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      Bruno Fernandes reveals he held showdown talks with Man Utd over club’s direction BEFORE signing new contract

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      BRUNO FERNANDES has admitted for the first time that he needed convincing to stay at Manchester United.The Portuguese midfielder, 28, signed a new deal in April which keeps him at Old Trafford until 2026.
      Midfield mainstay Bruno Fernandes says he asked Man Utd to tell him where they were going before he agreed his new deal up to 2026Credit: Rex
      Old Trafford directors John Murtough, left, and Darren Fletcher met with bruno Fernandes to persuade him the club matched his ambitionCredit: Getty
      But the  club struggled to tie down their star player as their season crumbled in the wake of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sacking and Ralf Rangnick’s period as interim manager.
      Fernandes feared they were going to become permanent also-rans before a chat with football directors John Murtough and Darren Fletcher convinced him that would change.
      Fernandes said: “I had a conversation last year with the club when everyone knew that Ralf was not the coach for the future.
      “I spoke to the club and I said I want to be a solution for the club, I want to be helpful for the club, but I also want to know where we are going.
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      “Is there a plan, is there a future?
      “This was before I signed my new contract because I said to the club, obviously money is important, no one can hide that.
      “It’s always important to earn more and more and more in football or life, whatever job you do, you always want to have the best for yourself.
      “But at that time, for me I said I’m on good money, I don’t want a new contract without knowing that we have a good future in the club.
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      “I want to know where we are going, I don’t need to know who the manager is, but I want to know just as a club, do you think we have a future?
      “Do you have a plan for the future? What are your thoughts on where we can go? What does the club want? Does the club want to achieve trophies or does the club want to build something to go to the Champions League?
      “Because for me, that’s not enough and the club demands more, the history of this club, the quality of the players we have, it demands more than just being here and fighting for fourth place. It demands trophies, it demands at least fighting for trophies.”
      So Fernandes sat with the Dircector of Football Murtough and former player and now Technical Director Darren Fletcher and had it out.
      Fernandes said: They’re the people we have closer for the players to talk to. So that was the conversation I had with them, to understand that the aim for the club is still the same they said to me when I signed in 2020.
      “And the club has said they have a plan, this is what they want, we agree with you that the level of the club has to be better than it has been in the past, we can achieve much more, we can do much more and that’s why I have never had my head out of here but just making sure the club is still in the same direction that it was when I signed.”
      Fernandes, who joined United in January 2020, signed a new deal last March for four years with the option of a further year on the club’s part.
      This lunchtime he leads United out as captain in the derby against Manchester City at Old Trafford with the club on the back of an eight game winning run. More

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      Antonio Conte could QUIT Tottenham if his side are hammered by Arsenal.. North London derby is must-win for Italian

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      GREAT derbies tend to have a level of dislike and even some hatred between fans.Rivalries can build up, granted, like Manchester City and Liverpool, or Manchester United and Arsenal in the late nineties and early noughties.
      Antonio Conte could step down if Tottenham are badly beatenCredit: Getty
      Mikel Arteta has Arsenal playing their best football for a decadeCredit: Getty
      That is because it is a big game but it doesn’t have the same awkward, tense feeling leading up to it.
      What separates a rivalry from a derby is a genuine fan dislike.
      I am biased but Aston Villa v Birmingham is one of the best ones, because of the sheer aggression and nastiness in the stands.
      Irrespective of what that game is going to be like, the noise will be high, the anticipation will be high. It is similar to the North London Derby.

