Premier League

EVERYONE knows Erling Haaland is a freak of footballing nature with his incredible ability to score goals. But it might be because of his strange 6,000-calories-a-day diet.Kyle Walker opened up on Erling Haaland’s eating habitsCredit: APThe striker ensures he gets plenty of protein in his dietCredit: InstagramAs revealed by SunSport in 2022, soon after he arrived in England, the Manchester City striker regularly feasts on cow’s heart and liver.The Norwegian goal machine, 24, also wolfs down kale and spinach smoothies as well as more traditional meals such as plenty of lasagne and omelettes – plus filtered water. But now Kyle Walker has lifted the lid on two more items the “high maintenance” Norwegian goal machine devours.And the full-back even revealed his team-mate brings some of them in to share with the rest of the City squad. READ MORE ON FOOTBALLWalker told his BBC podcast: “High maintenance is Erling but in a good way. “He is very professional but does like his treatments, massages, ice baths, his juice has to be right.”He is just professional looking after his body.”The food has changed I can tell you that. Most read in Football”Norwegian salmon he brings all that in and looks after the lads.”He’s got all his raw milk and everything like that. Fans ask ‘how can you not love him?’ after Haaland’s blunt eight-word response to reporter’s fantasy football question”It’s straight from the cow.”Haaland even gets his salmon flown over from his homeland from the best fish restaurant in Norway.Reports have even suggested that the restaurant’s top chefs come with the fish to prepare it.Walker, though, refused to confirm whether or not he has tucked into any of the unusual delicacies.Haaland even made the most of a few days off this week to whizz back to Scandinavia. He skipped the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris in favour of a trip to Sweden where he watched Malmo take on Goteborg.READ MORE SUN STORIESThe striker – who has already racked up 14 goals in 12 games this season – wore a Malmo shirt as his pal Erik Botheim started up front. But Haaland will hope his raw milk and Norwegian salmon can fire him to more goals in the coming weeks with crunch clashes against Tottenham, Sporting and Liverpool. Haaland drinks raw milk – and even brings it to the training groundCredit: Instagram @mancityHe also devours cow’s heart and liverCredit: Haaland The Big DecisionTV fixtures in DecemberHere are all the games that will be televised in December…Tuesday 3 December19:30 Ipswich v Crystal Palace (Amazon Prime Video)20:15 Leicester v West Ham (Amazon Prime Video)Wednesday 4 December19:30 Everton v Wolves (Amazon Prime Video)19:30 Man City v Nott’m Forest (Amazon Prime Video)19:30 Newcastle v Liverpool (Amazon Prime Video)19:30 Southampton v Chelsea (Amazon Prime Video)20:15 Arsenal v Man Utd (Amazon Prime Video)20:15 Aston Villa v Brentford (Amazon Prime Video)Thursday 5 December19:30 Fulham v Brighton (Amazon Prime Video)20:15 AFC Bournemouth v Spurs (Amazon Prime Video)Saturday 7 December12:30 Everton v Liverpool (TNT Sports)17:30 Man Utd v Nott’m Forest (Sky Sports)Sunday 8 December14:00 Fulham v Arsenal (Sky Sports)16:30 Spurs v Chelsea (Sky Sports)Monday 9 December20:00 West Ham v Wolves (Sky Sports)Saturday 14 December17:30 Nott’m Forest v Aston Villa (Sky Sports)Sunday 15 December14:00 AFC Bournemouth v West Ham (Sky Sports)16:30 Man City v Man Utd (Sky Sports)19:00 Southampton v Spurs (TNT Sports)Monday 16 December20:00 Brighton v Crystal Palace (Sky Sports)Saturday 21 December12:30 Aston Villa v Man City (TNT Sports)17:30 Crystal Palace v Arsenal (Sky Sports)Sunday 22 December14:00 Fulham v Southampton (Sky Sports)16:30 Spurs v Liverpool (Sky Sports)Thursday 26 December12:30 Man City v Everton (Amazon Prime Video)15:00 AFC Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (Amazon Prime Video)15:00 Chelsea v Fulham (Amazon Prime Video)15:00 Newcastle v Aston Villa (Amazon Prime Video)15:00 Nott’m Forest v Spurs (Amazon Prime Video)15:00 Southampton v West Ham (Amazon Prime Video)17:30 Wolves v Man Utd (Amazon Prime Video)20:00 Liverpool v Leicester (Amazon Prime Video)Friday 27 December19:30 Brighton v Brentford (Amazon Prime Video)20:15 Arsenal v Ipswich (Amazon Prime Video)Sunday 29 December14:30 Leicester v Man City (Sky Sports)17:15 West Ham v Liverpool (Sky Sports)Monday 30 December20:00 Man Utd v Newcastle (Sky Sports) More

