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      Erik ten Hag hoping to stay on as Man Utd boss long-term over fears he could be replaced if £6bn takeover is completed

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      ERIK TEN HAG hopes he will get the chance to stay as Manchester United boss for the long-term as a takeover draws closer.The club’s supporters trust (MUST) highlighted some concerns about the two bids to take over the club – but stressed the Dutch boss has to stay.
      Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag wants to stay at the helm long-termCredit: Getty
      Manchester United fans fear Erik ten Hag could go amid takeover talksCredit: Rex
      Ten Hag’s Red Devils continued their impressive progress on the pitch – despite a first half the boss described as “rubbish” and a “mess”.
      Marcus Rashford’s two goals took his tally for the season to 24 and put United firmly in the title race.
      Yet their long-term future is shrouded in uncertainty with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Qatar based Sheikh Jassim both lodging bids over the weekend.
      Asked about the statement issued by MUST, Ten Hag said: “I thank the fans they have their trust in me. I feel committed with this club,
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      “I love to be here but it is not in my influence. What I can influence is the performance of this team and I will do everything to continue.
      “We are committed with this club, it is our club, in our heart – but it is not our job.
      “We focus on football and perform and that is what the players and staff have to do.”
      United shook off a lacklustre first half to ensure they go into a huge week on a high note.
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      Ten Hag admitted his team were fortunate to be ahead at the break, saying: “We have to follow the rules and principles from our way of playing. When we don’t. it is getting a mess.
      “We were really lucky at half-time we were one goal up – great pass from Bruno [Fernandes], great finish from Rashy [Rashford]. But the rest is rubbish.”
      Rashford struck either side of the break and also had a hand in the third goal scored by his fellow England man Jadon Sancho.
      The forward has now had his most prolific season for United and said: “It’s still early in the season, we’re fighting for a lot of different things.
      “There is always something to look forward to and I don’t feel like slowing down. I always try to improve.”
      As for a title challenge, Rashford said: “We’re there, we’re close but at the same time both teams in front of us are really good teams and playing good football.
      “We have to just focus on ourselves, do as well as we can and keep picking up points.”
      Leicester were disappointed they had nothing to show from a bright opening – but Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers felt there was a key moment in the first half.
      United’s new boy Marcel Sabitzer somehow escaped unpunished for an X-rated challenge on Wout Faes.
      Read More on The Sun
      Rodgers said: “It is a sending off, a straight leg on to the knee, how it was not looked at is incredible.
      “I don’t know why. Someone has said it was after an incident but I don’t buy that.”
      Manchester United fans want manager Erik ten Hag to stay for longCredit: Getty More

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      ‘The guy is a menace’ – TV viewers left stunned as Cristian Romero kicks OWN player Emerson Royal after Tottenham goal

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      CRISTIAN ROMERO celebrated Tottenham’s opener against West Ham by booting goal scorer Emerson Royal.The defender charged over to Royal after the right-back slotted Spurs ahead.
      Cristian Romero was captured celebrating Emerson Royal’s goal by kicking the defender while Richarlison grabbed his shirtCredit: SKY SPORTS
      Romero’s boot making contact with Royal’s leg while the defender grabbed Richarlison’s throatCredit: PA
      Royal celebrates after putting Tottenham aheadCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun

      While many of Spurs’ stars celebrated conventionally by hugging Royal, Romero took a different approach.
      The 24-year-old was caught by Sky cameras running over to Royal and jokingly booting him in the leg.
      Richarlison also went for an unusual celebration, grabbing a handful of Royal’s shirt before the defender replied by putting his hand around Richarlison’s neck.
      Royal and Romero then celebrated again by butting their heads against each other.
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      While the celebrations were all in good spirits, TV viewers were left stunned by Romero’s kick.
      One wrote on Twitter: “Why did Romero just kick Emerson when celebrating. The guy is a menace.”
      Another said: “Don’t know what’s worse playing against Romero or scoring for his team the way he just treated Royal.”
      A third quipped: “Cristian Romero is the most nuts guy in the league. Did he just kick Emerson after he scored?”
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      And a fourth joked: “Trying to understand why did Romero kick Emerson Royal during the celebration.”
      Royal found the back of the net following a brilliant counter-attack by the home side, slotting home after being teed up by Ben Davies.