      It is the only real London derby that has that level of intensity. From the outside there is that intense feeling. I don’t think, for example, Chelsea v Fulham has that.
      There is a feeling as a player that if you don’t win, the fans could turn on you for the next six months.
      And, as a manager, if you get turned over 4-0 or 5-0 there will be calls for you to be gone by the end of that day.
      That’s the reason why I feel there is so much pressure on Tottenham.
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      They have fallen so far behind Arsenal.
      They have flattered to deceive and not only do they need a performance, this is a must-win.
      There is so much frustration and disappointment that if they lose badly, where next? I don’t see them recovering for the rest of the season.
      The way Antonio Conte has been complaining recently, he may even walk himself after a defeat to rivals and title-chasers Arsenal.
      Somebody like Conte is emotional in his behaviour. He already has reasons as to why he is annoyed, with the quality of the squad and the need for investment.
      A defeat this weekend puts him on the edge of doing something that Tottenham do not want to see happen.
      And that’s the power of derbies. The outcome changes everything.
      If Arsenal were to lose, it would be frustrating but they still have the league, Europe and the FA Cup to go after.
      They are playing their best stuff for over a decade, maybe more.
      Mikel Arteta has been wild on the touchline and I can only see that getting stronger.
      He wants his young side’s tempo and desire to match his own.Conte will be doing the same but for different reasons.
      He will see this as a chance to exploit an inexperienced Arsenal by slowing the ball down, getting some early fouls in and not letting them get into their rhythm.
      I am positive the likes of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Cristian Romero will be trying their best to cause little frictions throughout to wind up certain Arsenal players.
      Spurs aren’t even on the same pitch as Arsenal form-wise, so they need to do something to level the scores.
      Eddie Nketiah will have to be wary of that. This is arguably the biggest game of his career.
      If he misses a chance and Romero gets all over him, I hope he keeps his head.
      As for Harry Kane, he is one goal from matching Jimmy Greaves’ Tottenham scoring record.
      It would be so fitting to match and even break that record against Arsenal, does he take every chance to shoot instead of laying it off?
      This is going to be a proper match and I am hoping there are no red cards. That ruins it.
      When they’re up against each other, 11 v 11, it is a very interesting dynamic and makes for a good game. Styles make fights in boxing and this is the same here.
      If Spurs lose a man, it will be a nightmare to break them down.
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      If Arsenal get a red, Spurs could dominate.
      But I just want to see two teams going at it. No holds barred. More

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      Tony Adams: I’ve not been this excited about Arsenal in 20 years – Partey is Vieira and Petit rolled into one

