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      in Soccer

      Man City vs Newcastle LIVE: Stream, TV channel, team news as Sterling heads in opener – Premier League latest updates

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      MANCHESTER CITY return to Premier League action today and they’ll be hoping to put their Real Madrid nightmare behind them.Two late Rodrygo goals and Benzema’s coolly dispatched penalty in extra time was enough for Los Blancos to send City crashing out of club footballs biggest competition.
      But today they welcome Newcastle to the Etihad, as Pep’s men look to capitalise on Liverpool’s draw with Tottenham on Saturday by going top of the table.

      Start time: 4.30pm BST
      TV/Live stream: Sky Sports Premier League
      Man City XI: Ederson, Cancelo, Dias, Laporte, Zinchenko, Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Grealish, Sterling, Jesus
      Newcastle XI: Dubravka, Kraftth, Lascelles, Burn, Targett, Longstaff, Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, Almiron, Saint-Maximin, Wood

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      Man City 1-0 Newcastle
      35. Longstaff tries to thread a ball behind the City backline but the ball is too heavily hit.
      This is met by wolf-whistles by the City fans.
      Newcastle are being caught offside all too often.
      Man City 1-0 Newcastle
      33. City are still looking dominant here.
      Newcastle are huffing and puffing but really do not seem to have the lung capacity to blow the City house down.
      Zinchenko gets down the byline and cuts the ball back but no one can get a telling touch on it.
      Man City 1-0 Newcastle
      31. Grealish is smashed up in the air by Guimarães.
      The referee plays advantage as City are in possession.
      Jack Grealish continues to roll around on the ground like he has stood in a bear-trap.
      Amazingly, when he realises no free-kick is coming the City attacker leaps to his feet like the Grandad springing out of bed in Willy Wonka.
      Man City 1-0 Newcastle
      29. Newcastle need to get their front three working more.
      It is easier said than done with this attacking City team.
      When The Magpies can do this it does cause City problems.
      Man City 1-0 Newcastle
      27. Let off for City with that chalked off Newcastle goal.
      It should The Magpies some confidence however.
      City continue to stroke the ball around.

      Man City 1-0 Newcastle
      25. Chris Wood has put the ball into the back of the net for Newcastle.
      It is disallowed as the initial header struck Guimarães on the line before Wood stroked it home.
      Guimarães was in an offside position.
      Man City 1-0 Newcastle
      23. A deep cross to the back post for Newcastle.
      Zinchenko tries to control the ball but it goes for a corner.
      Chance for Newcastle to try and prosper in City territory.
      Man City 1-0 Newcastle
      21. A difficult task has become even more so for The Magpies.
      You cannot give this City side chances like that and expect to still be on level terms.
      City deservedly in front.
      Man City 1-0 Newcastle
      19. The ball reaches Cancelo on the back post.
      He heads it across the box looking for Sterling.
      The England midfielder strokes the ball into the net.

      Goal – Raheem Sterling (Man City)
      Man City 0-0 Newcastle
      17. City are starting to knock on the door.
      Newcastle are allowing them too many opportunities.
      It won’t be long before they take one of these.
      Man City 0-0 Newcastle – Cancelo chance!
      15. The ball is drifted to the back post by Grealish where Cancelo meets it on the half volley.
      He too is completely unmarked.
      Cancelo’s half-volley goes dramatically wide also.
      Man City 0-0 Newcastle
      13. In reality this game should already be 1-1.
      Both teams have missed gilt-edged chances.
      Newcastle will have to be far more clinical if they plan breaking their Etihad Stadium jinx.
      Man City 0-0 Newcastle – Rodri chance!
      11. Corner comes into the box and ball drops at the feet of Rodri in the middle of the goal completely unmarked.
      On the edge of the six-yard box he strikes it on the half-volley.
      How that has gone over the bar is leaving most in the ground still scratching their heads.
      Big chance for City.
      Man City 0-0 Newcastle – Wood chance!
      9. Saint-Maximin does well down the right wing and delivers a cross into the box.
      Wood and Joelinton are queueing up at the back post unmarked.
      Chris Wood heads a tame header straight at the keeper.
      Should have done better.
      Man City 0-0 Newcastle
      7. City have started on a positive note.
      Running the ball at their opponents and try to get some balls into the box .
      Newcastle have stood firm so far with Dubravka with little to do so far.

      Man City 0-0 Newcastle
      5. De Bruyne bursts through the centre with no Newcastle player able to keep up with him.
      Longstaff is penalised for a foul by Guimarães on the edge of the box.
      The free-kick goes harmlessly wide of the post.
      Man City 0-0 Newcastle
      3. In these early stages City are seeing a lot of possession as you would expect.
      They are stretching Newcastle by spreading the ball from flank to flank,
      Newcastle trying to pass the ball around to slow the pace of the City game early doors.
      Man City 0-0 Newcastle
      1. Guardiola will have hammered into his team after their midweek adventures of the importance of putting teams away when dominating.
      It is what cost them in Europe and Newcastle may pay the price as a backlash today.
      Kick-off: Man City vs Newcastle
      We are underway at The Etihad Stadium.
      Newcastle get the game started in the Manchester sunshine.
      City bring out limited edition jersey
      Man City have unveiled a special jersey to celebrate Sergio Aguero’s goal vs QPR.
      Aguero netted an iconic last-gasp winner to crown City champions back in 2012.
      The jersey features images of Aguero’s late goal along with the timestamp of it.

      Pep breaking records for right reasons
      City have scored 789 goals in 359 Premier League matches at the Etihad Stadium, an average of 2.2 per game – the best ratio any side has at a particular home venue in the competition’s history.
      Guardiola’s men have no issues finding the net in the Premier League, having scored 16 times in their last 5 outings.
      City have also scored 17 times in their last five league encounters against The Magpies.
      Goals not a problem for City
      Kevin De Bruyne has been involved in 15 goals in his last 16 league appearances, scoring 9 and assisting 6.
      Rodri has scored five goals in 29 Premier League appearances this term, equalling his combined total in his two previous seasons across 69 games.
      Riyad Mahrez has scored in each of his last five league starts at the Etihad Stadium.

      Pep talk seemed to do trick
      Man City failed to win four of their opening ten league matches this season (D2, L2).
      Since then, they have only dropped points in four of their following 24 Premier League fixtures (D3, L1).
      The reigning champions have scored 18 goals from set-pieces in the Premier League this season (excluding penalties), the most of any side.
      Reasons to want to perform
      Defeat today would be the 100th Premier League loss of Eddie Howe’s managerial career in what will be his 215th game.
      Howe has lost all 11 Premier League games with Man City.
      That is the longest 100% losing record a manager has recorded against a single opponent.

