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      Barcelona’s ‘anti-Rashford plan’ for double header against Man Utd in Europa League revealed

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      BARCELONA manager Xavi is planning to use Ronald Araújo to stop Marcus Rashford.The in form Manchester United striker is currently one of the most prolific strikers in Europe.
      Ronald Araujo will be tasked with man-marking Marcus RashfordCredit: Getty
      Rashford has been in great form this seasonCredit: Reuters
      So far this season, Rashford has scored 21 goals in 23 games in all competitions for his club.
      This includes one goal against Leeds on Sunday, helping United to a 2-0 win.
      He will spearhead the Red Devils attack in the Europa League tie against Barcelona, with the first leg to be played at the Nou Camp on Thursday.
      Manager Erik ten Hag will be hoping that Rashford continues his fine form in front of goal and fire the side into the next round of the competition.
      READ MORE ON MAN UTD
      However, Xavi has conjured up an idea to stop the 25-year-old from having a successful match.
      The Spaniard is set to tell Araujo to man-mark the striker for the entirety of the match, according to AS.
      The hope will be to reduce the amount of space Rashford can exploit if he is in the continued company of the Uruguayan international.
      Araujo is used to this style of play, having enjoyed a successful battle against Real Madrid’s Brazilian star attacker Vinicius Jnr.
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      Another part of the plan includes former Leeds star Raphinia.
      The Brazilian winger will have to track Luke Shaw, which will help stop any link-up between the left-back and Rashford. More

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      Why Jude Bellingham has ‘ruled out Chelsea and PSG transfer’ as four Premier League clubs remain in hunt

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      JUDE BELLINGHAM has reportedly ruled out joining Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain this summer for the same reason.But the England star could yet return to his homeland with FOUR other Premier League sides interested.
      Jude Bellingham has no plans to join either Chelsea or PSGCredit: Rex

      Bellingham, 19, is this summer’s hottest property after becoming a global superstar at Borussia Dortmund.
      His performances for the Three Lions at the World Cup further cemented his status as one of the world’s best young players.
      And numerous teams are now battling to sign Bellingham in a deal which is likely to surpass Chelsea’s £105million move for fellow midfielder Enzo Fernandez.
      But the Mail claims the Blues, and fellow big spenders PSG, do not stand a chance at landing Bellingham.
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      It’s reckoned along with his dad, a “key influence” in his decision making, Bellingham has “misgivings over off-field strategies” at Stamford Bridge and the Parc des Princes.
      And he has no plans to join either side, which may explain Todd Boehly’s dogged pursuit of Fernandez in a last-gasp transfer deadlined day swoop.
      However, Bellingham has plenty of other options on the table.
      Real Madrid are known to be keen after securing other top youngsters in Aurelien Tchouameni and Endrick.
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      And there are no less than four English clubs ready to bring Bellingham home.
      Liverpool are said to be favourites despite their disastrous season under Jurgen Klopp.
      Dortmund also feel the Reds will not be able to match their asking price, which could reach £150m after add-ons.
      And that may open the door for either Manchester United or Man City to pounce.
      There is even said to be contact from Newcastle, who will feel quietly confident should they secure Champions League football next season.
      And Dortmund have already resigned themselves to the fact that Bellingham will likely push through an exit this summer instead of extending his contract in Germany. More

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      Arsenal vs Man City combined XI based on transfer fees shows major difference between the two title contenders

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      A COMBINED team of Manchester City and Arsenal based on which players cost more to sign shows a chasm between the title contenders.The two Premier League toppers face off at the Emirates on Wednesday evening in a game that could be massive in terms of the title race.
      Only Oleksandr Zinchenko and Thomas Partey would make it in from ArsenalCredit: Getty
      £100m Jack Grealish is the most expensive player in the teamCredit: Getty
      Both sides are likely to make minimal changes to their starting XIs after the weekend’s matches.
      Pep Guardiola will be happy with his team following the 3-1 win over Aston Villa.
      The boss will also be boosted as Erling Haaland returned to training ahead of the match against Arsenal after he picked up a knock against the Villans.
      Mikel Arteta could swap out the struggling Gabriel Martinelli for Leandro Trossard after he netted his first goal for the club in the 1-1 draw against Brentford.
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      If a combined team were to be assembled with only the most expensive player in each position, the side would cost £611.3million.
      The most expensive player on the pitch is likely to be Jack Grealish who set the Citizens back £100m when they signed him from Villa.
      In fact, in a side made up of both sides based on transfer fees, there would only be two Arsenal players involved.
      Oleksandr Zincenko would take up the left-back spot after he joined the Gunners from City last summer for £32m.
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      A team made up from Arsenal and Man City’s most expensive players would cost £611.3million
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      And Thomas Partey would partner City’s Rodri in holding midfielder as Arsenal paid £45m for him.
      The rest of the team would be made up of players from the Etihad Stadium outfit.
      Ederson at £34.9m was slightly more expensive than Arsenal star Aaron Ramsdale who cost £30m when he joined from Sheffield United.
      The defence would see Aymeric Laporte (£57m), Ruben Dias (£64.5m) and Kyle Walker (£50m) join Zinchenko.
      Ben White could have had a spot in the team as he cost £50m, but Walker was chosen as his transfer happened first.
      The attack is made up entirely of players from City with Riyad Mahrez (£60m), Kevin De Bruyne (£54m), Jack Grealish (£100m) and Erling Haaland (£51.4m) all more expensive than Arsenal’s options.
      Arsenal star boy Bukayo Saka is not under consideration as the club did not pay a fee for their academy player.
      The combined team shows a major difference between the two club’s philosophies as City have spent much more to assemble their title-contending team – whereas Arsenal – while spending big – have also brought through some kids and uncovered cheaper gems. More

