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      Arsenal face FA rap after wild celebrations against Liverpool… but Mikel Arteta is set to escape punishment

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      MIKEL Arteta will avoid any FA action for his stoppage-time goal celebrations against Liverpool.But Arsenal will be hit with the “standard” £25,000 fine after six of Arteta’s players were cautioned in their 3-1 win.
      Emirates chief Mikel Arteta will not be sanctioned as match officials did not report his behaviour during Sunday’s winCredit: Rex
      Arsenal’s celebrations after beating Liverpool, including Martin Odegaard’s happy snapping, sparked some criticismCredit: Reuters
      Arteta infuriated some TV Liverpool fans as he reacted to Leandro Trossard’s added-time clincher.
      The Spaniard leapt wildly before sprinting through and out of his technical area, potentially leaving himself open to a charge.
      But FA rules, reinforced this term, leave policing of touchline behaviour to the match officials.
      As neither referee Anthony Taylor nor any of his colleagues made any mention of Arteta’s behaviour that is considered the end of the matter by FA beaks, who have no intention of even contacting the Arsenal boss.
      READ MORE ARSENAL NEWS
      But the yellow cards picked up by Ben White, Gabriel, Jakob Kiwior and, in stoppage time, William Saliba, Declan Rice and  Kai Havertz, will see a fine levied against the Gunners.
      Liverpool had defender Ibrahima Konate sent off following his second yellow card soon before Gunners’ sub Trossard finished them off.
      But Arsenal’s players came under fire from some quarters for their victory celebrations soon after.
      Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher said: “Just get down the tunnel. You’ve won a game. It’s three points. They’re back in the title race, get down the tunnel. I’m serious, honestly.”
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      And his fellow Sky Sports pundit, ex-Manchester United defender Gary Neville, argued: “I have gone past the idea of having a go at players for celebrating, I just still think there is a little bit of immaturity in their celebrations.”
      But Arsenal skipper Martin Odegaard insisted his team had every right to react as they did – after rising to second place, two points behind Liverpool.
      Carragher in war of words with ex-Premier League star Fjortoft over Odegaard’s Arsenal celebrations against Liverpool
      The midfielder said: “Everyone who loves football, who understands football, they know how much it means to win this game.
      “And if you’re not allowed to celebrate when you win a game, when are you allowed to celebrate? We’re happy with the win and we’ll stay humble.
       “Everyone who loves football, who understands football, they know how much it means to win this game.
      “And if you’re not allowed to celebrate when you win a game, when are you allowed to celebrate? We’re happy with the win and we’ll stay humble.”
      Odegaard took pics with Gunners’ club photographer Stuart MacFarlane More

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      How Mauricio Pochettino’s record compares to previous Chelsea managers with current boss far better than Graham Potter

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      MAURICIO POCHETTINO is one of Chelsea’s worst managers in the Premier League era – but he is still better than Graham Potter.The Blues boss is under mounting pressure following back-to-back beatings from Liverpool and Wolves.
      Mauricio Pochettino is one of the worst Chelsea managers in Premier League historyCredit: Alamy
      The Argentine’s record is marginally better than Graham PotterCredit: PA
      Chelsea have struggled for consistency and are a staggering 15 points off the top four after 23 games played.
      Pochettino, 51, arrived in the summer after Chelsea finished 12th last season, but he has not been able to improve the team’s form despite spending more than £400million in the transfer window.
      Chelsea’s defeat to Wolves was their tenth in the Premier League this campaign.
      Pochettino has overseen just nine wins and four draws, giving him a points total of 31 – or 1.35 points per game.
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      That ranks as the fourth worst record out of every Chelsea Prem manager – even below Frank Lampard.
      Lampard managed just one win in 11 games during his second spell but did qualify for the Champions League in 2020 in his first season in charge – a feat Poch is some way off achieving.
      By comparison, Potter won seven of his 22 league games in charge, also drawing seven for an average of 1.27 points per game.
      Only Glenn Hoddle has a worse record at Stamford Bridge, with Ian Porterfield the third manager boasting a worse record than Pochettino.
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      Even Frank Lampard boasts a better record than Pochettino
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      Fans have begun to voice their discontent with some calling for John Terry or Jose Mourinho to be appointed manager.
      Defender Thiago Silva’s wife even appeared to call for Pochettino’s sacking as she took to X after the match.
      She tweeted: “It’s time to change.
      “If you wait any longer it will be too late 💙💙.”
      Under-fire Mauricio Pochettino speaks out after Chelsea hammered 4-2 by Wolves More

