunt on the M25 near Potters Bar, Hertfordshire.
      After leaving the Emirates last year, he enjoyed a short but successful stint at Barcelona.
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      Aubameyang was then recruited to solve Chelsea’s goal-scoring crisis last summer but has yet to really launch his career at Stamford Bridge.
      He only has three goals in 18 games in all competitions and was left out of Chelsea’s Champions League squad for the knockout stages following the club’s January transfer spree.
      Aubameyang crashed one of his Lamborghinis back in 2019Credit: Instagram / @msmotorsofficiel
      Mechanics were hard at work rewrapping the carCredit: Instagram / @msmotorsofficiel
      Aubameyang will be hoping to be spending more time on the pitch for the remainder of the seasonCredit: Instagram / @msmotorsofficiel More

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      What happened to ex Arsenal and Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka and where is he now?

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      NICOLAS Anelka was a prolific goal scorer for some of the Premier League’s biggest teams.He has not featured in English football’s top division since the 2013/14 season. Here’s a reminder of his career achievements, and a look at what he’s doing now.
      Anelka played for six Premier League sides over the course of his career
      Which clubs did Nicolas Anelka play for?
      Nicolas Anelka played for a variety of the world’s top clubs during his career.
      After beginning his career at Paris Saint-Germain, Anelka signed for Arsenal in 1997.
      A successful first season saw Arsenal win a Premier League and FA Cup double in 1998, with Anelka scoring the second goal in a 2-0 win against Newcastle to clinch the cup.
      Anelka scored 17 league goals and was named PFA young player of the year in his second season, but it wasn’t enough to retain the Gunners League and cup crowns.
      READ MORE ON NICOLAS ANELKA
      He moved to Real Madrid in 1999, but despite vital goals in EL Classico and in both legs of the 2000 Champions League Semi-final, on route to winning the trophy, Anelka fell out of favour.
      After a short spell back in Paris, Anelka joined Liverpool in the 2001/02 season on loan, contributing to a second place league finish. However, he wasn’t offered a permanent deal.
      He signed for Manchester City, who were then managed by Kevin Keegan, in 2002.
      The Frenchman contributed goals in famous wins against Manchester United in the last Manchester derby at Maine road, as well as two away to former club Liverpool, as newly-promoted City qualified for Europe.
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      He followed this with an impressive 16 league goals in the clubs first season at what is now the Etihad stadium.
      Anelka handed Jose Mourinho his first defeat as Chelsea manager in 2004, scoring a penalty in a 1-0 win. It was Chelsea’s only league defeat of the season.
      Anelka left City for Fenebache in January 2005, but returned to English football in August 2006 with Bolton.
      After helping Bolton qualify for the UEFA Cup in 2007, Anelka continued his fine scoring form for the club, which attracted interest from Chelsea, who he signed for in January 2008.
      A slow start to his Chelsea career saw him reduced to mostly substitute appearances, and he had the decisive penalty saved in the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final to hand Manchester United their third European crown.
      Anelka bounced back from this by winning the Premier League golden boot in 2008/09, scoring 19 league goals.
      He was also a vital part of Chelsea’s 2009 FA Cup triumph, scoring four goals on the run to the final.
      The 2009/10 season was even more successful, with the Frenchman forming a prolific partnership with Didier Drogba, scoring 15 goals in all competitions as The Blues won their first League and FA Cup double.
      Anelka scored a huge goal in the early stages of the vital match against Wigan on the last day of that season.
      Needing a win to be champions, a half-volley in the sixth minute eased the London clubs nerves, as they raced to victory.
      He also scored in the second half of the 8-0 win, a spectacular volley into the ground that beat Wigan goalkeeper Mike Pollitt as Chelsea secured their fourth league title.
      He played the full 90 minutes as Chelsea retained the FA Cup with a 1-0 win against Portsmouth in the final.
      The 2010/11 season saw Chelsea fair to retain the title, despite being top in November of that year.
      Anelka was Chelsea’s top scorer with 16 goals in all competitions, as they finished second behind Manchester United.
      After scoring in Chelsea’s first home match of the 2011/12 season against West Brom, Anelka failed to score again for The Blues, and joined Shanghai Shenhua on a free transfer in December 2011.
      After unsuccessful spells in China and at Serie A club Juventus, Anelka joined West Brom on a free transfer.
      What happened to Nicolas Anelka?
      Anelka’s spell at West Brom was unsuccessful, scoring only two goals in his 12 appearances for the club.
      In a 3-3 draw away to West Ham, Anelka performed a controversial gesture after celebrating a goal.
      The quenelle gesture was seen by the FA as an anti-Semitic gesture, and was banned for five games and fined £80,000.
      Anelka said the gesture meant anti-establishment, and soon left West Brom.
      Is Nicolas Anelka still playing football?
      Anelka retired in 2015 after a spell with Mumbai City in the Indian Super League.
      In 2020 a Netflix documentary called Misunderstood was released looking at his life and playing career.
      His last role in football was as the sporting director of fourth-tier French club Hyeres. He left in 2021.
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      Is Nicolas Anelka married and does he have any children?
      Anelka has been married to Barbara Anelka Tausia, a Belgian choreographer and dancer, since 2007.
      Together, they have had three children, named Kais, Kahil and Lina. More