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      Arsenal fans left fuming as VAR blunder official is brought back for their match vs Aston Villa

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      ARSENAL fans raged after a VAR blunder referee was appointed for their crunch clash with Aston Villa.The Gunners were left fuming on Saturday when Lee Mason failed to spot two offsides in the build-up to Brentford’s equaliser at the Emirates.
      John Brooks will be fourth official when Aston Villa host ArsenalCredit: Getty
      That goal saw Arsenal drop points for the fifth time this season.
      But their anger only worsened when John Brooks was revealed as the fourth official for Saturday’s trip to Villa Park.
      Like Mason, Brooks was at the centre of controversy when he was the VAR that disallowed Brighton a legitimate goal against Crystal Palace because the offside lines were drawn on the wrong defender.
      Brooks – who reached the Premier League as an assistant before dropping back down the pyramid to do the same as a referee – was brought off VAR duties for the Merseyside derby and Arsenal’s home showdown with Manchester City this week.
      READ MORE ON ARSENAL
      Now, barring a freak injury to Simon Hooper or either of the assistants, Brooks’ role this weekend will be limited to off-field matters including overseeing substitutes – and dealing with Mikel Arteta on the sideline.
      Some Arsenal supporters, though, were unhappy Brooks was brought back into action so soon – while others felt the reaction to his mistake has been exaggerated.
      One fan said: “Dropped this weekend and then will be back. Same ole carousel of rubbish.”
      Another wrote: “Those precious two points dropped could cause Arsenal the league. He should be suspended or completely banned from VAR.”
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      And a third added: “Well hopefully he knows how to operate the subs board and doesn’t put up the wrong numbers.”
      But another user commented: “That’s amazing… massive mistake on Saturday, dropped for a game on Monday and Wednesday but back to work Saturday… this punishment seems a bit over the top.”
      One of the Premier League’s – and the world’s – best officials is in charge when Arsenal host City tomorrow, with Anthony Taylor the man in the middle for the top-of-the-table contest.
      But Arteta is still reeling from the decision against Brentford.
      The Spaniard said: “I will only be satisfied if they give me the two points back which is not going to be the case.
      “I appreciate what I think were really sincere, open and genuine apologies and explanations which is really good.
      “But it doesn’t change the fact that we have two points less on the table.
      “Everybody makes mistakes, and we are part of that, the first one being myself. But that was something else.
      “I wasn’t having it, the club weren’t having it and I think it’s clear the consequences of what happened.
      “It’s not for me to judge. It’s not about someone making a mistake and then let’s crucify him.
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      “It’s trying to do the best that we can together to have a fairer sport and make the decisions clearer and better.
      “Hopefully that will help because of what happened last weekend.” More

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      ‘Dog’s dinner behind the scenes’ – Leeds slammed as club no closer to appointing new manager after sacking Jesse Marsch