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      Rasmus Hojlund names dream Man Utd five-a-side team but snubs Wayne Rooney and Vidic

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      RASMUS HOJLUND left Wayne Rooney out of his all-time Manchester United five-a-side team.Hojlund, 21, has been enjoying a stunning new lease on life at United ever since he broke his Premier League scoring hoodoo against Aston Villa last month with five goals in his last five matches.
      Rasmus Hojlund picked his all-time Manchester United five-a-side teamCredit: EPA
      Hojlund left Man Utd record goalscorer Wayne Rooney outCredit: AFP
      Hojlund picked Cristiano Ronaldo to lead his Man Utd attackCredit: PA
      The striker is finally meeting the Red Devils’ demands, which he always knew were sky high as he’s been following the club since a young age.
      That is why picking his best five-a-side team of all time was not difficult for the Denmark international, but it did involve a few surprise omissions.
      It came as no surprise that Hojlund picked Danish legend Peter Schmeichel in goal.
      The centre-forward then opted for Rio Ferdinand in defence but left the England great’s legendary partner Nemanja Vidic out as his choices were very limited.
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      The Dane concluded with Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo, meaning United’s record goalscorer Rooney was left out.
      Hojlund told The United Stand: “I need to put Peter in goal. Peter is Danish.
      “Peter won everything here. Peter is a legend here but is also a legend in Denmark because he won the Euros for us.
      “I need to put Rio in there because he’s very memorable to me. I would love to put Vidic in there, but I can only have one defender.
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      “I want to put Ryan Giggs in there, Paul Scholes and then Cristiano Ronaldo up front.”
      Hojlund has registered a total of 10 goals and two assists in 28 appearances with United so far this season.
      Rasmus Hojlund explains air guitar celebration that stunned Man Utd fans and team-mates in West Ham clash
      The ex-Atalanta star will be looking to extend his goalscoring streak on Sunday at Villa Park. More

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      Rio Ferdinand fears Man Utd’s season could be ‘derailed’ by injury blow that risks ‘killing’ top four hopes

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      MANCHESTER UNITED legend Rio Ferdinand has shared his fears over Lisandro Martinez’s latest injury setback.The Red Devils cruised to a 3-0 win over West Ham on Sunday thanks to goals from Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho.
      Lisandro Martinez suffered a knee injury during Man Utd’s match against West HamCredit: AP
      Rio Ferdinand fears the injury could “kill” Man Utd’s seasonCredit: PA
      However, the occasion was marred when Erik ten Hag revealed that Martinez had suffered a “very bad” injury.
      Martinez was forced off with a knee injury during the second half after attempting a challenge on Vladimir Coufal.
      The defender had been limited to just nine appearances this season before Sunday’s game due to a foot injury.
      And Ferdinand fears that another spell on the sidelines could be disastrous for Man Utd.
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      Speaking on his FIVE podcast, the former England international said: “He got a little injury. He done his knee. I see he tweaked it.
      “I think that looks like ligaments, man. He tried to carry on and then said, ‘No, no, no I’ve got to go’.
      “So, listen, if he’s out, it kills it. You can see with him and Luke Shaw on that side, when they’re together, they look so dominant, they look so confident, they look so composed with the ball.
      “And those two are really good with the ball in terms of setting up attacks, the ball generally comes from that side. Any of the good stuff we do, Martinez, even you see for the first goal, he clips it in.
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      “Yes it goes to [Kurt] Zouma and he heads it down and Casemiro intercepts and we get the goal off that, but it’s because Martinez is playing forward, he’s playing forceful passes.
      “So that will be disappointing. We’ve had so many injuries and he’s one of them that’s been out of a while and he’s probably one of our most influential players.”
      Manchester United’s fall from glory since Sir Alex Ferguson
      Ten Hag shed light on Martinez’s injury after the game.
      He revealed: “I can’t tell the detail but it seems bad. We can only pray.
      “It’s very bad for him and very bad for the team. He’s just returning and is a very important part for us. Last season, when he fell out, I felt our performances dropped a level.” More