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      in Soccer

      Arsenal 2 Leeds 1 LIVE: Gunners hold firm to grab vital three points against 10-man Leeds at Emirates – latest updates

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      ARSENAL beat Leeds 2-1 at the Emirates in a clash which brought them closer to a finish in the top four of the Premier League. Eddie Nketiah scored two goals in the first half and Luke Ayling was sent off for the visitors.
      Diego Llorente pulled one back in the second half but the Gunners held firm for a big three points.

      RESULT: Arsenal 2-1 Leeds
      Arsenal XI: Ramsdale, Tomiyasu, Holding, Gabriel, Soares, Elneny, Xhaka, Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli, Nketiah
      Leeds XI: Meslier, Ayling, Koch, Llorente, Firpo, Phillips, Klich, Raphinha, James, Harrison, Gelhardt

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      That’s all from the Emirates
      It’s advantage Arsenal in the race for the top four…
      …but Leeds are sinking like a stone.
      There’s no time for dwelling on this afternoon’s contest now that it’s done, however, with both sides back in action in midweek.
      The Gunners face rivals Tottenham on Thursday with Champions League football on the line, while Leeds face an enemy of their own in Chelsea as they battle to beat the drop.
      We’ll be here with all the action, but for now, while not take in the title race with Manchester City currently taking on Newcastle at the Etihad.
      Goodbye.
      Extra! Read all about it!
      Before we head off for the day, let’s recap on an eventful afternoon at the Emirates with Mark Irwin’s match report of Arsenal’s 2-1 home victory over Leeds.
      Mikel Arteta has always known that Eddie Nketiah could be something special, but it has taken the young Londoner a long time to justify his manager’s faith – and maybe now it is too late for him to become a future Arsenal star.
      Red hot Eddie ready for run-in
      Eddie Nketiah’s early double against his former club this afternoon made it four goals in four Premier League games for the striker, having scored just five in his first 52 top-flight appearances.
      More than that, however, the striker was a constant threat for the hosts, both in the 18-yard-box, and when drifting wide and deep to help start attacks.
      The 22-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season, and after almost the entire season on the sidelines looks set to depart the club.
      Any player wants to be playing and have opportunities. Obviously I’ve worked hard throughout this season to make sure I was ready when I got my chance, and credit to my team-mates for helping me play and do well. I’m just happy to be helping the team.
      Throughout the season, [the atmosphere among the squad] has been excellent. I really feel the connection between the players and the fans. It’s amazing to be involved, and we’re giving our all to make them happy.Eddie NketiahSky Sports

      Dirty Leeds set new record
      Leeds have never been afraid to leave a foot in and mix it up, but there’s the concern that their disciplinary issues may yet cost them this season.
      Luke Ayling’s red card at the Emirates means he will sit out the final three games of the season, while they took their total tally of yellow cards for the season to 96 – the most any club has ever racked up in a single Premier League campaign.
      Credit: @OptaJoe Twitter
      The latest state of play
      Here’s how the Premier League table looks after this afternoon’s fixtures.
      Arsenal move four points clear of Spurs, and are now just a point behind Chelsea in third-place. A win against Tottenham on Thursday will guarantee Champions League football for the Gunners.
      At the foot, Leeds are back in the bottom three, but only on goal difference behind Burnley.
      Everton’s win at Leicester lifts them a point clear of both sides, and they also have a game in hand on each of their relegation rivals.

      Match stats from the Emirates
      Leeds were a miscued Rodrigo header away from recording an unlikely point at Arsenal despite having 16 fewer shots than their opponents.

      Today in the Premier League
      The reason for Leeds’ return to the dropzone is due to Everton registering a rare away at Leicester this afternoon.
      Here are how the other matches that kicked-off at 2pm have finished.

      Arsenal 2-1 Leeds
      Leicester 1-2 Everton
      Norwich 0-4 West Ham
      Man City v Newcastle (4.30pm)

      Full time – Arsenal 2-1 Leeds
      Relief for Arsenal!
      Cruising at half-time, the Gunners have held on for a win that takes them four points clear of Tottenham in the race to finish in the top four. It’s now all about the North London derby on Thursday night.
      Leeds have been beaten, and plunged into the bottom three, but at least have some pride after a valiant performance in the second period.
      Diego Llorente’s goal wasn’t enough to get them anything in the capital, but it did demonstrate a fighting spirit that they will desperately need for their final three games of the campaign.

      Arsenal 2-1 Leeds
      90+3. Rodrigo! That was the chance!
      It wasn’t an easy one by any means, but it had Leeds fans off their seats with seconds remaining.
      A deep free-kick played into the box was flicked on again by Firpo, and there was the Leeds substitute to head straight at Ramsdale.
      What a moment that could have been!
      Arsenal 2-1 Leeds
      90+2. Arsenal run down the clock with a throw-in on the far side.
      Nobody would have seen that eventuality after 27 minutes when they were 2-0 up against ten men.
      Arsenal 2-1 Leeds
      90. Leeds win ANOTHER corner, and up comes Illan Meslier!
      The goalkeeper was at fault for the first Arsenal goal, but could he make up for it in the most dramatic of circumstances?!
      The answer is no. The corner is cleared away, and Pepe momentarily has a free run at an open goal, but Dan James gets back brilliantly to intercept.
      There’s still hope for Leeds, and they have three minutes of stoppage time to salvage something.
      Arsenal 2-1 Leeds
      88. It’s completely inexplicable but Arsenal’s fans and players are growing nervous.
      How has it come to this?
      Arsenal 2-1 Leeds
      86. “Has Pepe even touched by the ball on that far side since he came on?” asks Alan Smith on co-commentary. “I’ve barely noticed him.”
      That one stings more than a Luke Ayling two-footer.
      Arsenal 2-1 Leeds
      84. Odegaard takes charge of the set-piece, but curls tamely into the hards of Meslier.
      Remarkably, approaching the final five minutes, Leeds are still in this contest.
      Arsenal 2-1 Leeds
      83. Some slick passing involving Odegaard, Smith Rowe and Nketiah ends in a free-kick being awarded to the hosts outside of the penalty area.
      It’s about 20 yards out and dead central.
      Arsenal 2-1 Leeds
      82. Jesse Marsh sends on a note of instructions on a piece of paper so big that Dan James has trouble hiding it down his shorts.
      It eventually makes its way to Kalvin Phillips, who spoils the secrecy by barking out instructions despite the nearby presence of several Arsenal players.
      Arsenal 2-1 Leeds
      80. Odegaard lights up the Emirates again with a cheeky nutmeg on Firpo.
      The playmaker looks a smarter signing with each passing week.
      Arsenal 2-1 Leeds – Arsenal substitution
      78. After an impressive showing, Gabriel Martinelli’s afternoon is over.
      The winger is replaced by Emile Smith Rowe for the final 12 minutes.
      Arsenal 2-1 Leeds
      76. Back down the other end, and there are half-hearted appeals for a penalty from the home fans.
      Martinelli’s cross bounces up and catches Koch on the arm, but there’s nothing in it to convince either the onfield or off-field officials.
      Arsenal 2-1 Leeds
      75. Ooof! A chance for Leeds to threaten the Arsenal goal as they break forward in numbers, but Harrison gets his pass intended for Bate all wrong and Gabriel steps in to clear.
      Arsenal 2-1 Leeds
      74. Beautiful stuff from Arsenal!
      Elneny picks out Odegaard in space, who then takes a delightful touch to evade Llorente and Struijk.
      The Norwegian takes the shot on left footed from outside the box, and it only just whistles wide of Meslier’s left-hand post.
      Arsenal 2-1 Leeds
      72. Gabriel Martinelli holds up the game after going down with cramp just off the pitch, but cleverly rolling back on when the official weren’t looking.
      Arsenal 2-1 Leeds
      69. Now it’s Mikel Arteta’s turn to make a change.
      Bukayo Saka is given a rest with one eye now on the North London derby, and here’s a chance for Nicolas Pepe to make an impression.
      Arsenal 2-1 Leeds – Tomiyasu yellow card
      67. While most of us were still trying to ascertain how Arsenal’s defence completely switched off, Takehiro Tomiyasu has gone into the book for a late challenge.
      Arsenal 2-1 Leeds
      66. Well, well, well.
      A first Leeds corner brings a first attempt and results in a first goal.
      Jack Harrison’s corner from the left is swung over, Junior Firpo manages to flick it on at the near post, and there was Diego Llorente arriving at the back to slam past Aaron Ramsdale from close range.
      Jesse Marsch punches the air in delight, and – out of nowhere – Leeds have hope.
      They couldn’t, could they?

