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      Fulham 1 Wolves 1: Solomon wonderstrike helps hosts fight back to earn draw but visitors still leave with crucial point

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      MANOR SOLOMON is becoming a bit of a super sub for Fulham.The 23-year-old Israeli midfielder climbed off the bench for a third time in a row to come up trumps for boss Marco Silva.
      Manor Solomon is in great goalscoring form for FulhamCredit: Rex
      Pablo Sarabia claimed his first goal for Wolves to open the scoring at Craven CottageCredit: Rex
      First he did it to seal a 2-0 win against Nottingham Forest two weeks ago.
      And last weekend he come on to score a late winner at Brighton.
      He was at it again last night as he came on at half-time after a dismal opening 45 minutes for the hosts.
      Solomon repaid his boss by scoring an absolute belter after 64 minutes to rescue a point for the Cottagers.
      And he became only the second Israeli to score in three consecutive Premier League games, joining Ronny Rosenthal who achieved the feat with Liverpool in 1992 — seven years before Solomon was even born.
      It almost felt as though Fulham were playing with 10 men during the first half as Wolves produced another impressive performance under manager Julen Lopetegui.
      And the visitors were looking good value for three points when Pablo Sarabia opened his Wolves scoring account in his fifth game since a £4.5million move from PSG in January — with a driven 23rd-minute strike.
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      But Solomon’s goal changed the course of the game and it was Fulham who ended feeling hard done by — after Wolves keeper Jose Sa’s world-class injury-time save denied Carlos Vinicius.
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      It was an electric atmosphere under the lights at Craven Cottage with the travelling Wolves fans in full voice. They are clearly happy with the progress made under boss Lopetegui as they chanted his name.
      When the Spanish coach took over during the World Cup break, Wolves were rock bottom and four points adrift of safety. Now they are 15th and four points clear of the drop zone.
      It was the visitors who started the brighter of the teams and Tim Ream had to make a vital block to stop a Matheus Nunes cross with Raul Jimenez set to pounce.
      Then Kenny Tete made a vital interception to block a Hugo Bueno cross after he was played down the left by Nunes.
      Wolves were not to be denied opening the scoring goal.
      During a superb Wolves move, Nunes’ lofted pass saw Jimenez cushioned a beautiful header for Sarabia to control the ball before driving it into the bottom left corner.
      But Fulham had a golden chance to level terms when Bobby De Cordova-Reid wiggled free down the right and delivered a perfect cross.
      Manor Solomon made his impact again off the bench with a brilliant strikeCredit: Getty
      However, Vinicius — who had a free-header — failed to get any true pace on the ball and it was catching practice for Jose Sa.
      Yet, down the other end, Jimenez was unmarked when Ruben Neves flighted a lovely cross after hot-footing past Ream but he headed over.
      On the stroke of half-time Willan tumbled after being caught by Mario Lemina 25 yards out.
      Andreas Pereira’s thumping free-kick was superbly tipped over by Sa.
      Silva made a double change at the break — bringing on Sasa Lukic and Manor Solomon for Cordova-Reid and Harrison Reed, who had picked up a knock.
      But it was Wolves who continued to threaten and Sarabia sent over a lovely cross from the right which Jimenez flashed a header wide.
      Yet Fulham drew level with a goal out of nothing.
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      Wolves gave away possession 30 yards out. Solomon strode forward, dropped a shoulder before blasting a curling effort past Sa.
      The Cottagers almost snatched it but Sa made a superb save to push away a Vinicius header from Tete’s cross. More

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      Mason Greenwood’s hopes of playing for Man United again could be dashed by club’s high-profile female stars