      Son Heung-min then came off the bench to double Spurs’ lead and seal a 2-0 win.
      Tottenham won the game without manager Antonio Conte in the dugout.
      The Italian is currently recovering from gallbladder surgery. More

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      Tottenham 2 West Ham 0: Spurs give top-four hopes huge boost but David Moyes fights for job in battle for Prem survival

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      SO TOTTENHAM are into the top four of the Premier League and with a great chance of reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League and FA Cup. Nobody seems to think they are having a good season, nobody seems to enjoy watching them and nobody seems to think they are actually any good.
      Son Heung-min returned to the goals as Tottenham beat West HamCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      Son sent Lukasz Fabianski the wrong way for 2-0Credit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      And while everyone thinks West Ham are too good to go down, they have said the same about far better West Ham squads who actually have been relegated.  
      David Moyes’ side are in the bottom three with 15 games to go, after just one Premier League win in 11 games, with their attempt to grind out a result here failing comprehensively.  
      Antonio Conte, back in convalescence after his gallbladder operation, will have been heartened by a derby win which propels Spurs above Newcastle and into the Champions League places. 
      Conte’s assistant Cristian Stellini has now stood in for Conte on six occasions – three times for Spurs and three times at Inter Milan – and their team have won all six. 
      So perhaps Conte should stay on his sofa with a nice bunch of grapes and watch it all remotely. 
      Because, after their customary dire first half, Spurs put the Hammers to the sword with goals from Emerson Royal and Son Heung-min. 

      Son was benched in favour of Richarlison but netted within four minutes of his second-half arrival to effectively kill off this match.
      The South Korean has scored five Premier League goals this season, four of them in his only two substitute appearances. 
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      This is actually just about the most toxic of London derbies, especially from the West Ham side, and before kick-off there were bottles and punches thrown in fracas on the Tottenham High Road. 
      West Ham arrived here on a four-match unbeaten streak in all competitions but were back in the bottom three courtesy of wins for Everton and Bournemouth on Saturday. 
      Moyes went for a defensive-looking line-up – leaving five of his most threatening forward players on the bench – but within seconds Jarrod Bowen was fizzing a shot narrowly wide.  
      Richarlison lined up on the left but was often occupying the centre-forward role as Kane frequently dropped deep.
      Spurs should have had an early penalty when Hammers defender Thilo Kehrer appeared to deliberately handle in the area but bafflingly VAR David Coote refused to send ref Michael Oliver to his monitor. 
      The hosts were struggling to break down West Ham’s defence, with wing-backs Ben Davies and Emerson often their most advanced players and little creativity from midfield.

      It wasn’t until first-half injury-time that Spurs woke up, Kane delivering an excellent long ball over the top for Richarlison, who was forced wide and saw his shot saved by Lukasz Fabianski’s legs.
      From the resulting Dejan Kulusevski corner, Cristiano Romero – whose crunching tackles had been a rare highlight of the first half – headed on to the roof of the net. 
      Spurs continued to threaten soon after the break, with Richarlison shooting straight at Fabianski after a Kulusevski cut-back.
      Then Kulusevski robbed a dawdling Declan Rice and fed Kane but the England captain duffed his shot well wide when you would have expected him to bury it. 
      So when Spurs scored it had been coming, it just needed their wing-backs to get forward rather than their misfiring frontmen. 
      Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg played a brilliant visionary pass from midfield to release Davies who slipped a ball through to Emerson who tucked it home gratefully.  
      Son replaced the disappointing Richarlison and was soon on the scoresheet. 
      Kane out-muscled Angelo Ogbonna, whose weak header allowed the England skipper to roll a pass through to his old partner in crime, who drilled it past Fabianski to put the result beyond reasonable doubt.
      Read More on The Sun
      Moyes sent on Danny Ings and Said Benrahma but it was too late to affect anything. 
      At this rate, Spurs could be heading for another Champions League qualification; West Ham to the Championship.
      Emerson Royal showed the composure of a striker to slide homeCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      Ben Davies teamed up with his fellow wing-back to open the scoringCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      Tottenham wanted a penalty when the ball struck Thilo Kehrer’s handCredit: Sky Sports More

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      Arsenal fans love Gabriel Martinelli’s three word roar caught on live TV during last-gasp win over Aston Villa

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      ARSENAL fans love Gabriel Martinelli even more after live TV caught their hero making a rousing three-word victory cry at Aston Villa.The winger rounded off Saturday’s 4-2 Prem comeback win with the Gunners’ second stoppage-time goal.