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      Sacking Pochettino for Mourinho would be utterly ridiculous, but Chelsea might just be crazy enough to do it

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      TODD BOEHLY would be a fool to sack Mauricio Pochettino before this month’s Carabao Cup Final.But then all common sense went out of the window along with the personal effects of three other managers since the American chairman took over Chelsea less than two years ago.
      Chelsea shouldn’t bring Jose Mourinho back to replace Mauricio PochettinoCredit: Rex
      Chelsea manager Pochettino has come under fire amid a turbulent campaignCredit: Getty
      Anyway, who would be daft enough to bin their boss in the run up to a Wembley final?
      Tottenham did it to Jose Mourinho in 2021 and it proved a disaster. Chelsea’s specialist subject at the moment.
      Mourinho is now out of work once more and already making sure his mug is getting pictured at football grounds around Europe.
      Take a straw poll of Chelsea fans today and bet the majority would take back the man who won them three Premier League titles and wave goodbye to Pochettino.
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      It would be utterly ridiculous for him to come back for a third time but if there is one man mad enough and one club crazy enough to go for it, it is The Special One and Chelsea.
      But even he might baulk at the challenge of trying to turn this club around.
      Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Frank Lampard all tried and failed to get a tune out of the most expensive squad in football history.
      A £1 billion orchestra hitting duff notes whoever is leading them. Makes you wonder whether it’s the players, the conductor or the people who own the concert hall who are to blame.
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      German Tommy Tuchel lasted exactly 100 days before getting Das Boot. Potter survived seven months and Lampard’s 11 games as caretaker boss are best consigned to memory.
      Chelsea’s greatest ever goalscorer and serial-winner left scratching his head at the way his club’s once-formidable character had been deconstructed in the space of 12 months.
      Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino APOLOGISES to fuming fans after watching his side thumped by Wolves
      Boehly and his pal Behdad Eghbali bought Chelsea for £2.5bn in May 2022 and promised to invest a further £1.75bn in revolutionising the entire squad.
      They have certainly done that. Pochettino is famed for his ability to develop young players but is getting nowhere fast with the costly collection of individuals dumped on him by Chelsea’s transfer department.
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      Mourinho enjoyed immense success as Chelsea manager
      Getting them to the Carabao Cup final on February 25 is a miracle. That they look destined to get ripped apart by Liverpool at Wembley is another matter.
      Pochettino admits his job is not safe. But one thing is for sure, he will not quit. As much as some of those Chelsea fans calling for his head in Sunday’s humiliating 4-2 home defeat by Wolves would like.
      They were also singing for former owner Roman Abramovich – so Boehly is not safe either. 
      The deposed Russian, now in exile, is always the person of first resort that a bunch of supporters used to winning big things every year reach for when times are tough.
      Pochettino has struggled during his debut campaign as Chelsea boss
      It won’t happen so the fans need to get used to that idea. 
      The Return (again) Of The Special One equally has the ring of a bad movie about it. Think Fast And The Furious XII or wherever we are at now.
      But when it comes to plugging dud films, that’s already right up Boehly’s street.
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      Reviews of recently released Boehly-backed Argylle – a cheesy spy thriller that has been universally panned – point to that.
      Incidentally, Argylle is meant to be part of a trilogy, if it makes it past the first episode. Jose III sounds equally doomed to fail but at least it would be entertaining.
      A bid for Mourinho by Chelsea owner Todd Boehly can’t be ruled outCredit: Rex More

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      Premier League table if only goals after 90 minutes counted, with Man Utd edging Arsenal and Man City in RELEGATION zone