JARROD BOWEN has joined an exclusive club after his penalty got Erik ten Hag sacked as Manchester United manager.West Ham were awarded a controversial spot-kick in the 92nd minute against the Red Devils, which the Irons skipper scored to secure their 2-1 win.Jarrod Bowen’s late winner proved to be Erik ten Hag’s last moment as Man Utd bossCredit: PATen Hag was axed the morning after the defeatCredit: RexThe goal burst Ten Hag’s bubble and he was axed the following morning.Man Utd are languishing in 14th in the Premier League table after the club’s worst ever start to a season.If bosses want to keep their jobs, they should avoid conceding to a special list of players that have a knack of getting managers sacked.Bowen has now scored to register the final hammer blows for three Prem gaffers in their last games before being dismissed.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLBruno Lage at Wolves, Frank Lampard at Everton and now Ten Hag have all been hit by the England star’s curse.Only seven other players have scored in three different managers’ final matches in charge – Chris Wood, Riyad Mahrez, Sadio Mane, Xherdan Shaqiri, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Salomon Kalou and Darius Vassell.Only Nottingham Forest striker Wood and Bowen remain in the Prem and can add to their stunning runs.And they could catch James Ward-Prowse and Andy Cole, whose goals have been the last straw for four and five coaches respectively.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSGoals from JWP saw Claudio Ranieri axed at Fulham, Quique Sanchez Flores leave Watford, Chris Wilder sacked by Sheffield United and Antonio Conte get his marching orders at Tottenham.Strikes from Cole have ended the tenures of David Pleat at Sheffield Wednesday, Attilio Lombardo at Crystal Palace, Jacques Santini at Spurs, Velimir Zajec at Portsmouth and Graeme Souness at Newcastle.Erik ten Hag angry with VAR for ‘interfering’ as West Ham penalty wounds Man Utd More

RUBEN AMORIM could be Manchester United’s new manager by Sunday after the club agreed to pay his £8.3million release fee from Sporting Lisbon.The Portuguese coach — plus three of his backroom staff — are expected to fly in to Manchester for advanced talks, just two days after Erik ten Hag’s sacking.Ruben Amorim will fly to England to finalise his Man Utd moveCredit: GettyEx-United boss Jose Mourinho and Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola have both endorsed Amorim, 39, even though he only became a coach five years ago. Sporting yesterday confirmed: “Manchester United have expressed their interest in recruiting coach Ruben Amorim and have said they are ready to pay the 10m euro release clause.”Ten Hag’s No 2 Ruud van Nistelrooy will take temporary charge for tonight’s home Carabao Cup tie against Leicester.But Red Devils chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe is believed to want Amorim in charge for Sunday’s Prem clash with Chelsea at Old Trafford. READ MORE IN FOOTBALLHowever, the in-demand coach would not be drawn on joining United when he spoke to reporters after Sporting’s 3-1 win over Nacional last night.He refused to confirm if it was his “farewell game” as Sporting boss, adding: “Manchester United is interested. But it’s my choice. Until everything is decided, we won’t be making any noise.”I have nothing useful to say. I will take on whatever I want to do, as I have always done.“I’m not going to talk about my contract, it’s a matter between me and Sporting. All the clauses that exist in a contract are included by the employer and the employee. What I can say is that the statement contains all the necessary information.Most read in Football“I can’t promise anything. What I know is that I will be at training tomorrow and I will prepare for the game against Estrela da Amadora (on Friday).“We have to wait a little bit more to explain everything I need to explain, then it will be very clear.“It is my decision, I will tell everything to so we have to wait.”Amorim led Sporting to the Portuguese title last season and his team have won ALL of their first nine league games this season.Mourinho, who sat in the United hotseat from 2016-18, claimed the Sporting boss would be able to handle a Prem move, insisting he was capable of managing “in any club”.The Special One added: “I like him as a person, I like him as a coach.“He has the conditions to be able to coach in any league and in any club.”FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSAmorim had served an internship under Mourinho at  United in 2018 before taking charge of lower-league Lisbon club Casa Pia the same year.The ex-midfielder, who hung up his boots in 2016, joined  Sporting in 2020, having impressed during a stint at Braga.’Sporting fans will be upset with Ruben Amorim but he will be much better than Erik ten Hag’Ten Hag was dismissed on Monday morning with the club 14th in the Prem.Guardiola also gave Amorim a glowing reference and said: “Why is it too quick? I started at Barcelona when I was 37. So knowledge is knowledge.