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      MASON Greenwood’s hopes of playing for Man United again could be dashed by opposition from the club’s high-profile female stars.The striker — due to be a dad in the summer — wants to return to the first-team squad as soon as possible after charges of attempted rape, ABH and controlling behaviour were dropped.
      Mason Greenwood’s hopes of playing for Man United again could be dashed by opposition from the club’s high-profile female starsCredit: PA
      The increasing importance of United’s table-topping women’s team has given them a strong voice – pictured Manchester United Women playersCredit: Alamy
      An aerial shot of the men’s and women’s teams’ shared training facilities – Manchester United’s Carrington Training GroundCredit: Getty
      But the increasing importance of United’s table-topping women’s team has given them a strong voice in any decision.
      England’s Euro 2022 winners Ella Toone, Mary Earps and Alessia Russo plus club captain Katie Zelem are regarded as leaders of the current squad.
      The men’s and women’s teams share some facilities at the training ground.
      And some players have told senior club officials they would be deeply concerned if Greenwood returned.
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      A source said: “If Mason does come back, it is inconceivable that he would not have any contact with any of the women’s team.
      “Everyone at the club is very aware of what was alleged at the time of his arrest.
      “Likewise they know he had all charges dropped and is innocent.
      “The situation has been discussed within the women’s squad and some hold strong views.”
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      Greenwood was arrested in January last year after a woman made claims on social media.
      Three weeks ago he was cleared of any wrongdoing. He remains suspended by the club but gets his £75,000-a-week salary. He is contracted until 2025.
      Natalie Burrell, founder of United Women’s Supporters’ Club, has said she never wants to see Greenwood in a red shirt again.
      She added: “United need to make a statement and letting him back would be the worst thing they could do.
      “It would set back our club in terms of what we’re trying to do with our women’s team and campaigns like Her Game Too, which aim to encourage women to play and watch football.
      “I don’t want to see him training, in a kit, or coming out at Old Trafford again. And I’m confident they won’t (let him).”

      United were previously criticised for not having a women’s team but finally launched one in 2018.
      Since then, the team has leapt to the top of the Women’s Super League and played at Old Trafford to huge crowds. More

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      Javi Gracia did it on a rainy Wednesday night in Stoke for Watford, I’ve no doubt he’ll be an instant success at Leeds

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      JAVI GRACIA will have instant success at Leeds, I really do believe that.I go back to my time at Watford when he was manager. He came in and replaced Marco Silva in January 2018 with a very quick turnaround.
      Troy Deeney is a fan of his former manager Javi GraciaCredit: Reuters
      His first game was Stoke City away on a Wednesday night on deadline day. 
      It was absolutely lashing down, a proper crappy night, and we had just brought in Gerard Deulofeu.
      He got us organised quickly and Deulofeu looked sharp but what I liked about that evening was how he reacted quickly under pressure.
      Midfielder Ben Watson was originally in the starting line-up only for the club to decide in the hotel before kick-off to sell him.
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      Talk about being thrown into the deep end, and we still managed to get a 0-0 draw with all of that in the background.
      Imagine what he can do now at a huge club with a very good team.
      And that’s what he has with the likes of Wilfried Gnonto, a contender for Young Player of the Year at the end of the season, the American boys Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie and winger Jack Harrison.
      The fact Javi has accepted this flexible contract, and taken on 100 per cent of the risk, it shows you the kind of man he is. And when good things happen to good people, you can’t help but like it.
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      I have been texting him recently and he is really excited and so grateful for the opportunity.
      I follow quite a lot of Leeds pages on Twitter because my dad used to be a fan back in the day, so I have a vested interest.
      I said to Javi that if there was anything I could do to help, even if it is just getting him to understand just how big the club is.
      When his name was mentioned at first I was quite surprised. Then the more I thought about it and looked at it, it makes absolute sense.
      Every time I have watched Leeds this year, I have felt they needed an element of stability. Everyone has been a bit crazy. They need organisation, they need structure.
      They have the players and the quality but they just need to settle down and stop letting in the number of goals they have been conceding. They’ve been running around like school children at times.
      With Javi, the thing he does best is understanding who he has and what they are good at.
      Troy Deeney believes Javi Gracia can get the best out of Leeds’ star playersCredit: Getty
      At Watford, he knew he had three very good midfielders in Etienne Capoue, Will Hughes and Abdoulaye Doucoure — a balanced left footer, a high energy presser and a box-to-box runner.
      He then decided to play with two wingers but allowed Deulofeu and Roberto Pereyra to float from side to side. It started out as a 4-3-3 but it was fluid with the ball.
      It wasn’t just about telling people to run around and do what they wanted. It is about being solid and then he lets his front three go and win a game.
      He is very meticulous for whoever the opponent is and is very smart and understanding in terms of exploiting a team’s weaknesses.
      In his second game in charge, we beat Chelsea 4-1 at home. I got in trouble for swearing at the away fans after scoring a penalty but we absolutely played them off the park that night.
      I was disappointed that Javi got sacked in September 2019 because I don’t think he did anything wrong.
      Second-bottom Leeds host bottom club Southampton in Javi Gracia’s first game as boss at Elland Road tomorrowCredit: PA
      He got us to an FA Cup final, and finished 14th and 11th in his two full seasons. There were things that happened after the 6-0 final defeat to Manchester City that were out of his control. 
      But it was the way that he conducted himself as a man that impressed me.
      He wasn’t allowed to come in and say goodbye to the players, so he texted everyone individually.
      He could have easily left out the back door but he didn’t, and what he said to me privately meant a lot.
      Read More on The Sun
      I now think Leeds have got a great chance of staying up. Can you imagine what it is going to be like as an opposition player when you have Elland Road rocking and it is a must-win game? No thanks. It will be so intimidating.
      The Leeds fans have been used to Marcelo Bielsa and Jesse Marsch, which is o were all about high energy and run, run, run. But one thing they would like to get used to is winning football games. More