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    • 250 Shares159 Views

      in Soccer

      Man Utd LOSE 4-0 to Brighton reaction, Richarlison eyed, Man City ‘discuss’ Pogba, Ten Hag DESPERATE for Ronaldo to stay

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      MANCHESTER UNITED lost 4-0 to Brighton on Saturday evening in what was the club’s most embarrassing defeat of the season. But United could be tempted to make a move for Everton talisman Richarlison in the summer, according to reports.
      The Brazilian has single-handedly lead the Toffees relegation fight and he could be available for around £50 million in the summer.
      Meanwhile, Erik Ten Hag is reportedly eager for Cristiano Ronaldo to continue at Old Trafford next season.
      And rumours suggest that United’s local rivals Manchester City are set to ‘discuss’ a potential move for World Cup winner Paul Pogba once his contract comes to an end.
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      Ron’s regular chats with Fergie over Utd future
      Cristiano Ronaldo regularly shares a cuppa with Alex Ferguson to talk over his Manchester United future, it’s claimed today.
      The Mirror says the ‘private meetings’ at each other’s homes have been a feature of Ron’s second spell at Old Trafford.
      Legendary ex-United boss Ferguson not only signed the Portugal superstar back in 2003, he also aided the 37-year-old’s return last summer.
      It’s suggested Fergie believes Ronaldo should stay with the Red Defvils next season – under incoming manager Erik ten Hag.
      Fernandes’ honest assessment
      Bruno Fernandes has admitted that Manchester United players are not fit to wear the shirt.
      Red Devils fans turned on their own players as they were humiliated 4-0 by Brighton on the South Coast yesterday.
      Livid supporters, having made the long journey, chanted “you’re not fit to wear the shirt” as their side were battered by the superior Seagulls.
      When asked about the fans’ brutal assessment by Sky Sports after the game, Fernandes couldn’t disagree.
      He said: “I include myself in that.
      “What we did today, what I did today, was not enough to be in a Man United shirt and I accept it.”
      Old Trafford shortlist
      United have plenty of stars on their transfer wishlist including Declan Rice, Christopher Nkunku, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Frenkie de Jong.
      Ten Hag will likely want to raid Ajax too, with Sebastien Haller and £50million-rated Antony.
      Rangnick’s side were thumped 4-0 at Brighton yesterday to condemn United to their worst points tally in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
      It was another horror performance from the Red Devils who are now clinging on to qualify for the Europa League.
      The German boss said: “It’s important that we apologise to our supporters who came all the way from Manchester to Brighton.
      “We were just not good enough from start to finish. The performance was not only poor, it was extremely poor.”
      Eight out of Ten Hag
      Ralf Rangnick revealed his successor Erik ten Hag will make up to eight transfers this summer after their south-coast “humiliation”, writes JOSHUA JONES.
      The outgoing Manchester United manager has just one game left as interim boss, taking on Crystal Palace away on the final day of the season.
      And then he will hand over the reins to Ten Hag, who has a mammoth task of rebuilding the underperforming squad of flops.
      As well as shipping out plenty of deadwood, the Dutchman will be busy sorting out plenty of new arrivals.
      Credit: AFP
      Rangnick said: “In the end football is pretty easy, you just need to win games.
      “In order to do that it’s obvious with quite a few players whose contracts are expiring we need a number of new players.
      “There is already at least something like a number of players that are really top players for this club but as I said we need all the other areas.
      “I suppose there will be six or eight new players.
      “They should be top players to strengthen the quality of the squad.”
      Man Utd’s quest for European football
      West Ham still trail United by six points.
      The Hammers have two games in hand though, they still have three left to play in total.
      Ralf Rangnick’s side have just one.
      Will the Red Devils casually lean into Europe?

      ‘Tell me again how Harry Maguire is the problem’
      With 20 minutes left on the clock it was all about damage control for Ralf Rangnick in the 4-0 loss at the Amex.
      He decided to replace Juan Mata with Harry Maguire.