“If you are able, age doesn’t matter. If age was a reason, Lamine Yamal could not play football at 17 years old.”Guardiola, who was due to face Amorim’s Sporting next week in the Champions League, added: “If Manchester United are thinking about him, it’s because he’s a good manager.”READ MORE SUN STORIESCity had been strongly linked with a move for Amorim if Guardiola quits at the end of the season — with the Lisbon club’s sporting director Hugo Viana heading to the Etihad this summer.Sporting have lined up B team coach Joao Pereira as Amorim’s replacement.Ruben Amorim leaves Sporting on a highBy Charlie WyettRUBEN AMORIM would have preferred to leave Lisbon in a blaze of glory after winning a third Primeira Liga title.Yet football does not work like that. And in what was surely his final game before taking charge of Manchester United, Amorim prepared to say his goodbyes at a half-empty Estadio Jose Alvalade in a League Cup quarter-final against Nacional.Sporting won 3-1 thanks to  second-half goals by captain  Morten Hjulmand and Viktor Gyokeres, who scored two.Luis Esteves pulled back for Madeira-based Nacional.The stadium  will be a good deal more lively on Tuesday when Manchester City are here for  a Champions League match — although Amorim should by then have his feet firmly under his desk at Old Trafford.Liverpool and Aston Villa were both interested in Europe’s most sought-after coach. Even City could have been a possible destination post-Pep Guardiola.Yet the United job is one Amorim, 39,  could not turn  down — even if not everyone saw it that way at Sporting last night.There is clearly a huge split in the Portuguese club’s fan base over their coach leaving at this stage of the season with many believing he should have seen the job through.Yet Amorim, along with the three-man coaching team who are expected to follow him, leaves a club in a much better state than when he arrived here in 2020.Inside the stadium, there was applause — albeit muted — when his name was read out before the game along with the line-ups.And there did not appear to be any jeers when Amorim shuffled out from the tunnel awkwardly towards the dugout.So, while his departure is hard to take for some, none of the fans will forget his legacy.This is a club which is back as the dominant force in Portugal. Even this term, Sporting have won their first nine league games, scoring 30 goals and conceding just two.They are also eighth in the Champions League table, which is one hell of an effort.In contrast, Lisbon was not exactly hit by League Cup fever last night.Amorim made lots of changes, which saw Sporting’s star man Gyokeres, the former Coventry striker, start on the bench.There was, however, a first appearance in six weeks for former Tottenham winger Marcus Edwards. He is certainly one player who has been transformed by Amorim since arriving at the club from Vitoria in 2022 and will be sorry to see the coach leave.While he changed his team, Amorim stuck with his tried and trusted formation of a back three.It will certainly be something Manchester United’s fans will have to get used to over the  coming months.But looking at the Premier League table, none of them will be complaining about the change. More

DARWIN NUNEZ did not get a rousing vote of confidence from Arne Slot after he revealed Diogo Jota will be missing for weeks.It appears the mercurial Uruguayan is THIRD in manager Slot’s pecking order of Liverpool’s No 9s.Darwin Nunez has started just two Premier League games this seasonCredit: GettyJota looks unlikely to return until after November’s internationals amid abdominal damage suffered in the 2–1 win over Chelsea ten days ago.And Federico Chiesa could be out for even longer as the £10million arrival from Juventus is struggling following a series of niggling injuries.Yet Slot says he would have turned to the Italian — and not £64m man Nunez — in the absence of Jota.The Dutchman starts a run of four games in 11 days before the next international break with a Carabao Cup trip to Brighton.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLAnd Slot admitted: “It is a pity that Jota is not available.“And Chiesa is also not available as they were, in my opinion, the most logical No 9s but we still have other options.”One possibility there is Nunez, who has played in the main striker’s role for the last three games, scoring in the 1–0 Champions League win over RB Leipzig.But Kop boss Slot, who had only started him in two of the ten previous games since taking over from Jurgen Klopp, admits he is “worried” about the loss of Jota and Chiesa ahead of a punishing spell.