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      Football fan knocked out while goading West Ham doesn’t even support Chelsea – and is a ‘good egg’, boss reveals

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      A FOOTBALL fan who was knocked out at a Chelsea game after goading rival supporters doesn’t even support the club, his boss revealed.Bill Tarbuck, an apprentice at Elite Electrical Contracting in Sutton, Surrey, was brutally punched in an altercation with a West Ham fan outside the derby match at London Stadium on February 11.
      Bill Tarbuck was knocked out outside the Chelsea-West Ham derby on February 11Credit: Twitter
      He was floored by one punch after goading a rival fanCredit: Twitter
      His boss has now revealed that he doesn’t even support ChelseaCredit: Twitter
      However, Gregg Barnes, who owns the firm, has now let slip that Tarbuck is not, as assumed, a die-hard Chelsea man.
      Instead, his heart apparently belongs to League Two side AFC Wimbledon.
      Mr Barnes told MailOnline: “The weird part is that he is actually an [AFC] Wimbledon fan. He just went with a group of mates and got in with the wrong crowd. He is very sorry for what he has done. 
      “I have spoken to Bill. He has gotten a bit of grief and banter, but nobody condones what happened. Everyone is of the impression that he deserved it because he found himself in a silly position. 
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      “In the four or five years he has worked with us, there has never been any sign he is anything like that. We have high hopes for him in the future and becoming a central part of our plans moving forward. He never has time off and is always on time.”
      He added that Tarbuck is a “good egg” and has been told to to “move on from it and get his head down”
      The unfortunate apprentice has been given a week off to recover.
      Mr Barnes concluded: “Hopefully he will learn from that and it will be a life lesson for him. Nobody has been hurt.”
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      It comes after a video emerged of Tarbuck trying to see the funny side of the ordeal in his hospital bed.
      He said: “You’ve got to have a laugh.”
      The rival teams scrapped out a 1-1 draw in the Premier League fixture .
      Cops confirmed that a 22-year-old man was arrested after another video on Twitter appeared to show a man being led away by officers.
      A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “A 22-year-old man was arrested before kick-off at the London Stadium [on February 11] after an alleged assault on another man. The man has been taken into custody.”
      The weird part is that he is actually an [AFC] Wimbledon fan.”Gregg BarnesMailOnline
      Chelsea star Reece James mentioned the attack after the game on Instagram.
      Posting on his story he said: “The news has crossed my attention that a fan was punched and knocked out before today’s game.
      “I totally understand rivalry and the tension between teams in big games but violence is no answer.
      “I hope he’s okay. Appreciate the travelling fans as always. Stick with us and stay safe. See you in Dortmund.”
      Cops confirmed they had arrested a man in connection with the alleged assaultCredit: Twitter
      Tarbuck has been given a week off work to recover and told to ‘move on’ from the altercationCredit: Twitter More

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      Norwich star Josh Sargent expecting US takeover of UK – with glory of Premier League too much to turn down

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      NORWICH star Josh Sargent is expecting a US takeover of English football – with the glory of the Premier League too much to turn down.The American hotshot – who has already scored ten times this season – has been a standout performer in a mixed campaign so far.
      Norwich star Josh Sargent is a regular in the USA international teamCredit: Getty
      The Canaries are lying down in tenth ahead of clash with Hull today, but are only four points from the play-off spots.
      Sargent is one of a number of Americans playing in the EFL alongside Middlesbrough’s Zack Steffen and Co this year.
      This is on top of Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic, Arsenal’s Matt Turner and a host of players at Leeds in the Premier League.
      And he expects that to continue with the lure of England’s riches and the improved quality of the MLS.
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      Sargent – speaking on behalf of SkyBet – said: “US players are seeing it as a very good opportunity to come to the UK.
      “They really want to challenge themselves, with the best league in the world being over here.
      “Coaches and teams are realising that there is lots of talent in US pool.
      “The US players are realising that they can really push and challenge themselves to be the best players they can be over here.
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      “It’s become a very attractive move for both parties, and hopefully you keep seeing more of us over here.
      “The US team is a very young team; we need more time and more games with each other to gel.
      “We’re going to keep getting better the longer we play together so there will be some good things coming from the US national team.”
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      Sargent – who was signed from Werder Bremen for £8m in August 2021 – struggled to adjust to life at Carrow Road at first.
      But the 22-year-old has come good this season, and his partnership with Teemu Pukki has been a big part of that.
      He added: “Teemu and I are both doing the best we can to support each other and to try and be the best goal scorers.“It’s good, healthy competition.
      ““Every striker wants to be the highest goal scorer, but for now I’m just taking it one game at a time, trying to score as much as I can to help the team win games in any way I can.
      “My confidence has been very good this year, the team is clicking so hopefully we can have more successful results, and some more goals.
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      “It’s been a bit up and down for us in the Championship this season.
      “For now we’re taking it one game at a time, trying to put ourselves into a good position to get promoted.” More