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      IT takes a lot to impress Tony Adams these days.The Arsenal idol has seen too many false dawns at the Emirates to allow himself to get carried away by a few positive results.
      Tony Adams rates the modern-day Gunners as their most exciting squad in the near 21 years since he retiredCredit: Getty
      Thomas Partey has been ‘out of this world’ and releases fellow midfielder Martin Odegaard for his brilliant playmakingCredit: Getty
      Partey has been compared to the combined talents of iconic Arsenal midfield pairing Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel PetitCredit: Action Images – Reuters
      So when he admits that he has not felt this electrified by his former club since he retired, you know that something special must be happening.
      Because the man who captained the Gunners for 14 years and won ten major trophies, including four top-flight titles, is convinced Mikel Arteta is creating a team to compete with anyone in the game.
      And ahead of Sunday’s North London derby, he predicts a very different outcome to the last time these bitter rivals met at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
      It is now almost 21 years since Adams made the last of his 669 appearances for the club and he said: “This is the most excited I’ve been by an Arsenal team since I retired.
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      “There’s a group of guys who look like they have a chance of actually winning the title and now they’ve come this far they can’t settle for second place.
      “I absolutely love what I’m seeing this season and defensively they’ve gone to another level.
      “The manager has stopped rotating his team and we’re not being so stupid at the back.
      “For the previous two years under Arteta and even before him when Unai Emery was in charge, there was a constant desire to play out from the back at all costs. It was suicidal football and their success rate in getting the ball out of their own half was only ten per cent.
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      “Now Aaron Ramsdale is happy to put his foot through the ball when it’s needed and I really  like the confidence and swagger he’s brought to the team after  20 years of Arsenal keepers being too respectful.
      “Having Ben White at right-back has also made a huge difference because, hallelujah, we finally have full-backs that can defend.
      “When you have an out-and-out winger like Bukayo Saka, you don’t need an attacking full-back and White has been able to fit in next to William Saliba and fill the gaping hole that we used to leave in that channel.
      “White is comfortable at full-back and though Saliba and Gabriel still have an occasional mistake in them, as a unit they’re really solid.
      “The Dixon, Bould, Adams and Winterburn combination at Arsenal was so successful because we worked as a unit and knew each others’ games inside out.
      “You need consistency and familiarity from playing together on a regular basis and that’s what is happening with this Arsenal back four.
      “But any defence is only as good as the protection from in front and my player of the season so far is Thomas Partey, because he’s been out of this world.
      “He’s Patrick Vieira and Manu Petit rolled into one and I’m loath to bring attention to how well he’s playing because I feel Arsenal have been getting away with it.
      “If you don’t put someone on him, he will dictate the game because he breaks things up for fun and gets the whole team  playing.
      Adams believes the Gunners are rediscovering the type of defensive solidity made famous by his partnership with Steve BouldCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka is a ‘wonderkid’ who should be PFA Player of the Year, according to AdamsCredit: Getty
      “Having Partey playing every week after all his injury problems has released Martin Odegaard and means we don’t have that crazy thing with Granit Xhaka trying to drop in at left-back to provide cover any more.”
      But it is not only in defence where Adams has seen this young Arsenal team come on in leaps and bounds.
      He said: “Saka is a wonderkid. He makes goals and scores goals. He should already be the PFA Player of the Year.
      “I’ve been waiting for the last three years for him and Gabriel Martinelli to get tired but they just keep going.
      “And that’s a good job for Arteta, because without those two kids dragging the team for the last two seasons, he wouldn’t still be in a job.”
      Despite Arsenal holding a five-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table, 56-year-old Adams is still not convinced they are heading for their first title since 2004.
      He recalled: “In February 1989, we were 19 points ahead of Liverpool but we still went to Anfield needing to win on the final day to win the title.
      “Absolutely the nerves creep in when you find yourself out in front and suddenly thinking, ‘Oh my God, we’re top of the table and we might actually win the league’.
      “What worries me now is that, when push comes to shove, Manchester City have too many options in their squad.
      “There’s not a lot on the Arsenal bench and, as well as he’s doing at the moment, I don’t think you win the league with Eddie Nketiah as your striker.
      Ben White offers good old-fashioned stability at right-backCredit: Getty
      “They need reinforcements and they need Gabriel Jesus back from injury to get them over the line. That could be the title decider.”
      All of which makes tomorrow’s trip to Tottenham all the more  important.
      No one at the Emirates has  forgotten how Spurs were awarded a soft early penalty last May before Rob Holding was sent off and the team lost 3-0 to effectively wreck their hopes of Champions League qualification.
      But Adams points out: “Last time we had Cedric, Holding and Tomiyasu in defence and Elneny in midfield. This will be an entirely different Arsenal team.
      “Tottenham played a very simple game up to Harry Kane and we didn’t cover it. But this time  we’ll have Partey cutting off his supply line.
      “Kane’s approaching his thirties and Arsene Wenger would tell you he’s not going to be the same player physically for much longer. But that’s Tottenham all over. 
      “This current group of players are miles away from challenging the top teams.
      “The annoying neighbours are there for the taking but it’s also their cup final — and all they’ve got to play for on Sunday is the chance to stop Arsenal from winning the league.
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      “Tottenham had a great team when I started   playing against them. We were the underdogs and we just went out and kicked them off the pitch.
      “But that completely changed once we’d won our first title and they were always in our shadow after that. And that’s how it is shaping up again now.” More

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      Aston Villa 2 Leeds 1: Bailey shines as Emery’s troops sneak it despite Gnonto masterclass for unlucky Whites