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      LEEDS’ bumbling search for a new manager has been labelled a “dog’s dinner.”That’s with the relegation battlers no closer to finding a replacement for Southampton-bound Jesse Marsch.
      Leeds’ hunt for a Jesse Marsch replacement has been called a ‘dog’s dinner’Credit: Rex
      Simon Jordan believes the relegation battlers are in a right messCredit: The Sun
      The American was given his marching orders last week ahead of back-to-back games against Manchester United.
      Yet U21s boss Michael Skubala was in charge for both matches, the first a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford and the second a 2-0 defeat at Elland Road.
      Marsch’s style had gone down well with Leeds fans, who were also excited about January arrivals like Juventus’ Winston McKennie.
      But he failed to get the wins necessary to ensure the club’s top-flight safety and was shown the door after a 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest.
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      Interestingly, Marsch is now set to take charge at bottom club Southampton – a direct relegation rival.
      However, Leeds are still without a replacement after missing out on numerous targets in the last seven days.
      They first failed with an approach for Carlos Corberan, who ended up penning a new deal with West Brom.
      And they were then rebuffed in their efforts to poach highly-rated Andoni Iraola from high-flying LaLiga minnows Rayo Vallecano.
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      Three was not the magic number when Leeds were snubbed by Feyenoord’s Arnie Slot on Friday.
      But talks with Alfred Schreuder also broke down after the ex-Ajax boss attended Sunday’s defeat to United.
      Last night it was claimed Steven Gerrard had distanced himself from the hot seat as Leeds targeted ex-Spurs duo Mauricio Pochettino and Nuno Espirito Santo.
      But regardless of who takes over, TalkSport pundit Simon Jordan believes there can be no masking of the mess created in finding Marsch’s successor.
      Jordan said: “I get the impression, and I know Leeds fans aren’t going to like this, that it’s a bit of a dog’s dinner over at Leeds, behind the scenes, in terms of who’s doing what, when, how, why.
      “You’ve got an owner exiting the door with potential sales of players that possibly the new coming owners don’t want him to sell, and so on and so forth.
      “I think there’s a lot of left hand and right hand stuff going on over there.” More

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      Erik ten Hag cycles past heart-shaped balloons on Valentine’s Day after bringing back the love at Man Utd

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      LOVE is in the air around Old Trafford, and it is all thanks to Erik ten Hag. After a rocky start to the relationship, Ten Hag has got Manchester United’s groove back with the club sitting in the top four and still competing in four competitions.
      Erik ten Hag was spotted cycling through Hale VillageCredit: Eamonn and James Clarke
      And there were some appropriately themed balloons in the backgroundCredit: Eamonn and James Clarke
      And ahead of United’s next clash against Barcelona, the Dutchman was spotted enjoying a bike ride.
      Donning a wool hat and coat to ward off the winter chill, Ten Hag was pictured cycling through Hale Village, with some appropriately themed heart-shape balloons making up the backdrop.
      Indeed, United have felt the love since the World Cup, and sit top of the league for results since the bitter departure of Cristiano Ronaldo.
      The United great had his contract ripped up after an interview with Piers Morgan in which he blasted the club’s owners – who have since put up the for sale sign – and said he did not respect Ten Hag.
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      The club’s most recent win was a 2-0 victory against Leeds on Sunday derived from a Ten Hag move fans hailed as “genius”.
      Next up is a repeat of the 2009 and 2011 Champions League finals, albeit in far less romantic circumstances.
      Thursday evening sees United visit European royalty at the Camp Nou in the Europa League round of 32 play-off.
      Following a big summer of spending, backed against the club’s future revenue, Barcelona are flying high at the top of La Liga.
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      But United have been warned about a “surprising” feature of Barcelona which would have left them stumped like they were at Brentford at the start of the season.
      Their new weapon is supposedly the Spanish giants’ level of running without the ball.
      The last time the two sides met ended badly for United as they were on the end of a 4-0 thrashing in the quarter-finals of the Champions League in 2018/19.
      In fact, the Red Devils have defeated the Blaugrana on just three of the 13 times they have played – the last occasion being the second leg of the 2007/08 UCL semi-finals when Paul Scholes scored a screamer.
      Ten Hag will be desperate to tip the record more into United’s favour this week ahead of the return leg next Thursday.
      That would guarantee a place in United fans’ hearts for a while at least. More

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      Which players have earned the most Dream Team points in the Champions League this season?

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      THE Champions League resumes this evening with the first knockout fixtures of the season in the form of Milan v Tottenham and PSG v Bayern Munich.To celebrate the return of Europe’s premier continental competition, we’ve taken a detailed look at which players earned the most Dream Team points during the group stage.
      Obviously only player from the four English clubs – Spurs, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City – are eligible.
      The joint-top scorer in the Champions League this season
      TOP TEN DREAM TEAM PLAYERS IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2022/23

      Mohamed Salah (£7.7m) – 62 points
      Erling Haaland (£8.8m) – 39 points
      Ruben Dias (£5.9m) – 33 points
      Trent Alexander-Arnold (£4.8m) – 29 points
      Kostas Tsimikas (£4.2m) – 28 points
      Thiago Silva (£6.1m) – 26 points
      Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£3.8m) – 26 points
      Darwin Nunez (£4.8m) – 26 points
      Reece James (£5.9m) – 24 points
      Alisson (£3.7m) – 24 points