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSFormer Feyenoord gaffer Slot brushed off suggestions Chiesa could return to Italy on loan in January.And he was not jumping for joy at being forced to turn to Nunez, who has just 35 goals in 106 appearances since arriving from Benfica more than two years ago.How Arteta dominated Liverpool with stealth Havertz trick before genius Slot switch saved the daySlot added: “About Darwin, I gave him credit for the fact he worked so hard in previous weeks when he didn’t play a lot to be able to play three games in a row.“Three games in eight days, so that says a lot about him.“But it also says a lot about the quality of our performance staff and medical staff that we were able to give him the right sessions to prepare him in the right way.“You always need the player to buy in because you can give him the right sessions but if he doesn’t give everything then it is very difficult for him to do what he did.”Slot also points to the fact that Nunez had a five-game international ban revoked having joined team-mates to battle rioting Colombian fans after his country’s Copa America semi-final defeat in August.He played against Peru and Ecuador last month, with Slot saying: “It was a good thing his ban for the Uruguay team was cancelled so he could play.“That has probably really helped him to play the way that he did in the last three games.“I’m not talking about the quality he played with, but the intensity he played with. The quality was also good — so that was a positive thing.”Slot is planning on making changes on Wednesday night as Liverpool host Brighton in the Prem on Saturday, as well as ex-Kop hero Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League before a visit from Aston Villa.READ MORE SUN STORIESSeagulls boss Fabian Hurzeler is without defender Lewis Dunk who has a “small muscle issue” and conceded his captain is “not easy to replace”.Hurzeler added: “He’s a great healer, so we have to go day by day. For sure, we can’t take any risks with him — but he’s keen on coming back as soon as possible.” More

JAMIE VARDY has revealed his most memorable wind-up celebration… and confirmed what he wants his legacy to be with a brilliant two-word response.The Leicester striker turns 38 in January but is still scoring at the highest level – and already has four Premier League goals this season.Jamie Vardy is known to mock opposition fans after scoring goalsCredit: GettyHe has named his most memorable wind-up celebrationCredit: GettyHe did not make his top flight debut until the age of 27, but in the decade since then he has scored 140 Premier League goals.Vardy is just four shy of Robin van Persie – and could also catch Teddy Sheringham [146], Les Ferdinand [149] and Michael Owen [150] before he hangs up his boots.But along with his goals, the English forward is also remembered for riling opposition fans by goading them with his celebrations.In his first game back in the Premier League this season, he mocked Tottenham’s lack of a title after equalising against them at the King Power Stadium.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThe 2016 champion has also taunted supporters of Wolves, Burnley, Sheffield United and Crystal Palace.But it was one against West Brom during Leicester’s title-winning season that sticks with him more than the others.Speaking to Men in Blazers, he said: “My most memorable one would have been West Brom away the year we won the league.”There was one guy who sprinted down about 56 stairs to try and get to me on the pitch which is why I stood there in the corner with my arms aloft just smiling.”Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSVardy was also quizzed about what he wants to be remembered for when he eventually hangs up his boots.He was asked to complete the sentence: “Jamie Vardy, to be remembered as a man who…”Jamie and Rebekah Vardy lead Leicester celebrations as thousands flood onto streets for Championship title paradeTo which he simply replied: “Caused carnage.” Vardy scored in Leicester’s 3-1 defeat to East Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest on Friday night.But despite the result Steve Cooper’s side remain five points above the relegation zone.They head to Old Trafford on Wednesday night to face Manchester United in the Carabao Cup – with Ruud van Nistelrooy set to take charge of the hosts following the sacking of Erik ten Hag.Leicester then go to fellow newly-promoted side Ipswich on Saturday, before returning to Man Utd for a league match prior to the international break. More