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      ASTON VILLA held their nerve to see off Leeds – with a win carved out thanks to some pure Argentinian grit.Once Leon Bailey had made amends for his howler of a miss against Wolves with a third-minute opener, Leeds took over.
      Leon Bailey opened the scoring and played a key role in Villa’s secondCredit: Reuters
      Emi Buendia celebrates after VAR overturned the offside callCredit: Getty
      Substitute Patrick Bamford pulled one back for Leeds late onCredit: Reuters
      Wilfried Gnonto showed his class and was unfortunate to be on the losing sideCredit: Getty
      However skipper for the night Emi Martinez defied Jesse Marsch’s men with some stunning saves to preserve that slender lead.
      And it was another bit of Argy magic at the other end of the pitch which ultimately did for Leeds when Emi Buendia headed home a second midway through the second half.
      Actually make that some VAR-gy magic as Buendia’s goal was originally flagged offside.
      Buendia wagged his finger at ref Michael Oliver and VAR took another look and decided he was right as he pounced on Illan Meslier’s parry from Bailey’s piledriver to loop his header over the Frenchman.
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      Villa were never able to relax however as Leeds sub Patrick Bamford pulled one back for Leeds with his 100th league goal after some magic from Leeds wonder winger Wilfried Gnonto.
      But in the end it was Villa and their Argentinian duo who showed some world class survival instincts!
      Unai Emery knew what he was doing when he handed Martinez the captain’s armband in the absence of the injured John McGinn and ahead of recent stand-in Ashley Young.
      Not content with winning the World Cup, Martinez then won the toss and took Leeds by surprise by ditching tradition and choosing to shoot towards Villa’s favoured Holte End in the first-half.
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      It turned out to be a smart move by the man who can do little wrong these days because within three minutes the Holte End was on its feet as Villa raced into an early lead.
      Leeds will be kicking themselves as they could and probably should have beaten them to it if only they had been more clinical.
      The visitors forced an early corner which Jack Harrison whipped in towards the near post where Marc Roca had stolen a march on his marker.
      However the Spaniard failed to connect and Tyrone Mings bundled the ball to Ashley Young – 17 seconds later the ball was in the back of Leeds’ net!
      Young, who is enjoying a prolonged Indian summer, fired it forward to Bouboucar Kamara and the Frenchman surged forward before suddenly cutting inside.
      He released Bailey who made a mug of Pascal Struijk teasing him, then tormenting him as cut inside onto his favoured left foot before firing high past Meslier.
      The Leeds keeper must have been livid that Struijk hadn’t shepherded him wide.
      But Bailey was all smiles as he turned his Holte End tears to cheers, nine days after he had sobbed his heart out on virtually the same spot of turf after blowing a late match-winning chance against Wolves.
      It was a moment of sweet redemption for the Jamaican.
      But there were still 87 long minutes remaining and Leeds were never going to lay down and lick their wounds.
      Marsch’s side are as stubborn as any of their Yorkshire followers and they dusted themselves down and set about Villa.
      First Villa fans were treated to an earlier than expected look at new left-back Alex Moreno, who was sent on after 10 minutes following the injury to Lucas Digne’s shoulder.
      The new arrival from Real Betis looked the real deal – he had to be as Leeds retaliated.
      Rodrigo spun Ezri Konsa in the penalty area but Douglas Luiz spotted the danger and slid in to deny him.
      Then we had an unexpected bit of deja vu as Villa Park was suddenly treated to a flashback from the World Cup.
      Douglas Luiz conceded a free kick 22 yards out, Harrison provided the stepover and Aaronson cutely slid the ball through to Rodrigo beyond the ball, rather than shoot.
      The Spaniard’s shot was blocked by Martinez but Leeds were furious and claimed Mings had held back their striker.
      However VAR agreed with Michael Oliver that it wasn’t enough to merit a penalty.
      But you had to admire Leeds’ cheek in trying to recreate the Netherlands classic Wout Weghorst semi-final goal against Argentina – while Martinez had already seen the script!
      Ollie Watkins was another early Villa casualty as he limped off to be replaced by Danny Ings on the half-hour.
      Leeds almost levelled when Rodrigo raced on to Harrison’s through ball and rounded Martinez but Moreno became an instant hit with Villa fans, racing back to clear his netbound effort off the line.
      Then on the stroke of half-time Martinez showed why he is arguably the world’s number one No.1 with a stunning point blank save to deny Harrison, then Gnonto.
      As the game raged through seven minutes of first-half stoppage time Mings blocked a Harrsion shot and Rodrigo swept the rebound home while on the turf.
      However the Spaniard was judged to be offside when he chested the ball down to his teammate.
      Martinez hurled himself to defy Gnonto before Villa doubled their lead.
      Bailey’s powerful hit was beaten out by Meslier and Bailey swooped to loop a header beyond the stricken goalie.
      After initially ruling it out Villa Park erupted as VAR set the record straight.
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      Gnonto’s battle with ever-green Young was a classic and the kid finally got the better of his veteran foe seven minutes from the end when he rag-dolled the Villa man before setting up Bamford to score from close range.
      However despite eight minutes of stoppage time Villa stayed strong to grind out three crucial points. More