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      ARSENAL’S win over Liverpool made the title race even tighter – and gave further evidence that the extra added time being played across the Premier League might prove decisive.While Leandro Trossard’s 92nd minute strike only confirmed the destination of the points, it was the ninth goal the Gunners have scored in stoppage time this season.
      Leandro Trossard slotted through Alisson to seal Arsenal’s victory against LiverpoolCredit: AFP
      Man Utd are the best team in stoppage time after Kobbie Mainoo earned United all three points against WolvesCredit: PA
      Man City have struggled late in gamesCredit: PA
      More critically, Trossard’s strike through Allison’s legs represented the eighth time Mikel Arteta’s side have found the net AFTER the 90th minute of games this term.
      The two goal flurry from Declan Rice and Gabriel Jesus against Manchester United in September and Rice’s last-gasp header at Luton in December have added four vital points to Arsenal’s tally.
      Despite conceding at the Emirates, and their even later defeat at Spurs, Liverpool have picked up five points in second half stoppage time, for the same net score of plus four points as Arsenal.
      But Manchester City may live to rue the late goals they conceded against Crystal Palace, Spurs and Chelsea, which cost them six points, even if Oscar Bobb’s stoppage time winner at Newcastle clawed two back.
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      Indeed, second half stoppage time has cost Pep Guardiola’s men more points than any other team in the Prem so far, with Nottingham Forest, who have let three points slip through their fingers, next on the list.
      The goals are part of a pattern this season, with 63 scored after the 90th minute mark and 88 in added time across both halves.
      With referees following new International FA Board guidelines, Prem clubs have played a total of 2,656 minutes and 24 seconds of added time this season, at an average of 11 minutes and 42 seconds per game.
      Tottenham’s last-gasp concession against Everton on Saturday was the 10th stoppage time goal Ange Postecoglou’s side have conceded, with eight of them coming in the second half.
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      Goals conceded against Everton and Wolves have cost them five points.
      But they “won” six points with the stoppage time comeback win against Sheffield United, the 96th minute own goal winner against Liverpool and Dejan Kulusevski’s equalising header at Manchester City.
      Arteta speaks out as Arsenal seal crucial win over title rivals Liverpool
      That saw a total of 16 added time goals in Spurs’ 23 games, with six netted by Postecoglou’s men.
      Perhaps unsurprisingly, they have also played more extra time than any other team so far this season, with more than 316 additional minutes played at an average of 13 minutes and 45 seconds per game.
      That is almost exactly 100 minutes more than London rivals West Ham have played across the season to date.
      Manchester United have been the prime beneficiaries of added time, with seven points grasped after the 90th minute – the wins against Brentford, when they trailed as added time began, Fulham and Wolves – and that point dropped at Arsenal.
      Luton, with just over 219 minutes, have played the second lowest amount of added time.
      Although that does not include the 67 minutes played before their game at Bournemouth was abandoned because of the collapse suffered by skipper Tom Lockyer. More

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      Why winning the Carabao Cup could be the worst thing Pochettino does at Chelsea, thanks to little known rule

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      MAURICIO POCHETTINO knows his Chelsea future could rest on this month’s Carabao Cup Final against Liverpool – if he lasts that long.But the Blues hierarchy might privately wonder if a Wembley win could end up causing the club MORE financial problems than defeat against Jurgen Klopp’s side.
      Mauricio Pochettino is fighting to keep his Chelsea jobCredit: Getty
      Todd Boehly faces financial woes at ChelseaCredit: Rex
      Victory on February 25 would earn Pochettino his first piece of silverware in English football after his spate of near-misses at Spurs.
      It would also ensure that the Blues would be back in Europe next season – but only in the Conference League.
      And that is where the money men inside Stamford Bridge could well be starting to get more than slightly concerned.
      Financial analysts including former Manchester City executive Stefan Borsson have already predicted that Chelsea will have to sell players in the six week gap between the end of the season and the close of the football financial year on June 30 to avoid breaching Premier League Profitability and Sustainability Rules.
      READ MORE CHELSEA NEWS
      Those regulations give clubs leeway to make “allowable losses” of £105m over three seasons.
      The latest figures from accountants Deloitte estimated Chelsea’s annual wage bill at £350m, while their current “amortisation costs” of transfers is believed to be in the realm of £180m-plus heading into next year.
      Chelsea are already likely to earn at least £17m less in Prem TV money than they had envisaged.
      A top six place would be worth around £157m compared to the £140m if they remain in their current 11th position.
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      Then you can factor in two years of missing out of at least £75m in Champions League revenue.
      But more of a concern is that qualifying for Europe would mean Chelsea having to meet Uefa’s far MORE stringent financial rules – or face significant penalties.
      ‘All bets are off’ at ‘madhouse’ Chelsea says Sun Sport’s Andy Dillon following defeat against Wolves
      Under Uefa rules, introduced this season, clubs competing in any competition next term will be restricted to spending a maximum 80 per cent of their revenues on wages and transfers.
      Chelsea’s income is likely to fall to below £450m this season and next, with the Conference League worth no more than a maximum £15m if a team wins every game.
      Assuming that £450m income figure, Chelsea will not be allowed to spend more than £360m – which, given their current wage-bill, leaves just £10m to play with.
      In addition, Uefa’s FFP regulations, which will be a two year calculation next season, will only allow losses of £34m across 2023 and 2024, with calculation now done on a calendar year basis.