      Salah is in a league of his own in the Champions League among Dream Team assets right now.
      The prolific Egyptian plundered seven goals in the group stages which is enough to make him the competition’s joint-top scorer at this stage alongside Kylian Mbappe.
      Haaland has five goals to his name but, rather ominously, Man City’s No9 was rested completely in two of the group games – he’s averaging a goal every 50.4 minutes in Europe this term.
      Pep Guardiola’s side have kept the most clean sheets (four) among the English teams and Dias has been the main beneficiary.
      The Portuguese centre-back’s tally is also boosted by a goal against Sevilla which helped him snatch a 13-point haul in his first European outing of the season.
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      It’s worth noting here that Joao Cancelo would have been next in the list having banked 31 points in the Champions League before his unceremonious January departure.
      Only Lionel Messi and Diogo Jota (£4.7m) have provided more assists than the Portugal international at this juncture but we’ve removed him simply because he’s no longer a relevant option having joined Bayern Munich on loan.
      It;s five goals in four Champions League games for Haaland in City coloursCredit: GETTY
      Alexander-Arnold owes his appearance in this list to a 17-point haul at Rangers’ expense in Game Week 8.
      The creative right-back curled in a picture-perfect free-kick from 25 yards early on and also combined a clean sheet with a Star Man gong.
      Liverpool scored 17 goals in their six group games so it’s no surprise to see them well represented but many Dream Team gaffers would have forgotten that Tsimikas smartly avoided the pummelling away to Napoli before chipping in with a couple of assists elsewhere.
      42.4% of the Greek defender’s points have come in Europe this season.
      Dream Team bosses should set their watches to Thiago Silva he’s so reliable.
      With a wealth of experience and strong leadership qualities, the Brazil international has provided plentiful points even when those around him have offered very little.
      Chelsea haven’t even bothered registering Aubameyang for the Champions League knockout stages!
      It’s clear the ex-Arsenal forward isn’t in Graham Potter’s plans but he did contribute two goals and two assists to help the Blues out of their group – yikes.
      Liverpool have underwhelmed domestically but looked strong in Europe so farCredit: GETTY
      Nunez hasn’t scored as many goals as he should have in the Premier League but three in 280 minutes of European action represents a good return.
      James would have perhaps been higher on the list had injuries not limited him to four Champions League outings so far in 2022/23.
      Like Alexander-Arnold, he produced a masterclass in Game Week 8 to take 20 points off Milan with a performance that highlighted his attacking threat from full-back.
      Finally, Alisson was ever-present for the Reds in the group stage and earned regular 7+ ratings as he was made to save his fair share of shots.
      Whether Liverpool will continue to be Dream Team’s Champions League outfit of choice remains to be seen – they face the competition’s holders and ultra specialists Real Madrid next week.
      While Chelsea face a difficult trip tomorrow to a free-scoring Borussia Dortmund with an excellent home record of late.
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      Man City will be less intimidated by the prospect of a two-legged meeting with RB Leipzig but the Bundesliga side have occasionally made life tricky for English opponents in recent times.
      Results over the next two weeks are likely to shape the rest of the Dream Team campaign… so pay attention! More

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      Former Man Utd manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer finally responds to rumours that he’s a Liverpool fan

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      FORMER Manchester United manager and club legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has now admitted he grew up as a Liverpool fan. The Norwegian spent over a decade at Old Trafford as a player and won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and the Champions League during a glittering spell with the Red Devils.
      Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in action for Manchester United in 2002Credit: EPA
      Solskjaer showing the strain during his time as Manchester United managerCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Solskjaer returned to the club as manager in 2018 and was in the Old Trafford hot seat for three years.
      He guided the team to the Europa League final in 2021 before they lost to Unai Emery’s Villareal on penalites.
      The former Molde manager was sacked after a dismal start to 2021/2022 season and has potentially risked the wrath of the United faithful by admitting he was a childhood fan of arch rivals Liverpool.
      Speaking on James Richardson’s Kings of Europe podcast Solskjaer revealed it was the strength of Liverpool’s team that led to him following them when he was growing up.
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      He said: “I must have been environmentally damaged because when you follow football, we had Match of the Day on every Saturday in Norway and of course, Liverpool were the better team in the 80s.”
      The Norwegian continued: “They had Kenny Dalglish, Ian Rush and all of those, so yes I followed Liverpool. I was one of the supporters who followed because they won everything.
      “Hard enough to say as a Man United player but they were the better team in the 80s.”
      The admittance represents a U-turn from Solskjaer who back in 2016 refused to confirm if reports of him supporting the Anfield club had any truth to them.
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      Speaking to FourFourtwo at the time he said: “You learn as long as you live, that’s the only answer I can give you. I never confirm that one! I’m a Manchester United fan through and through. I bleed red.”
      Solskjaer has been out of work since he was sacked by Manchester United in November 2021. More