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      Vincent Kompany’s Burnley unrecognisable from Dyche’s dogs of war but Man City icon says spirit’s just the same

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      VINCENT KOMPANY may have Burnley playing the sort of swashbuckling stuff he enjoyed at Manchester City.But one thing he never wants to change at Turf Moor are their “legs, hearts, minds and spirit”.
      Kompany has transformed Burnley
      The Clarets punched above their weight in the Premier League under previous boss Sean Dyche based on all those qualities in his team.
      It was the cornerstone of the club finishing seventh in 2018 and qualifying for the Europa League.
      City and Belgium legend Kompany took over in the summer following the club’s relegation after six consecutive seasons in the top flight. 
      But he quickly transformed Burnley into a possession-based team unrecognisable from the industrial stuff they played before.
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      And today they sit FOURTEEN points clear of third-placed Blackburn ahead of their home clash with Coventry.
      Kompany told SunSport: “I think the football side of things is what people see most — but what I definitely kept were the legs, hearts, minds and spirit of Burnley.
      “This has been an extremely successful club when you compare it to the resources they’ve had. To be as long as they were in the Premier League and to have achieved what they’ve done has been outstanding.
      “But I had a different approach to the game that I wanted to bring.”
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      Vincent Kompany won four Premier League titles at Manchester City
      That approach is attacking football and it has reaped huge benefits with Burnley’s 52 goals being the highest in all four of the top English divisions.
      This is despite Kompany saying at the start of the season his team was not blessed with out-and-out goalscorers.
      The goals have been spread around. Jay Rodriguez is top on nine with Nathan Tella netting eight, Manuel Benson seven, Josh Brownhill and Anass Zaroury five each and Ian Maatsen four. Another eight players have also chipped in.
      And their exploits have taken Kompany by complete surprise — revealing that promotion this season was NOT even the target.
      Jay Rodriguez has top scored so far with nine goals
      Manuel Benson has chipped in with seven goals this season
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      He said: “The biggest thing I like is a team who scores goals. That’s how I approach every phase of play, every situation. I know how difficult it is to have goals in the team. I couldn’t have predicted that they were going to be so prolific and that we’d have done quite as well as we have.
      “The target was to just have a season where we didn’t entirely collapse after relegation, then improve from there and eventually be in contention. It wasn’t the plan to do it over the course of this season.
      “Burnley is a very patient place. We don’t get too involved in the rollercoaster of outside noise. Here we’re in a protective bubble. 
      “From day one, it’s been just about improvement, making the squad better and more healthy. We wanted to get players in that would excite the fans and then be convinced that by the end of it we would become good enough. But the time frame was not this fast!”
      I asked Kompany if his eventual hope is to get the club into contention for a European spot and look at teams such as Brentford and Brighton as great models of what can be achieved at so-called unfashionable clubs.
      He said: “The key point is at one stage those clubs were similar to where we are now — and to three quarters of the Championship today.
      Burnley boss Vincent Kompany wants to keep improving
      Vincent Kompany has won SkyBet Championship manager of the month
      “What has made them so special — and Burnley in the past — was the consistency and calmness they went about with their business. Everyone else lives in the fast lane. These clubs live in a lane on their own, where they are trying to be rational, objective, learn from mistakes and improve what they would be allowed to do in any other job but not football for some reason.
      “That side lives very strongly here. We didn’t make big statements saying we were going to win the title or promotion this year. You just want to keep consistently improving and make sure that happens.
      “We could’ve been mid-table now — but as long as we were consistently improving the future is the right one.”
      Kompany — who was named SkyBet Championship manager of the month for December this week — is used to being in the position Burnley are today, having won four Premier League titles in his 11 years with City.
      But, with the team looking so nailed on for Premier League football, how does he now guard against any complacency with 20 games left.
      He said: “I’ve been fortunate to being in such positions and the most important thing is not to focus one second on the league table.
      We’ve got to improve even more and that is what we focus on. I want every game to be a challenge, to see if we can be better than the previous match. If you don’t do that, you just end up standing still. Our only ambition is to keep improving.”VINCENT KOMPANY
      “You must focus only on improvement and my thing is we’ve got to get better. Eventually we’ll come up against teams that are better than us. 
      “We’ve got to improve even more and that is what we focus on. I want every game to be a challenge, to see if we can be better than the previous match.
      “If you don’t do that, you just end up standing still. Our only ambition is to keep improving.”
      Kompany is only in his third season as a manager — having spent the first two at Anderlecht.
      And the former City star revealed going into management was not such a huge leap because he been preparing for it in the latter stages of his playing career.
      Kompany got to learn from one of the best managers in Pep Guardiola
      He said: “I was pretty much shadow-playing the manager’s role without doing it.
      “I’d for example cut my own games up on a piece of software that the video analysts use. I’d be in my own bubble and play all these scenarios out. Then, when I got the opportunity, to manage it didn’t feel like a big leap.
      “And then before I came here I made sure I spoke to people who had managed in the Championship so I’d know more about it before we kicked a ball.
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      “There are the top managers that I played for that I can call if I need to.”
      The way Kompany is going, he might well be one of those top managers very soon.
      Who’ll win the Manchester derby, Vincent?I’M still very much in favour of Man City winning.
      But I must be honest, we played against a very much improved Man United side recently in the Carabao Cup to what I saw at the beginning of the season.
      The coach Erik ten Hag — who is very good — is definitely getting his ideas across and I think it’ll be a tough contest.
      But if there is one thing you can trust Man City to do, it’s to turn up on the big occasion. It’s one to look forward to for either side and the neutrals. More