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      Man Utd star Mason Greenwood becoming a dad for first time weeks after attempted rape and assault charges were dropped

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      MAN United’s Mason Greenwood is due to become a first-time dad.The suspended player, 21 — who had attempted rape and assault charges against him dropped — recently learned his partner is pregnant.
      Suspended Man United’s Mason Greenwood is due to become a first-time dadCredit: PA
      Greenwood, 21, recently learned his partner is pregnant – pictured leaving a November hearingCredit: AFP
      His family are aware and the couple are “looking forward” to the summer arrival.
      Greenwood was arrested in January last year after a woman made claims on social media. Three weeks ago he was cleared of any wrongdoing.
      He remains suspended by the club but gets his £75,000-a-week salary. He is contracted until 2025.
      The striker wants to return to the first-team squad as soon as possible.
      READ MORE ON Man Utd
      However it is understood some female players would be deeply concerned if senior club officials allowed Greenwood to return.
      Natalie Burrell, founder of United Women’s Supporters’ Club, has said she never wants to see Greenwood in a red shirt again.
      She said “United need to make a statement and letting him back would be the worst thing they could do.
      “I don’t want to see him training, in a kit, or coming out at Old Trafford again. And I’m confident they won’t (let him).”
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      Greenwood’s family are aware and the couple are ‘looking forward’ to the summer arrivalCredit: Reuters
      The striker was cleared of any wrongdoing three weeks agoCredit: PAGREENWOOD’S TIMELINE

      MARCH 2019: Greenwood makes his debut for United. He has gone on to make 129 appearances, scoring 35 goals.
      SEPTEMBER 2020: Wins his first senior England cap as a sub in a 1-0 away win over Iceland, left. Two days later he is withdrawn from the squad for breaching Covid guidelines by leaving the part of the hotel the squad was in.
      FEBRUARY 2021: United announce the striker has signed a contract until June 2025, with the option to extend it for another 12 months.
      JANUARY 2022: Held on suspicion of rape and assault. United suspend him on full pay.
      FEBRUARY 2022: Sponsors including Nike end relationship with him.
      OCTOBER 2022: Greenwood is arrested for breach of bail. He is charged the following day with attempted rape, assault and controlling behaviour and due to appear at Manchester magistrates court. Trial set for November 2023.
      FEBRUARY 2 2023: CPS announces it has dropped all charges. United announce they will hold their own investigation.
      FEBRUARY 2023: Sun reports he is due to become a dad. More

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      I grew up watching English football but it’s my World Cup with Messi that’ll make me a Chelsea star, says Enzo Fernandez