      Gabriel Martinelli’s stirring response to victory in turn whipped up passion online from Arsenal supportersCredit: Rex
      Supporters lapped up the Brazilian’s victory celebration, with one mocking him up similar to the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio
      And some Arsenal supporters have been endlessly watching replays of the Brazil star’s scream, especially as he himself retweeted it with a heart.
      The Gunners’ win put them top again, two points clear of Manchester City, plus with a game in hand.
      And Martinelli has become a social media hit for the way he grabbed at his shirt and roared: “This is Arsenal!”
      Fans lapped up that response – in the same month he signed a new 5.5-year contract.
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      One posted: “How Gabriel Martinelli shouted ‘this is Arsenal’ is everything.”
      Another wrote: “Truly this is Arsenal” and a third revealed: “Man I can’t stop watching this.”
      Supporters now hope fellow 21-year-olds Bukayo Saka and William Saliba will also extend their stays with fresh deals.
      And the fact all three have been at the Emirates since they were teenagers was not lost on fans following Saturday’s triumph.
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      They feel Martinelli’s celebration proved a deep connection with the club.
      One argued: “Martinelli is like one of our academy graduates. He’s got huge passion for this club like Saka does. ”
      Other praise included “I love these guys” and “How can you not like it”.
      The form of Martinelli and Saka out wide is of course a major reason for Arsenal leading the Prem this season.
      And a few supporters claim the six-cap Brazilian is “better than (Marcus) Rashford” – despite the England striker reaching 17 goals this season with a match-winning double against Leicester on Sunday. More

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      ‘Honouring the king’ – Arsenal star Bukayo Saka reveals his Aston Villa celebration was tribute to Thierry Henry

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      ARSENAL star Bukayo Saka confirmed that his most recent goal celebration was a tribute to Thierry Henry.Saka helped the Gunners beat Aston Villa 4-2 in a dramatic encounter at Villa Park as he was the one that equalised after Ollie Watkins’ early opener.
      Bukayo Saka confirmed his celebration was in reference to Thierry Henry
      Saka levelled the scores at 1-1Credit: AP
      Henry did it firstCredit: Getty
      The winger then celebrated by placing his right hand on the corner flag and his left on his hip while basking in his glory.
      That was the same celebration Arsenal’s record goalscorer Henry would often use while playing for the North Londoners and France.
      The England international took to Twitter after the final whistle and confirmed it was a nod to the legendary forward, whom he called “the king”.
      Saka tweeted: “Honouring the king.”
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      Fans loved the 21-year-old’s gesture and took to the comments’ section to brand him as Arsenal’s next legend.
      One supporter tweeted: “You’re next up!!!”
      Another commented: “A Legend, and another in the making.
      “One from [Arsene] Arsene, the other from [Mikel] Arteta – both A-list stars for Arsenal.”
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      A third posted: “We love you Bukayo.”
      This fan wrote: “Ballon d’or 2024.”
      And that one tweeted: “YOUNG KING SAKA.”
      It’s not the first time Saka has copied Henry’s celebration, having previously slid on his knees in homage to the Frenchman’s most iconic pose. More

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      Michael Owen names his Premier League title favourite as he warns Arsenal and Man City that Man Utd are in the hunt

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      MICHAEL OWEN believes Arsenal are “in the driving seat” but insists Manchester United can’t be ruled out of the Premier League title race.The Gunners have climbed back up to the top of the table after a dramatic 4-2 victory at Aston Villa and have a game in hand.
      Michael Owen revealed Arsenal are favourites to win the Premier League titleCredit: Getty
      Manchester City are back in second place after dropping points at Nottingham Forest and are two points behind the North Londoners.
      Third-placed United, on the other hand, picked up a comfortable 3-0 win over Leicester at Old Trafford and are just three points behind City.
      Liverpool legend Owen admits Arsenal are the favourites but warned there will be “many ups and downs and twists”.
      The former United star, though, still believes the rejuvenated Red Devils could cause a shocker.
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      Owen told Premier League Productions: “It’s amazing isn’t it?
      “Because you see them sat there on 52 points and it’s a really good total, but you just don’t feel like they’re absolutely purring and at the top of their game this season so far, Manchester City.
      “And Arsenal, even though they’ve had a couple of iffy results in recent times, they’re probably sat there confident now.
      “They’ve gained another couple of points on Manchester City – and probably had the harder game.
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      “However, cast your minds back a month or so and Manchester City would probably snap your hand off only being two points behind now, because that gap was quite big.
      “Everyone knows there are going to be so many ups and downs and twists – and nobody is mentioning Manchester United.
      “Because if Manchester City are involved, and obviously Manchester United, if they win their game in hand, they’re only three points behind City, so you cannot rule anything out at the moment.
      “But you’d have to say that Arsenal are in the driving seat.” More