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      Erik ten Hag’s in-form Man Utd can prove they’ve learned lesson from 6-3 Man City drubbing… but can they stop Haaland?

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      MANCHESTER UNITED will be hoping to prove themselves in the Manchester derby this weekend.The Red Devils take on their cross-city rivals Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday at Old Trafford.
      Man United boss Erik ten Hag will hope his side can perform better against Man City this time roundCredit: PA
      City won 6-3 last time with Erling Haaland and Phil Foden both scoring hat-tricksCredit: AFP
      Last time the two sides met, it was an unpleasant afternoon for Erik ten Hag’s side as they were hammered by City.
      It was only thanks to a late brace from substitute Anthony Martial that the scoreline looked a less embarrassing 6-3 at full-time.
      However since domestic football returned, fourth-placed United have looked a lot more consistent, having won their last four league games.
      Whereas City have won two of their last four and drawn one and lost one.
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      On top of that, they were beaten by Southampton in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in the week.
      The City defence has not looked as solid as previous and United will be hoping in-form striker Marcus Rashford can continue his hot streak.
      The England forward has netted seven goals in his last six games in all competitions for the Red Devils.
      A win will be huge for United as it would propel them to only one point behind City – a real statement about their resurgence.
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      However in order to win they will have to come up with a way of stopping Erling Haaland.
      The Premier League top goalscorer was in top form the last time the sides met in October.
      If they fail to stop Haaland and City pick up all three points, it could put them back on track of hunting down league leaders Arsenal.
      Currently, second-placed City are five points adrift from the Gunners and need to get back into good form in order to be able to catch them and retain their Premier League title.
      The striker bagged himself a hat-trick at the Etihad Stadium.
      He has not slowed his scoring rate since the game, having already fired in 21 goals in only 16 league appearances.
      The good news for the Red Devils is that star defender Lisandro Martinez is back match-fit after his 90-minute outing against Charlton in the Carabao Cup.
      Although City have dominated the fixture in recent years, having only lost once in the last five meetings, winning the other five.
      The Manchester derby kicks off at 12.30pm.
      Marcus Rashford is in good form for the DevilsCredit: PA
      But United will have to stop 21-goal man Haaland if they hope to winCredit: Reuters More