      It makes the prospect of Chelsea embarking on another huge summer spending spree, whoever is the manager, far less likely.
      Because the Blues regime amortised the transfer fees of the majority of their recruits over the past 18 months across up to eight seasons, they are carrying huge costs.
      Those sums still hanging over each player must be taken off the profits for any sales – so Chelsea would, for example, have to agree a deal of £38m for Marc Cucarella, £50m for injury-prone Wesley Fofana or £39m for unwanted Romelu Lukaku to avoid LOSING money of the departures.
      The “profit” point for both Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez is around £88m.
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      Prem rules are already forcing all clubs, including Chelsea, to rethink their approaches.
      But, bizarre as it sounds, getting into the Conference League might become a major nightmare – and effectively scotch their hopes of a summer of statement signings. More

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      Laura Woods sits on Adam Collard’s knee on romantic ski holiday after suffering ‘near-death experiences’

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      LAURA WOODS has taken off for a romantic skiing trip with boyfriend Adam Collard.TNT Sports host Woods and Love Island star Collard have been dating for almost six months.
      Laura Woods sits on Adam Collard’s lap during their skiing holidayCredit: laurawoodsy/Instagram
      Woods and Collard shared pictures of themselves with friendsCredit: laurawoodsy/Instagram
      Woods tried out her skiing skills in the French AlpsCredit: laurawoodsy/Instagram
      Woods and Collard have been dating for six monthsCredit: laurawoodsy/Instagram
      And the TV presenter shared pictures of their latest holiday in the French Alps.
      The 36-year-old posted snaps of her and the reality star cosying up together.
      The journalist also added pics of them hitting the slopes, which led to a few “near death experiences”, and enjoying some down time with friends.
      Woods posted on Instagram: “Skiing ✅
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      “Near Death Experiences ✅✅✅✅”
      Woods’ pictures amassed over 15,000 likes from her 756,000 followers, who stormed the comments’ section.
      One fan posted: “Looooooooooooooove everything about those Laura.”
      Another commented: “WOW!!!! Great fun.”
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      A third wrote: “Loving it Woodsy, gripping and ripping.”
      This fan said: “Skiing is always a combination of scary and fun! Enjoy yourself, Laura!”
      Fans switch over from Luke Littler to ITV4 to watch Laura Woods present FA Cup
      Woods and Collard shared their holiday highlights on social mediaCredit: Instagram
      Woods also shared a few clips on her InstagramCredit: laurawoodsy/Instagram
      And that one posted: “Cool photos.”
      Their idyllic skiing holiday comes as their romance appears to be going from strength to strength.
      They have been a couple since last September when The Sun revealed that they had enjoyed a string of dates.
      Adam confirmed his romance with the TV star in October when they went Instagram official.
      In the recent photos on Instagram, the pair got ready to hit the slopes and looked smitten as they posed outside a mountain lodge in their winter warmers.
      Laura looked happy and relaxed as she flung one arm around fitness entrepreneur Adam, 29, in the French Alps.
      Her Geordie reality TV star beau, who previously dated Love Islander Zara McDermott, couldn’t disguise his pride at being with Laura. More