      Many fans saw the funny side to the substitution given the circumstances, with rapper Guvna B tweeting: “Maguire on for Mata when you’re 4 nil down against Brighton might be the funniest substitute of all time.”
      Another joked: “A bit late to worry about the goal difference!”
      Some United supporters also took the time to defend Maguire, who has regularly been blamed for the team’s defensive issues this season.
      One person took to Twitter to say: “Apologise right now to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Harry Maguire.”
      Another added: “Tell me again how Harry Maguire is the problem.”
      Player ratings – subs
      Fred (for Matic, 46) – 3/10
      Brazilian made zero impact in trying to grab hold of the midfield after half-time.
      Was twisted all ends up after a brilliant bit of skill by Gross as Brighton went into party mode.
      Edinson Cavani (for Elanga, 46) – 5/10
      Stung Sanchez’s palms with a good header just after the hour mark. Denied a tap in by the offside flag.
      Harry Maguire (for Mata, 70) – 5/10
      Forced a brilliant save by Sanchez, with his rebound prodded in by the offside Cavani.
      Subs not used: Henderson, Wan-Bissaka, Jones, Fernandez, Lingard, Garnacho
      Player ratings – attack
      ANTHONY ELANGA – 4/10
      Completely anonymous opening 45 minutes for the 20-year-old.
      Was dominated by Cucurella before being subbed for Edinson Cavani.
      BRUNO FERNANDES – 5/10
      Tested Sanchez with a sweet first-time strike from the edge of the box, although the score was already 4-0 by that point.
      The attacking midfielder wore a frustrated look for much of the match, an expression of his that United fans have become used to this season.
      CRISTIANO RONALDO – 4/10
      Wore a wry smile of disbelief as Brighton’s goals racked up in the second-half.
      The Portuguese was unable to have the sort of impact on the game that he has managed at times this season.
      Player ratings – midfield
      SCOTT MCTOMINAY – 4/10
      Academy product was totally overrun by Brighton’s midfielders.
      The Scotland international may well be fighting for his United future when Erik ten Hag arrives this summer.
      NEMANJA MATIC – 5/10
      Not a vintage performance from the Serb, but unlucky to be hooked at the break ahead of McTominay.
      Replaced by Fred.
      JUAN MATA – 5/10
      Tested Robert Sanchez with a well struck, if slightly tame volley. Spaniard’s cross then set up a Cavani header, which forced a more difficult save.
      Substituted with 20 minutes to go as Rangnick went into damage control mode by bringing on centre-back Harry Maguire.
      Player ratings – defence
      DIOGO DALOT – 3/10
      Caught hopelessly out of position for Brighton’s second goal. Blazed a shot from range wildly over the bar.
      Cleared Danny Welbeck’s chip off the line only for the ball to ricochet off Leandro Trossard and into the back of the net anyway.
      VICTOR LINDELOF – 3/10
      Played his part in a shambolic rearguard performance from United’s backline.
      The Swede and partner Raphael Varane were constantly moved out of position by Brighton’s passing and movement.
      RAPHAEL VARANE – 3/10
      Beaten by Gross for Brighton’s third. Totally lost Danny Welbeck in the build-up to the Seagulls’ fourth.
      Varane has enjoyed a brilliantly decorated career in the game, but you wouldn’t have known it watching this woeful outing.
      ALEX TELLES – 3/10
      Given a lesson in how to play as a competent, attacking left-back by Marc Cucurella.
      The Brazilian was utterly ineffective deputising for the injured Luke Shaw.
      Man Utd player ratings vs Brighton
      Manchester United were humiliated 4-0 by Brighton as their sorry season meanders towards an end.
      Supporters will be thrilled that they don’t have to endure watching their dreadful outfit in action next weekend, with their final match taking place in a fortnight’s time.
      On an embarrassing day for United, SunSport’s Etienne Fermie rates and slates each Red Devils player.
      DAVID DE GEA – 4/10
      Left helpless by Moises Caicedo and Marc Cucurella’s strikes. Subsequently beaten one on one by Pascal Gross.
      Was chipped by former team-mate Danny Welbeck prior to Brighton’s bundled fourth – didn’t make any saves of note.
      Gary Neville reacts
      Gary Neville was rendered speechless after yet another abject display from Manchester United.
      Neville’s ONE CHARACTER long tweet has racked up over 64,000 likes.

      Bruno Fernandes blasts flops
      Bruno Fernandes has admitted that Manchester United players are NOT fit to wear the shirt.
      Red Devils fans turned on their own players as they were humiliated 4-0 by Brighton on the South Coast.
      Livid supporters, having made the long journey, chanted “you’re not fit to wear the shirt” as their side were battered by the superior Seagulls.
      When asked about the fans’ brutal assessment by Sky Sports after the game, Fernandes couldn’t disagree.
      He said: “I include myself in that.
      “What we did today, what I did today, was not enough to be in a Man United shirt and I accept [the criticism].”
      Cristiano Ronaldo latest
      Ex-Manchester United ace Dion Dublin doubts Cristiano Ronaldo will stay at Old Trafford.
      Ronaldo has been linked with a summer exit following a disappointing campaign in his comeback season.
      Dublin told Sky Sports: “I don’t know where Ronaldo goes from here. Does he go back to Italy or Spain? I don’t know where he goes.
      “I find it hard to see him staying at United unless something is done incredibly quickly.
      “Then again, I don’t know where he goes. I think United will be lost without him so I am hoping he is going to be [staying at] United without a doubt.
      “But I don’t know why he’d stay to be honest with you. Unless the new manager says right £300million, these players are coming in, please stay. Otherwise I think he’s gone.”
      Rangnick apologises to the fans
      Manchester United’s interim boss Ralf Rangnick has said sorry to the fans who travelled to watch their side lose 4-0 at Brighton.
      Rangnick, 63, said: “It’s important that we apologise to our supporters who came all the way from Manchester to Brighton.
      “We were just not good enough from start to finish. The performance was not only poor, it was extremely poor.”
      Tyson Fury lays into United
      Tyson Fury slammed Manchester United over their embarrassing performance against Brighton as he stated the squad should join him in retirement.
      The Red Devils were thrashed 4-0 by the Seagulls at the Amex Stadium on Saturday to officially end their faint top four hopes.
      The unbeaten Mancunian, 33, took to his Instagram story to berate his beloved side.
      Captioning the clip, he said: “Shocking this, we are having a shocking season. Bring on 2023.”
      Speaking in the video, he remarked: “I tell you what, never mind the Gypsy King retiring, what are you saying United?”

      Wag horror
      The girlfriend of Man United star Tahith Chong told how they were held at knifepoint by a masked gang in a 3am raid.
      Nightclub performer Rianna Taylor, 24, said she feared for her life when a balaclava-clad trio burst into the Dutch footballer’s home and threatened to “chop them up”.
      Midfielder Chong, 22, became the fifth United or Man City player since Christmas to be burgled by a gang targeting stars in the area.
      Rianna told how the raiders woke the pair by shining torches in their eyes before yanking the player out of bed by his ankle as they brandished knives and a baseball bat.
      Fury bashes beloved Red Devils
      Tyson Fury slammed Manchester United over their embarrassing performance against Brighton as he stated the squad should join him in retirement.
      The Red Devils were thrashed 4-0 by the Seagulls at the Amex Stadium on Saturday to officially end their faint top four hopes.
      The unbeaten Mancunian, 33, took to his Instagram story to berate his beloved side.
      Captioning the clip, he said: “Shocking this, we are having a shocking season. Bring on 2023.”
      Speaking in the video, he remarked: “I tell you what, never mind the Gypsy King retiring, what are you saying United?
      “Why don’t they f***ing retire? Get off!”
      Ronaldo could go
      Former Manchester United ace Dion Dublin doubts Cristiano Ronaldo will stay at Old Trafford.
      Ronaldo has been linked with a summer exit following a disappointing campaign in his comeback season.
      Dublin told Sky Sports: “I don’t know where Ronaldo goes from here. Does he go back to Italy or Spain? I don’t know where he goes.
      “I find it hard to see him staying at United unless something is done incredibly quickly.
      “Then again, I don’t know where he goes. I think United will be lost without him so I am hoping he is going to be [staying at] United without a doubt.
      “But I don’t know why he’d stay to be honest with you. Unless the new manager says right £300million, these players are coming in, please stay. Otherwise I think he’s gone.”