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      How combined Arsenal and Man City XI would line up as sides set for crunch Premier League title clash

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      ARSENAL face Manchester City tomorrow in a top-of-the-table showdown – but imagine having both squads at your disposal.The Gunners were left fuming after being denied all three points against Brentford on Saturday because VAR failed to spot an offside.
      The top two, Arsenal and Man City, collide on Wednesday nightCredit: Getty
      Bees star Christian Norgaard was in an offside position when he crossed for Ivan Toney to equalise.
      The PGMOL contacted Arsenal over the incident to explain what led to the mistake – VAR Lee Mason had failed to draw the lines to check if Norgaard was offside.
      It is not the first time poor officiating has cost Arteta’s side this season, and they could be more than two points clear at the top of the league if correct decisions had been made.
      However, they could stretch their advantage to five points if they can overcome second-placed Man City, who beat Aston Villa 3-1 on Sunday.
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      And the Cityzens may also have to go into the showdown without top scorer Erling Haaland.
      However, with the two sides almost neck-and-neck at the top, fans have been torn over who is the best team, which led to us dreaming about a potential combined XI from both of the talented squads.
      We don’t think that many would argue over the inclusion of Haaland, who already has 31 goals this term, leading the line.
      With the fine form of Aaron Ramsdale in goal, he would have many opting for him between the sticks, but we’ve gone for the more-experienced City stopper Ederson.
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      With the attacking talents both clubs possess, we’ve opted for a flat back four to get them on the offensive, and it has Arsenal’s William Saliba lining up alongside Ruben Dias at the heart.
      The pace of Kyle Walker at right-back will offer them cover, while Oleksandr Zinchenko makes it on the opposition flank.
      It would be criminal to not include City’s midfielder magician Kevin De Bruyne, and we’ve opted for Gunners captain Martin Odegaard alongside him to help provide ammunition with Thomas Partey guarding the backline.
      Bukayo Saka has been in inspirational form for the current leaders this term, and he makes the cut behind Haaland.

      Then you have an array of talent vying for the last attacking spot out on the left, from Gabriel Martinelli to the £100m Jack Grealish.
      However, despite his recent drop in form, Phil Foden is the man picked by Sun Sport to complete the dream XI. More

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      Kelechi Iheanacho stirs memories of his 2020/21 form with 32 Dream Team points in two games

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      KELECHI IHEANACHO (£2.9m) averages a goal or assist every 111.6 minutes in the Premier League.This is a significant statistic because the 26-year-old is midway through his eighth season in England’s top flight, it’s by no means a small sample size.
      Given his potency, it’s remarkable that the striker has rarely been a first-choice starter for a prolonged spell of games.
      Iheanacho has made 184 appearances in the Premier League of which he’s started 72 – he has played the full 90 minutes just 22 times.
      A name to considerCredit: GETTY
      One of the few times he was cemented as a certain starter was during the second half of the 2020/21 season.
      With Jamie Vardy (£3.5m) sidelined through injury, Iheanacho stepped up for Leicester in a big way, scoring 12 goals in 15 league games at the back end of the campaign.
      Add in four goals in what proved to be a successful FA Cup campaign and a sprinkling of other strikes across all competitions and the Nigeria international finished the season with 19 goals and seven assists to his name.
      Dream Team managers will remember the huge swathes of points he provided during that time – he was a popular recruit ahead of a meeting with Sheffield United and instantly delivered a hat-trick at the Blades’ expense to underline his viability.
      32 points in two games speaks volumes
      More than a few gaffers will have been reminded of those prosperous weeks in the wake of Iheanacho’s masterclass at home to Spurs om Saturday.
      The Foxes’ No14 scored one goal and assisted another to claim the Star Man award and bank 15 points.
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      And he achieved something similar the previous Game Week when he scored one and assisted two more as Leicester beat Aston Villa 4-2.
      Back-to-back Star Man awards and an influx of 32 points in two games is more than enough to put Dream Team bosses on alert, especially those who remember his 2020/21 exploits.
      Iheanacho is dirt-cheap at £2.9m and his current ownership of 0.2% makes him a massive differential.
      A fruitful Dream Team combination
      One potential drawback to this transfer suggestion is his upcoming fixtures.
      Brendan Rodgers’ side travel to Old Trafford this Sunday before hosting league leaders Arsenal the following weekend.
      Saying that, Villa were unbeaten in four league games before they succumbed to Leicester’s onslaught and Champions League hopefuls Spurs came off the back of a win over Manchester City when they were thrashed at the King Power.
      2022/23 has been an underwhelming season for the Foxes so far but they’re steadily moving out of the relegation dogfight and towards the relative safety of mid table.
      Keeping clean sheets has been a problem for them under Rodgers but scoring goals has rarely been an issue.
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      Only Southampton and Bournemouth have conceded more goals this term but only five teams have scored more at this stage.
      Keep an eye on Iheanacho’s returns, if he embarks on 2020/21-esque spree then you probably can’t afford to miss out. More