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      Cesar Azpilicueta breaks silence with Chelsea star still in hospital after being KOd and stretchered off vs Southampton

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      CESAR AZPILICUETA remains in hospital after suffering a horror head injury against Southampton – but was able to give the thumbs up.The Chelsea captain was knocked out and stretchered off in distressing scenes at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
      Cesar Azpilicueta was able to give the thumbs up from hospital
      Cesar Azpilicueta suffered an accidental kick to the face from Sekou MaraCredit: Reuters
      Players from both teams were left visibly concerned for the SpaniardCredit: Reuters
      Azpilicueta was stretchered off and taken to hospitalCredit: Getty
      Azpilicueta, 33, took a boot to the face as Saints forward Sekou Mara attempted an overhead kick.
      The match, which Chelsea lost 1-0, was stopped for nine minutes as medics tended to the Spaniard.
      He was stretchered off to a standing ovation before being taken to hospital.
      He remained in hospital on Sunday but was fit enough to update fans on his health.
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      Alongside a picture of himself giving the thumbs up, he wrote: “Hi everyone! Thank you all for your love and messages of support!
      “My family and I would like to thank everyone who has been looking after me since yesterday’s incident…
      “From the @ChelseaFC medical team, to teammates and opponents, to St Mary’s and Cleveland Hospital and all staff members and doctors: a massive thank you from the bottom of my heart.
      “Now, time to recover and I will see you soon on the pitch!”
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      It’s reported he will be able to go home on Monday.
      Fortunately Azpilicueta is not thought to have broken anything as a result of the horror clash.
      But the Evening Standard reported he was concussed, and will now go ahead with a “step-by-step” recovery from concussion.
      Chelsea boss Graham Potter confirmed after the game that Azpilicueta had been taken to hospital.
      Potter said: “He is in hospital, he is in the best place for him.”
      He added: “He is conscious and speaking to his wife.”
      Club doctors from both teams initially tended to Azpilicueta but St John’s Ambulance paramedics took over as he lay on the floor.
      Players on both sides looked visibly shocked after the freak incident. More

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      Man Utd fans convinced Tielemans is joining them on free transfer after Ten Hag’s sneaky gesture during Leicester game

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      MANCHESTER UNITED fans joked Youri Tielemans is on his way to Old Trafford this summer after Erik ten Hag’s sneaky gesture. The Leicester star, 25, was brought on by Brendan Rodgers as a second-half substitute in the 3-0 defeat to United.
      Youri Tielemans came on in the second half for Leicester at Old TraffordCredit: AFP
      But as Tielemans prepared to replace Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Ten Hag made a beeline, casually walking over to the Belgian on the touchline.
      And the United manager gave the midfield technician a cheeky tap on the back before he jogged on.
      Tielemans is out of contract at the King Power at the end of the season and has refused to sign any of the extensions offered by the Foxes.
      He continues to be linked with a free transfer move to United – or possibly to the Emirates with Arsenal.
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      Now eagle-eyed Red Devils fans on Twitter are convinced he is joining them in the North-West after Ten Hag’s magic touch.
      One wrote: “Erik ten Hag patting Tielemans on the back as he enters the field. Ten Hag cooking for the summer already.”
      Another said: “Did anyone see Erik ten Hag pat Youri Tielemans when he got subbed on? Might be only me but I’d love to see him in a Manchester Utd shirt.”
      And a third added: “Ten Hag’s tap on Tielemans back as he came on didn’t go unnoticed…”
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      Erik ten Hag had a cheeky tap for the Leicester manCredit: Sky Sports

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      Tielemans joined Leicester for a club-record £40million in 2019 and etched his name into the history books with his stunning winning goal in the 2021 FA Cup final.
      The 58-cap Belgium international, though, was unable to do anything to prevent a Leicester defeat today – in what some plucky fans dubbed his Old Trafford “audition”.

      He took to the field with his side 2-0 down through a Marcus Rashford double – and just two minutes later Jadon Sancho completed the scoring.
      However, plenty of fans and pundits were stunned that Marcel Sabitzer avoided a red card for a studs-up tackle into Wout Faes’ knee. More