      Rangnick apologises to fans
      Ralf Rangnick apologised to Manchester United fans for one of the worst defeats of his 35-year managerial career and admitted the season has been a disaster.
      The Red Devils were smashed 4-0 by midtable Brighton thanks to goals from Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella, Pascal Gross and Leandro Trossard.
      Rangnick, 63, said: “It’s important that we apologise to our supporters who came all the way from Manchester to Brighton.
      “We were just not good enough from start to finish. The performance was not only poor, it was extremely poor.”
      Blunt Neville’s criticism
      Gary Neville was rendered speechless after yet another abject display from Manchester United.
      Often so critical of the Red Devils this season, the former pro turned pundit was actually lost for words following the 4-0 defeat to Brighton.
      Neville took to Twitter after the game, simply posting a full stop as he reacted to the thrashing at the hands of the Seagulls.
      And Manchester United fans seemed to have been left equally as speechless by the abject display.
      Neville’s ONE CHARACTER long tweet racked up over 20,000 less than half an hour after being published.
      Fernandes’ honest assessment
      Bruno Fernandes has admitted that Manchester United players are not fit to wear the shirt.
      Red Devils fans turned on their own players as they were humiliated 4-0 by Brighton on the South Coast.
      Livid supporters, having made the long journey, chanted “you’re not fit to wear the shirt” as their side were battered by the superior Seagulls.
      When asked about the fans’ brutal assessment by Sky Sports after the game, Fernandes couldn’t disagree.
      He said: “I include myself in that.
      “What we did today, what I did today, was not enough to be in a Man United shirt and I accept it.”
      Ronaldo spotted smiling in disbelief
      Man Utd fans spotted Cristiano Ronaldo laughing and shaking his head in disbelief during an embarrassing performance at Brighton.
      United were torn to shreds by the Seagulls, who won 4-0 at the Amex Stadium with goals by Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella, Pascal Gross and Leandro Trossard.
      Ronaldo was clearly frustrated throughout the match and it got so bad that supporters saw him laughing sarcastically with the state of the team, which has been enduring a disappointing season.
      One fan tweeted: “Don’t blame Ronaldo for laughing I’m laughing too. They arent fit to wear the shirt.”
      Credit: Sky Sports
      Lingard wanted
      Fulham West Ham and Newcastle are all keen to sign Jesse Lingard in the next transfer window, reports suggest.
      The Manchester United midfielder is set to leave Old Trafford at the end of the season when his contract expires.
      And according to sports journalist Rudy Galetti, he wants to stay in the Premier League.
      Galetti also reported that newly-promoted Fulham have been monitoring his situation.
      History made… for the wrong reasons
      Man Utd have lost 4-0 to Brighton, and now are guaranteed their worst Premier League-era points tally.
      It’s also worth noting they’ve shipped in 56 goals in this campaign – more than any other season before in the Prem.
      What was I saying about ten Hag’s task earlier?
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      in Boxing

      Canelo Alvarez vs Dmitry Bivol LIVE RESULTS: Updates from Las Vegas as Mexican goes for light-heavyweight world title

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      CANELO ALVAREZ is back in action tonight as he takes on Dmitry Bivol in an effort to win the Russian’s WBA light-heavyweight world title.The Mexican last beat Caleb Plant in November to win the undisputed 168lbs titles, but now he’s back for light-heavyweight gold.
      Elsewhere on the card, Zhang Zhilei takes on Scott Alexander while Montana Love fights Gabriel Valenzuela.

      US start time: 11pm ET
      UK start time: 4am BST
      US/UK live stream: DAZN

      Follow all the action from Las Vegas with our live blog below…
      The countdown is on
      This evening’s main card gets underway at 8pm ET and the arena now starting to fill up, that excited buzz in the air.
      In the meantime, our fight man Wally Downes Jr has previewed the main event – and where it could be won or lost.
      Read his brilliant breakdown of each fighters pro and cons HERE.

      Knockout blow
      We’ve been treated to a proper scrap between Joselito Velazquez and Jose Soto.
      The latter has hit the canvas HARD after a stunning counter-punch from Mexican star Valazquez.
      Two left-hooks were all it took to record a TKO stoppage in the sixth.
      If that’s the sign of things to come, we’re in for one heck of a night.
      Early doors
      There’s been action in the T-Mobile Arena already, with Aaron Silva putting in an eye-catching display to beat Alexis Espino.
      We’ll have blow-by-blow coverage of the main card once things kick-off properly in Nevada.

      On the card
      There’s plenty for us to get our teeth into tonight, with a packed card from Vegas.
      As well as our main event around 4am BST, there’s a heavyweight title eliminator between Scott Alexander and Zhilei Zhang.
      Filip Hrgovic was due to fight in that one, but dropped out earlier in the week due to the sad passing of his father.

      Canelo Alvarez vs Dmitry Bivol – WBA light heavyweight title
      Zhilei Zhang vs Scott Alexander
      Montana Love vs Gabriel Gollaz Valenzuela
      Shakhram Giyasov vs Christian Gomez
      Joselito Velazquez vs Jose Soto
      Alexis Espino vs Aaron Silva
      Marc Castro vs Pedro Vicente Scharbaai
      Elnur Abduraimov vs Manuel Correa
      Fernando Angel Molina vs Ricardo Valdovinos

      Canelo vs Bivol
      Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez returns to action tonight looking to continue his boxing dynasty.
      The best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet is back at light heavyweight as he looks to make short work of Dmitry Bivol.
      Fighting for the first time since destroying Caleb Plant in the fall, Canelo is expected to bag the WBC belt tonight in Las Vegas.
      But he’ll have to be at his best back up in weight, fighting at light-heavyweight for the first time since November 2019.
      Bilov is unbeaten as a pro and the tough, grizzled 31-year-old Russian had an amateur record of 268–15.
      There’s a packed undercard before the main event, with fights already underway in Paradise.
      Let’s get this show on the road.
      Load more entries… More