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      Premier League table since Cristiano Ronaldo’s last Man Utd game revealed… and it’s damning viewing for Portuguese ace

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      MANCHESTER UNITED have been better off WITHOUT Cristiano Ronaldo.The legendary 38-year-old departed from Old Trafford ahead of last November-December’s World Cup after his explosive sit-down interview with Piers Morgan.
      Manchester United have picked up the most points in the Premier League since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure
      Ronaldo captained Man Utd in his last gameCredit: Getty
      In the TalkTV worldwide exclusive, Ronaldo accused United of betrayal, while also claiming he does not respect the manager, Erik ten Hag.
      United then ripped up the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s contract, leaving him a free agent.
      His last United game came on November 6 last year in the 3-1 away loss at Aston Villa.
      Ronaldo wore the captain’s armband and saw out the whole 90 minutes – but failed to score or register an assist.
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      The devastating loss left United fifth in the Premier League.
      And on an individual level, Ronaldo managed just one goal this season in what could be the last time he makes an appearance in the Prem.
      But since Ronaldo’s departure, the Red Devils have picked up the most points in the division.
      Erik ten Hag’s men have played ten games, winning seven, drawing two and losing one, picking up 23 points.
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      They’ve also scored 20 goals, while conceding just nine.
      Marcus Rashford has contributed to eight of those goals, filling the void left by CR7.
      United’s form has also lifted them up to third in the table and five points behind table-toppers Arsenal, who have 51 points.
      They are also just two points behind second-place Manchester City, who do, however, have a game in hand.

      Brentford have picked up the second most amount of points, earning 18 in just eight games.
      Arsenal and Man City occupy third and fourth on 17 and 16 points respectively.
      Meanwhile, Southampton, Everton and Leeds have picked up the least points since Ronaldo’s departure.
      Following a dismal World Cup campaign with Portugal, which saw Ronaldo be benched after netting one group stage goal, the forward joined Saudi side Al-Nassr.
      Ronaldo signed a two-and-a-half year deal worth £173MILLION a year in the Middle East.
      Read More on The Sun
      His fortunes in front of goal have also improved, albeit against questionable opposition.
      Ronaldo has five goals in three games, with four of those coming against Al-Wehda in his last outing.
      Ronaldo’s last appearance came against Aston Villa More

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      Man Utd takeover hots up with Emir of Qatar to make £4BILLION-plus bid from Glazers before Friday’s deadline

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      THE Manchester United takeover race is hotting up with the Emir of Qatar set to make a bid of £4billion-plus.The Red Devils’ owners, the Glazer family, have set this Friday as the deadline to have offers submitted.
      Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani is leading the bid for Manchester UnitedCredit: Reuters
      The Glazers have set Friday as the deadline for offers for the Red DevilsCredit: Getty
      As reported by the Guardian, the Qatari ruler, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani will table the gulf state’s bid.
      The Qatar Investment Authority is said to be worth around £370bn and have already held talks with the Glazers.
      However, the emir, 42, does not believe the value of the Old Trafford club exceeds £4.5bn – let alone the £6bn the Glazers initially demanded.
      And Sheikh Tamin, worth £1.6bn alone, is already the owner of Paris Saint-Germain through Qatar Sports Investment which would mean different personnel must be registered on the United ownership to allow both sides to play in the Champions League.
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      The Thani family hold investments in a number of properties around the world including London’s Shard skyscraper, Olympic Village, Harrods department store, Canary Wharf, the Chelsea Barracks and New York’s Empire State Building.
      The royals also hold investments in Barclays Bank, British Airways and Volkswagen.