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      IN the space of two months, Enzo Fernandez has been cheered through the streets of Buenos Aires and booed off at Stamford Bridge.In between, the Argentina midfielder became the most expensive signing in English football history with a £106million transfer deadline-day move to Chelsea.
      Enzo Fernandez and Lionel Messi won the World Cup with Argentina in DecemberCredit: Getty
      Fernandez completed a huge £106million move to Chelsea last monthCredit: Rex
      And the 22-year-old only turned professional barely three years ago.
      Behind the hype, money, tattoos, YouTube clips and the World Cup winners’ medal, Fernandez is a naive, deeply religious boy with so much to learn as he grapples with stardom and living up to expectations.
      He said: “A lot has happened in a very, very short time and I still feel like I’m in a period of apprenticeship, like a learning period — it’s still a learning curve.
      “I’m totally aware I’ve come to a massive institution. To a massive club in Chelsea.
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      “It’s all gone very quickly. It’s just three years, my professional career.
      “From my time at Defensa, through to River Plate, I’ve learned something at every stage of my career, and also Benfica as well.
      “Then to win the World Cup — it’s a dream, isn’t it?
      “But you never lose that desire to learn and improve and that’s what has always signified my style and my play.
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      “It’s in my training, wanting to learn, wanting to improve and wanting to be better as a footballer and as a man.”
      Fernandez is learning the hard way, with Chelsea heading into Sunday’s traditionally frenetic London derby at Spurs on a dreadful run by their standards.
      Two wins in 14 games and just one goal in their last five matches… hardly the best return on an investment of about £286m in the last transfer window alone.
      It is probably not what Chelsea’s record signing was expecting either and a comedown after the delirium that greeted Argentina’s Qatar 2022 triumph where he was Young Player of the Tournament.
      But Fernandez knows all about the ups and downs of English football after watching lots of it as a kid.
      He said: “It would be me and my dad in bed with a bottle of Mate, the herbal tea, watching the Premier League on TV, just me and my dad.
      “I always used to get up early, I know exactly the times — Sunday mornings we used to tune in for the Premier League.
      “It is four hours’ difference in the winter, three hours in the summer.
      “So we knew exactly. Sunday mornings, we’d get up, watch the TV — teams like Chelsea and Manchester United.
      “I was aware of all the Argentinians playing here then like Kun Aguero, Carlos Tevez, and Higuain, who was at Chelsea.
      “I’ve always loved watching football and so have all my family. There were lots of heroes here in the Premier League.”
      Arguably the greatest Argentine player ever, Lionel Messi, will probably never experience English football’s rough charm.
      But Fernandez will bring to Stamford Bridge the experience of a transformative month when he went from squad hopeful to mainstay of a World Cup-winning team alongside a true great in Argentina’s legendary captain.
      Fernandez said: “What can I take from that time with him?
      “Energy from that squad, that dressing room and from all my Argentinian team-mates because it was a special dressing room. You can imagine it was lively.
      “Also positivity, desire and a real will to win — those are the ideas that were really prevalent in that dressing room. But also keeping humble, as that’s a thing about Messi, keeping humble.
      “He’s one of those leaders who is really positive all the time, both in the example he sets in his style of play but also on a human level in the dressing room.
      Fernandez has called on Chelsea fans to place their trust in the playersCredit: Getty
      “I felt very conscious he was with me all the way, giving me a lot of moral support.
      “It was a dream, my biggest dream ever really, to play with Messi and to be in a team with Messi.
      “I know I’m still young and I need to keep learning.
      “But at some point in the future, maybe tomorrow, or in the future, I want to really demonstrate that I’m a leader both in the group off the field and on the field as well.
      “It’s all about coming back to that point of doing my best for the team. I want to help take this club forward and help my team-mates.”
      Millions greeted Fernandez and the Argentina team on their homecoming with a third World Cup — but now it is back to the nitty gritty.
      But where it was Messi a few weeks back, Fernandez now shares a dressing room with less imperious players.
      He added: “There was a huge celebration but now it is just a case of changing the chip in your head as that is all you are doing.
      “You never lose that professionalism, that desire, that strength to compete, that desire to win stuff on all fronts and in all competitions.
      “Every competition I’ve gone into, I have always considered myself to be really professional. My attitude has not changed.
      “And however fantastic it was to win the World Cup, you still have those ideals of doing your best, helping your team-mates and trying to compete with everything you have got.”
      Fernandez has implored the Chelsea fans to put their faith in the players as they attempt to climb out of a dreadful run of form.
      He added: “My message to the fans is never forget that we are representing you.
      “We are there for you. We are representing you as a group of supporters.
      “Trust us. Trust the players, trust the backroom staff, trust the manager because we are all moving in the same direction. We have a lot of new faces here and it is a restructuring of the club and the playing staff.
      “I would encourage them to be patient.
      “We know we are representing them and we are giving everything for them.
      Read More on The Sun
      “We are trying to win games, starting on Sunday. Then we can start to turn things around.”
      CHELSEA (likely): Kepa, Badiashile, Silva, Chalobah, James, Fernandez, Kovacic, Chilwell, Sterling, Havertz, Mudryk. More