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      in Soccer

      Man Utd LOSE 4-0 to Brighton, Richarlison interest, Man City ‘discuss’ Pogba, Ten Hag DESPERATE for Ronaldo to stay

      by

      MANCHESTER UNITED lost 4-0 to Brighton on Saturday evening in what was the club’s most embarrassing defeat of the season. But United could be tempted to make a move for Everton talisman Richarlison in the summer, according to reports.
      The Brazilian has single-handedly lead the Toffees relegation fight and he could be available for around £50 million in the summer.
      Meanwhile, Erik Ten Hag is reportedly eager for Cristiano Ronaldo to continue at Old Trafford next season.
      And rumours suggest that United’s local rivals Manchester City are set to ‘discuss’ a potential move for World Cup winner Paul Pogba once his contract comes to an end.
      SUN BINGO GET £50 BONUS & 50 FREE SPINS TODAY
      Get all the latest Man Utd news, gossip and transfer updates…
      Wag horror
      The girlfriend of Man United star Tahith Chong told how they were held at knifepoint by a masked gang in a 3am raid.
      Nightclub performer Rianna Taylor, 24, said she feared for her life when a balaclava-clad trio burst into the Dutch footballer’s home and threatened to “chop them up”.
      Midfielder Chong, 22, became the fifth United or Man City player since Christmas to be burgled by a gang targeting stars in the area.
      Rianna told how the raiders woke the pair by shining torches in their eyes before yanking the player out of bed by his ankle as they brandished knives and a baseball bat.
      Fury bashes beloved Red Devils
      Tyson Fury slammed Manchester United over their embarrassing performance against Brighton as he stated the squad should join him in retirement.
      The Red Devils were thrashed 4-0 by the Seagulls at the Amex Stadium on Saturday to officially end their faint top four hopes.
      The unbeaten Mancunian, 33, took to his Instagram story to berate his beloved side.
      Captioning the clip, he said: “Shocking this, we are having a shocking season. Bring on 2023.”
      Speaking in the video, he remarked: “I tell you what, never mind the Gypsy King retiring, what are you saying United?
      “Why don’t they f***ing retire? Get off!”
      Ronaldo could go
      Former Manchester United ace Dion Dublin doubts Cristiano Ronaldo will stay at Old Trafford.
      Ronaldo has been linked with a summer exit following a disappointing campaign in his comeback season.
      Dublin told Sky Sports: “I don’t know where Ronaldo goes from here. Does he go back to Italy or Spain? I don’t know where he goes.
      “I find it hard to see him staying at United unless something is done incredibly quickly.
      “Then again, I don’t know where he goes. I think United will be lost without him so I am hoping he is going to be [staying at] United without a doubt.
      “But I don’t know why he’d stay to be honest with you. Unless the new manager says right £300million, these players are coming in, please stay. Otherwise I think he’s gone.”

      Rangnick apologises to fans
      Ralf Rangnick apologised to Manchester United fans for one of the worst defeats of his 35-year managerial career and admitted the season has been a disaster.
      The Red Devils were smashed 4-0 by midtable Brighton thanks to goals from Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella, Pascal Gross and Leandro Trossard.
      Rangnick, 63, said: “It’s important that we apologise to our supporters who came all the way from Manchester to Brighton.
      “We were just not good enough from start to finish. The performance was not only poor, it was extremely poor.”
      Blunt Neville’s criticism
      Gary Neville was rendered speechless after yet another abject display from Manchester United.
      Often so critical of the Red Devils this season, the former pro turned pundit was actually lost for words following the 4-0 defeat to Brighton.
      Neville took to Twitter after the game, simply posting a full stop as he reacted to the thrashing at the hands of the Seagulls.
      And Manchester United fans seemed to have been left equally as speechless by the abject display.
      Neville’s ONE CHARACTER long tweet racked up over 20,000 less than half an hour after being published.
      Fernandes’ honest assessment
      Bruno Fernandes has admitted that Manchester United players are not fit to wear the shirt.
      Red Devils fans turned on their own players as they were humiliated 4-0 by Brighton on the South Coast.
      Livid supporters, having made the long journey, chanted “you’re not fit to wear the shirt” as their side were battered by the superior Seagulls.
      When asked about the fans’ brutal assessment by Sky Sports after the game, Fernandes couldn’t disagree.
      He said: “I include myself in that.
      “What we did today, what I did today, was not enough to be in a Man United shirt and I accept it.”
      Ronaldo spotted smiling in disbelief
      Man Utd fans spotted Cristiano Ronaldo laughing and shaking his head in disbelief during an embarrassing performance at Brighton.
      United were torn to shreds by the Seagulls, who won 4-0 at the Amex Stadium with goals by Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella, Pascal Gross and Leandro Trossard.
      Ronaldo was clearly frustrated throughout the match and it got so bad that supporters saw him laughing sarcastically with the state of the team, which has been enduring a disappointing season.
      One fan tweeted: “Don’t blame Ronaldo for laughing I’m laughing too. They arent fit to wear the shirt.”
      Credit: Sky Sports
      Lingard wanted
      Fulham West Ham and Newcastle are all keen to sign Jesse Lingard in the next transfer window, reports suggest.
      The Manchester United midfielder is set to leave Old Trafford at the end of the season when his contract expires.
      And according to sports journalist Rudy Galetti, he wants to stay in the Premier League.
      Galetti also reported that newly-promoted Fulham have been monitoring his situation.
      History made… for the wrong reasons
      Man Utd have lost 4-0 to Brighton, and now are guaranteed their worst Premier League-era points tally.
      It’s also worth noting they’ve shipped in 56 goals in this campaign – more than any other season before in the Prem.
      What was I saying about ten Hag’s task earlier?
      Damage limitation time
      Brighton now lead 4-0 – and it’s damage limitation time at the Amex Stadium.
      Pascal Gross and Leandro Trossard have ended this game as a contest.
      Now, it’s about saving face for United.
      Erik ten Hag has one hell of a job to get a tune out of this team next season.
      0-2
      Brighton have added a second at the Amex Stadium – and United now have mountain to climb.
      Marc Cucurella has added a second with a neat finish in the roof the net.
      United are getting the run around here.
      You can follow the action on our match blog.
      Peep peep
      It’s half-time at the Amex Stadium – and United trail.
      The Red Devils fell behind to a Moises Caicedo strike after just 15 mimutes.
      They’ve weathered the storm ever since, as the Seagulls continued to pile forward – with Danny Welbeck looking a threat up front.
      You can follow the action on our match blog.
      0-1
      United have gone a goal down – Moises Caicedo, who they tried to sign last year, with the strike.
      The Ecuadorian talent drilling home from the edge of the box to fire the Seaguls ahead after 15 minutes.
      You can follow the action on our match blog.
      United kick off
      United are underway at the Amex Stadium against Brighton.
      The Red Devils desperately need a win to keep up with Arsenal and Spurs in the top four race, albeit a very slim chance.
      You can follow the action on our match blog.
      Ronaldo to break No7 curse
      Cristiano Ronaldo is poised to become the first Manchester United player to score 20 Premier League goals since the 2012-13 season.
      And in doing so the 37-year-old will once and for all break the No7 shirt curse at Old Trafford that has haunted a number of star footballers.
      Cristiano Ronaldo is closing in on 20 Premier League goals for Manchester United this
      Pogba to City could happen, says Berbatov
      Man Utd’s departing star Paul Pogba could be tempted to join rivals Manchester City.
      That is according to United legend Dimitar Berbatov, who believes Pogba may be keen to link up with City manager Pep Guardiola.
      Berbatov told Betfair: “I have read the latest rumours about Paul Pogba, his contract is expiring in the summer and he is free to contact and speak to whoever.
      “He should have done better at United, most of the time he had some injuries, his talent is immense but it didn’t quite work out.
      “He had more downs than up at United, which is a pity because he is a great, great talent.
      “A United player going to City has happened before, like my former teammate Carlos Tevez, and it will be no surprise if it happens again.”
      United’s eleven
      The United team is in and there’s no real surprises.
      Maguire is still on the bench, with Lindelof and Varane the preferred centre backs.
      Ronaldo is in, although rather hilariously they’ve spelled his name wrong on the team sheet on their Twitter.