      The deeply unpopular Glazers announced in November they were open to selling United, having taken over in 2005.
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      They set February 17 as a soft deadline for interested parties to express their one-paragraph offers alongside a proof of funds.
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      American merchant bank Raine are overseeing the potential sale, just as they did with Chelsea last year.
      Billionaire and one of Britain’s richest people Sir Jim Ratcliffe is also interested in buying the Red Devils.
      The life-long supporter and Mancunian, who failed in his attempt to buy the Blues last year, has recruited powerhouses JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs to help with his bid.
      Meanwhile, Elon Musk is also understood to be considering a shock bid for United.
      The Tesla and Twitter owner is believed to be a big fan of the club.
      Musk, 51, who’s worth a reported £157bn, is one of a select few who could afford to buy the Red Devils.
      He is second only to Bernard Arnault, the CEO and chair of luxury goods company LMVH, worth a reported £156m.
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      Musk is believed to be monitoring the situation closely following the listing of United.
      The South African-born brainbox is wondering if there is an opportunity at Old Trafford that he should not miss. More

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      Man Utd injury blow as Ten Hag set to be without three stars for crunch Barcelona clash as boss complains of ‘overload’

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      ERIK TEN HAG has been dealt a triple injury blow ahead of this week’s crunch clash with Barcelona.And the Manchester United manager cited an “overload” on his stars for the woes.
      Erik ten Hag has been hit with a triple injury blowCredit: Reuters
      United head to the Nou Camp on Thursday night for the first leg of their Europa League play-off.
      But they will make the trip to Spain without Antony, Anthony Martial or Scott McTominay.
      The trio sat out of Sunday’s win at Leeds and remain unavailable to take on the LaLiga leaders.
      They join Christian Eriksen and Donny van de Beek in the United treatment room with the two midfielders both long-term absentees.
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      And Ten Hag believes the fixture pile-up has played a part in the number of injuries.
      The Old Trafford boss – whose side play eight times in February and are still in all three cup competitions – said last week: “I can’t say 100 per cent but I don’t expect it [the three players to be back against Barcelona].
      “Definitely, it’s a tough season.
      “With the World Cup in between there’s a lot of load – overload – on the players, that’s quite clear.
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      “That process is already longer term coming on, that the load on the players is too much.
      “Christian Eriksen, you can’t put that under that reason. Martial, you can’t put that under that reason.

      “It’s really individual, how we can see it and how we find reasons why things happen.
      “But also, if you play top football, you go across limits and injuries will come up. That’s also a normal issue, I would say.”
      Casemiro, though, will be available for selection at Barcelona because his three-match ban is domestic while Jadon Sancho and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are welcome returns plus Marcel Sabitzer joined to bolster the midfield options on deadline day.
      Antony and Scott McTominay will miss the trip to BarcelonaCredit: Getty
      Anthony Martial also looks set to be watching the match from homeCredit: Getty More

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      Southampton to appoint ex-Leeds boss Jesse Marsch as new manager to replace Nathan Jones for Prem survival fight

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      JESSE MARSCH is set for an immediate return to management with Southampton.The American was sacked by Leeds just eight days ago.
      Jesse Marsch is set to be appointed as Southampton bossCredit: AP
      Saints sacked Nathan Jones on SaturdayCredit: Getty
      But SunSport understands he is set to return to the dugout with the struggling Saints, who axed Nathan Jones on Sunday.
      Welshman Jones, 49, was given the boot with the club rock bottom of the Premier League table.
      SunSport revealed last week that the former Luton manager had lost the faith of many members of his squad.
      And Marsch, 49, is who Southampton are set to bring in as their next boss.
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      Saints were keen to act quickly to appoint a new manager before their next match against Chelsea this weekend.
      Marsch held talks with the club on Monday having stayed in the UK after leaving Leeds.
      His system appealed to Southampton, who have tracked the manager since his time with New York Red Bulls.
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      Marsch is set for a return to Leeds as Southampton boss later this month
      Like former gaffer Ralph Hasenhuttl, Marsch has experience working in the Red Bull system in New York, as well as at RB Salzburg and RB Leipzig.
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      Hasenhuttl kept the club in the top flight over four years with almost no investment in the side, but results slipped further this season while relationships with the squad broke down.
      That meant a return for the Austrian was not a viable option.
      Marsch was sacked by Leeds following a run of seven games without a win, with the club also battling to stay up.
      He is set for an immediate return to Elland Road as the Saints travel to Leeds at the end of the month in a huge relegation six-pointer, in what would be his second game in charge.
      Leeds meanwhile are yet to appoint a new boss after giving Marsch the boot earlier this month.
      Marsch kept Leeds in the Premier League on the final day of last season, though joins the Saints in a far more difficult position.
      They are bottom of the table and four points from safety with 16 games remaining.
      By contrast, Leeds were 16th and two points clear of the drop when Marsch replaced Marcelo Bielsa last year. More