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      Chelsea ‘have no plans to sack Graham Potter’ despite wretched form and boss ‘will be given time to shape squad’

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      CHELSEA have no intention of axing Graham Potter – despite their alarming run of form.The west Londoners are toiling in TENTH place in the Premier League table after seven defeats and are a whopping TEN points behind fourth-placed Manchester United.
      Chelsea are toiling in tenth place in the Premier League after seven defeatsCredit: ALAMY
      Manager Graham Potter is under mounting pressure at Stamford BridgeCredit: REUTERS
      But chairman Todd Boehly reportedly won’t wield the axe anytime soonCredit: ALAMY
      Potter was brought in from Brighton to turn around the Blues’ fortunes, although they’ve got worse since his appointment.
      Defeat to local rivals Fulham on Thursday heaped even more pressure on the 47-year-old, although the Stamford Bridge brass reportedly WON’T relieve him of his duties.
      According to CBS, chairman Todd Boehly has “no plans” to axe the former Brighton boss.
      Potter is said to have been “informally assured” by the Blues board that he’d receive financial backing in the transfer window.
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      Goals from Willian and Carlos Vinicius condemned Chelsea to a 2-1 defeat – their first defeat to their neighbours in 16 years.
      Potter admitted: “We are suffering at the moment. We’re suffering, the fans are suffering. We feel for them.
      “It’s important to stick together and try to get through this tough period.”
      He added: “It’s really frustrating, incredibly challenging. I feel for the supporters.
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      “We’re disappointed to lose tonight. I felt it was a relatively even game in the first half, we had a couple of chances.
      “But I think the basics we can do a little bit better, in terms of our defending and football actions.
      “We get back in the game and the red card is where we’re at at the moment, in terms of things that can happen to us [do happen to us].
      “To lose Joao [Felix] for three matches is really disappointing. Joao is a young player, a top player, you can see his quality and there wasn’t any malice [in the tackle] but the ref has a decision to make. He’ll learn from it.
      “More than anything fantastic from the opponent, it was more our basic actions where we have to do better.”
      Chelsea will look to stop the rot on Sunday when they welcome Crystal Palace to Stamford Bridge. More

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      Chelsea eye £35m transfer for Madueke with club ‘in talks with PSV’ and his boss Van Nistelrooy ‘worried’ about exit

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      CHELSEA are eyeing a move for PSV Eindhoven star Noni Madueke, SunSport understands.The former Tottenham youngster has impressed in the Eredivisie since joining PSV in 2018.
      PSV are reluctant to let Noni Madueke leaveCredit: Getty
      Graham Potter is believed to be a big fan of the winger and first registered an interest in the wonderkid while he was at Brighton.
      Chelsea technical director Christopher Vivell also tried to sign Madueke while he was at RB Leipzig.
      PSV are reluctant to let the 20-year-old leave but the Blues are interested in a £35million deal
      The Daily Mail report that they’ve already started talks.
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      The Dutch club sold Cody Gakpo to Liverpool earlier this month in a deal which could rise to £45m.
      So manager Ruud van Nistelrooy is hopeful the club will hold onto Madueke, who has just recovered from a long-term ankle injury he picked up in October.
      Van Nistelrooy told De Telegraaf: “I know there is interest.
      “This is due to its qualities and performance. It’s worrisome.
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      “We need to see if we can keep him. I very much hope for that. We must do everything we can to do that. You also know that things can take off, if the purse is pulled hard.
      “Then you have to be ready with several options, because then you would lose the second player in the winter.
      “But as a coach you would rather keep your best players.” More