      Ten Hag ready to raid Ajax
      Erik ten Hag has admitted that there is nothing stopping him from raiding Ajax for their finest talent when he joins Manchester United.
      The Dutchman has agreed a three-year deal to take charge at Old Trafford next season, quitting Dutch giants Ajax in the process.
      It’s been suggested that the Eredivisie leaders may have wanted to make an agreement with United dictating that ten Hag be banned from bringing his best players with him.
      But the 52-year-old himself has confirmed that this is not the case.
      Ten Hag said: “There’s no agreement in place that would exclude me from taking players to Manchester United.
      “Which Ajax players are interesting?
      “I have very good players here, but that’s a non-issue.”
      Bella Esmeralda Ronaldo is named
      Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez have named their new born daughter, writes GIACOMO PISA.
      In an adorable Instagram post, Georgina showed the latest addition to the Ronaldo family sleeping peacefully.

      The baby was born on April 18, and Georgina has now officially announced they have named the girl Bella Esmeralda.
      The couple were flooded with messages of congratulations as the post racked up a million likes on Instagram in just half an hour.
      It’s the first time Georgina has shown fans close up pictures of new born Bella.
      Brighton vs Man Utd team news
      Jadon Sancho remains out for United with tonsillitis, while Paul Pogba and Luke Shaw are also sidelined.
      While Harry Maguire has returned to training and is expected to feature.
      Enock Mwepo is a doubt for Brighton with a groin injury.
      Will Ronaldo stay?
      Manchester United have recovered from their defeat at Arsenal with a draw at Chelsea and then victory over Brentford last time out.
      It was after their final home game against the Bees that Cristiano Ronaldo – who has one year left on his United deal – seemed to say: “I’m not finished yet.”
      The Portuguese superstar appeared to mouth the words during a post-match lap of honour in regards to still being at the club next term.
      Credit: Getty
      But now he has insisted that was NOT what he said amid speculation over his future at Old Trafford.
      In response to an Instagram post about his message into the camera, Ronaldo replied: “I didn’t say that.”
      The United legend has scored 24 goals in 37 appearances for the club so far this season.
      Ron the way
      Ronaldo and his Manchester United team-mates are aiming to finish the season strongly when they travel to Brighton this evening.
      The match kicks off at 5.30pm.

      Chelsea’s big money takeover
      Chelsea’s proposed £4.25billion takeover is set to more than DOUBLE the record for the most expensive in sporting history – and it dwarfs the fee paid for rivals Manchester United, writes DAVE FRASER.
      Todd Boehly’s consortium have signed a deal to purchase the club after Roman Abramovich decided to sell up.
      Chelsea confirmed £2.5bn will be deposited into a frozen UK bank account with the intention to donate it all to charitable causes.
      The remaining £1.75bn is for investment into the club including developments of Stamford Bridge and the women’s team.

      Boehly was pictured outside the ground on Friday night with fellow members of his group including ex-chancellor George Osborne.
      However, the mega-deal is not over the line just yet and needs to go through due processes with the Government and the Premier League but is expected to be completed by May 31.
      Eriksen transfer latest
      Brentford playmaker Christian Eriksen is reportedly considering extending his spell with the Premier League newbies.
      The 30-year-old has caught the eye in west London after penning a short-term contract back in January.
      That deal expires in the summer, with plenty of big names said to be lining up a free transfer swoop for the Danish international.
      Brentford though are desperate to tie Eriksen down to fresh terms.
      And in recent days the midfielder has been looking around the plush west London district of Chiswick, according to the Telegraph.
      The area is just a stone’s throw away from the Bees’ home ground, and is a blow to Tottenham and United’s hopes of securing a deal.
      Brighton vs Man Utd team news
      Jadon Sancho remains out for United with tonsillitis, while Paul Pogba and Luke Shaw are also sidelined.
      While Harry Maguire has returned to training and is expected to feature.
      Enock Mwepo is a doubt for Brighton with a groin injury.
      Load more entries… More

    • 200 Shares109 Views

      in Soccer

      Todd Boehly SIGNS £4.25bn agreement to buy Chelsea, Blues ‘frustrated’ in Haaland transfer, Wolves DRAW reaction