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      I earned £65 a month and found RAT under pillow in room I shared with 18 pals.. now I’m lining up in Carabao Cup final

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      BRUNO GUIMARAES has shared his inspirational tale of how he went from sleeping in a bed with rats to heading off to Wembley for a cup final. Newcastle play Manchester United in the Carabao Cup showpiece with the Magpies looking to end their long trophy drought.
      Bruno Guimaraes’ dad was an inspiration to him and he now dons the same no.39 on his shirt that featured on his father’s taxiCredit: Twitter
      The midfielder shared his incredible journey from struggling at youth level to lighting up the Premier League
      The star made his name at Athletico Paranaense after initially struggling to stand outCredit: Reuters
      Guimaraes’ suspension is over meaning he is good to start at Wembley on Sunday.
      But it may have all gone so differently for the Brazilian who had to dig deep to achieve his dream.
      The 25-year-old was turned down by the likes of Botafogo and Fluminense in his youth and lost self-belief that he could make it.
      Only his hard-working taxi driver father and his supportive mother kept the midfielder believing, and his break came when he was offered a chance to move to Audax São Paulo.
      READ MORE ON FOOTBALL
      But the opportunity meant he had to leave home and live in a cramped dorm with as many as 18 other aspiring footballers.
      Guimaraes recounted the moment he went looking for his mobile phone and instead found a large rat that “looked like it had been drinking protein shakes.”
      He writes for the Players Tribune: “Instead of [finding] a plastic phone, I feel something … furry. But like, not cute. No, not the cute kind of furry, bro. The gross kind of f***ing furry. Then I felt a tail. 
      “On my life, I felt a tail!!! Bro, if you could have heard the way I screamed…. This fat little rat is looking at me like, ‘Yo, what are you doing in my bed???’
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      The incident compounded a miserable time for Guimaraes who was left thinking he was “in hell”.
      He was only paid 400 Brazilian Real a month during his time away from home, which equates to just £65.
      But things would turn around slowly for the star and by the time he turned 19, he would be getting regular football in Brazil. A move to Lyon beckoned before his transfer to Newcastle a year ago.
      Guimaraes revealed in the tribune that he wears the “magical” number 39 on his shirt as it the same number that featured on his dad’s taxi.
      Since his arrival on Tyneside, he has become a fan favourite with his work in midfield.
      He has three goals and three assists in the league this season but is yet to score in the Carabao Cup.
      Should he play a major role in ending Newcastle’s long trophy drought on Sunday, he will quickly be elevated into club legend territory. More

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      Chelsea owner ‘Todd Boehly already looking at buying new club.. as he targets Arsenal legend Arsene Wenger’s old team’

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      CHELSEA owner Todd Boehly is already looking into buying another football club, according to reports.The American businessman, 49, purchased the Blues from Roman Abramovich last summer in a £4.25billion deal.
      Todd Boehly is reportedly interested in buying Ligue 1 side StrasbourgCredit: Rex
      And he has made quite the splash in the Premier League, spending more than £600million on players in less than 12 months.
      But he is yet to see any form of improvement on the pitch as Chelsea manager Graham Potter struggles down in 10th place.
      Now Boehly is reportedly considering the purchase of another football club in the form of Ligue 1 side Strasbourg.
      According to L’Equipe, Boehly and partners are “interested in acquiring a 100 per cent stake”.
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      They recently met with the French outfit’s president Marc Keller ahead of a potential deal.
      Strasbourg sit 15th in the French top flight and are within three points of the relegation zone.
      It is quite the drop off from last season when they managed a sixth-place finish, narrowly missing out on European qualification.
      Among the players in their current squad include Aston Villa loanee Morgan Sanson and former Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid striker Kevin Gameiro.
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      The club is based in the Alsace region of France.
      Reacting to Boehly’s interest in Strasbourg, one social media user said: “Chelsea don’t want to stop, now it’s the transfer window of clubs.”
      While another added: “PSG finally getting competition”. More

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      Fulham vs Wolves LIVE SCORE: Premier League latest from Craven Cottage – updates

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      FULHAM host Wolves tonight in the Premier League.The west Londoners are looking to build on their huge win over Brighton last time out.
      While Wolves head into the game on the back of a 1-0 loss at Bournemouth.

      Kick-off: 8pm
      TV channel: Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League

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      Follow ALL of the latest updates below…

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