      by

      CHELSEA have AGREED terms on the £4.25bn sale of the club to Todd Boehly.The American billionaire is also the owner of the LA Dodgers baseball team, and leads the consortium.
      Meanwhile, the Blues have been left frustrated that the sanctions placed on the club have restricted their transfer pursuit of Erling Haaland.
      But it reportedly hasn’t stopped Chelsea from setting their sights on Torino defender Gleison Bremer.
      SUN BINGO GET £50 BONUS & 50 FREE SPINS TODAY
      Keep up to date with all of the latest gossip from the takeover in our live blog…
      Villas-Boas new job
      Ex-Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas is a candidate to take over the Morocco job, according to reports.
      Viilas-Boas has been out of work since last year, when he was sacked by Marseille.
      According to beIN Sports MENA, the Portuguese tactician is the No1 candidate for the role.
      Laurent Blanc and Hervé Renard are also said to be in the frame for the African country who have qualified for World Cup 2022.
      Ownership focus not blame, says Tuchel
      Thomas Tuchel has revealed that all takeover talk of the club wasn’t a distraction, as Chelsea were held 2-2 at home to Wolves.
      Speaking after the game, the German coach said: “I don’t think the ownership is a reason for a lack of focus. I don’t think there is a lack of focus. We showed focus during the situation when it began. I wouldn’t consider this as an advantage now for the match against Leeds. It doesn’t change much for us as the sanctions haven’t been lifted and the season goes on.
      “It seems like the situation has been resolved but it’s not. We’ve got our own things to address, which we haven’t done as a team so far.
      “I heard the news today in the morning when I was in the middle of preparing for the match. There has been no difference to what I do which is the best preparation for the match, no matter what’s happening on the outside. I have my routine and I have enough to do. It doesn’t affect me, but the news is positive and we need it to be resolved.”
      Rudiger talks affecting players
      Thomas Tuchel believes Antonio Rudiger’s potential exit is affecting Chelsea’s stars.
      The German defender looks set to leave Stamford Bridge, with talks over a new deal stalling.
      And Tuchel revealed: “It surely affects the team, but I cannot tell you to which degree. The longer the situation goes (on), now it has a huge affect because Toni leaves us in the middle the process where we are sanctioned and could not even fight, could not do another offer, could not be in negotiations.”
      “It clearly has an affect, and it makes not so much sense to deny it; we lose now one of our key players. This decision has an effect on the dressing room because Toni is not isolating when he’s here at Cobham and does not talk to anyone, so he is a huge part; he is a leader, and, of course, the situation is like that.”
      Tuchel blasts Pulisic’s dad
      Thomas Tuchel has insisted he is not concerned if his players’ father don’t love him, as he hit back at the Twitter comments of Christian Pulisic’s dad.
      The Chelsea boss fielded questions over the American after his father spoke out over his “sad situation”.
      The Blues manager has insisted the critical comments do not affect him as he pulled cold water over the row.
      Tuchel said: “I am not concerned if the player’s father says he does not love me [on Twitter].
      “It’s a normal thing [for a player to be frustrated]. We have our reasons to go for players in the first XI.
      “You will never see happy faces from players who are not selected. With me and Christian, there is zero problem. In some matches he has a huge impact from the bench. I didn’t even know [about his dad’s tweet]. It has nothing to do with it.
      “The players are responsible for being in the team and staying in the team. Am I always right? For sure, not. Is it always fair? For sure, not. The reaction from Christian has been the opposite, he’s very strong, very positive in the last weeks.”
      Chelsea stat
      Chelsea’s draw at home to Wolves, after blowing a two-goal lead was a first in nearly two years.
      This is the first time the Blues have failed to win a Premier League game in which they were 2+ goals ahead since October 2020 vs Southampton (3-3), having won 24 consecutive such matches prior to today.
      Lukaku’s a ‘big lump’
      Wolves assistant coach Tony Roberts called Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku a “big lump” after he won a controversial penalty in their 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge.
      Roberts spoke on behalf of manager Bruno Lage, who was absent after testing positive for Covid.
      Questioning the decision, Roberts said: ‘He’s a big lump, isn’t he? So, for him to go down, I’m not sure.”
      Silva’s son
      Thiago Silva may have made his name in football as defender, but son Iago might fancy his chances of playing further up the pitch.
      The Chelsea star’s wife Belle, 35, caught the youngster on camera working on his free-kicks in the back garden.
      Look at that technique.
      Watch Chelsea star Thiago Silva’s son nail Cristiano Ronaldo’s ‘siu’ celebration after scoring free-kick in his garden
      Leicester to rival Chelsea for Bremer
      Brendan Rodgers has stepped up plans to beef up his flimsy Foxes defence with Torino’s £40million-rated Brazilian powerhouse Gleison Bremer.
      And he hopes to tempt Torino into parting with their in-demand centre-back by offering them on-loan midfielder Dennis Praet to sweeten the deal.
      SunSport understands Leicester officials met with their Torino counterparts while in Italy this week – for their Europa Conference League clash with Roma – in an attempt to thrash out a double-deal which would suit both parties.
      Torino want Praet to return on loan next season because they cannot afford Leicester’s £12.85million asking price for the Belgian midfielder, who turns 28 next week.
      If their bid is successful, they would have stolen a march on the Blues for his services.
      Boehly’s worth against rivals
      Chelsea’s new proposed owner Todd Boehly and his consortium are reportedly worth a whopping combined £10.86billion.
      That would make the Blues boast the sixth wealthiest owners in world football and third richest in the Premier League.
      Chelsea’s proposed consortium will make them the sixth richest football owners in the world
      Last 15 minutes
      Thomas Tuchel’s side lost two goals in the last 10 minutes against Wolves in the draw on Saturday.
      Some have accused the Blues of dropping too deep, but the German boss saw it differently.
      “It’s not about dropping too much, it’s about where we were losing the ball and the opponent taking a crazy approach,” he said.
      “Big chances that we don’t create, the pass is missing, the dribbling is wrong.”
      Tuchel’s concern
      Thomas Tuchel has admitted his concern about Chelsea being dragged into the top four race.
      The Blues failed to win at home against Wolves – dropping a two goal lead in a 2-2 draw.
      Arsenal are four points behind them, with a game in hand, while Spurs trail the West London side by six points with a game in hand.
      After the game, Tuchel revealed: “If you don’t win, of course you have to be concerned [being caught for third place].
      “But you have to concentrate on your own results and the only focus is on us.”
      Tuchel on Boehly
      Thomas Tuchel has spoken about news Todd Boehly has become the preferred bidder for Chelsea FC.
      The German manager spoke after the Blues were held at home to Wolves:
      He said: “We are positive about it but we need the process to finish otherwise it does not change much in our daily routine.”
      Heartbreak for Blues
      The Blues threw away a 2-0 lead against Wolves to draw 2-2 at Stamford Bridge, in front of buyer Todd Boehly.
      Romelu Lukaku broke his scoring duck to net twice, before Francisco Trincao gave Wanderers a lifeline in the 79th minute.
      Then, seven minutes into stoppage time Conor Coady broke Chelsea fans’ hearts with a late equaliser.
      Azpilicueta’s Barcelona deal
      Barcelona have agreed a two-year deal with Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta, according to reports.
      The Spaniard, 32, is set to leave for free after a 10 year stint at Stamford Bridge.
      His contract expires at the end of the season, and due to the sanctions that the UK Government have placed on Chelsea, the club currently cannot negotiate any new deals.
      According to Spanish outlet AS, Barcelona have swooped in to put a huge offer on the table, of which Azpilicueta has agreed to.
      The two-year deal will see the defender earn £11million per-season.
      It also includes the option of a one-year extension.
      Chelsea lead
      Two quickfire goals from the Blues have put them 2-0 up at home to Wolves, in front of new owner Todd Boehly.
      And it’s Romelu Lukaku who has got them both – scoring from the spot and grabbing a second just two minutes later.
      You can follow our live blog on the game.
      Boehly baks the Blues
      Chelsea buyer Todd Boehly has been pictured at Stamford Bridge to watch the the Blues take on Wolves, writes GIACOMO PISA.
      The 46-year-old American heads a consortium buying the club in a deal reportedly worth around £4.25billion.

      And he was pictured in the stands as Thomas Tuchel’s side returned to Premier League action.
      The LA Dodgers part-owner donned a pair of aviator shades as he took his seat for the match.
      He cracked a smile as he sat and watched the 3pm kick off against Bruno Lage’s Wolves.
      Midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek had Boehly on his feet applauding on 37 minutes after the Chelsea man bundled home from close range.
      But the goal was disallowed for offside after a VAR check to send Boehly slumping back into his seat.
      Boelhy and his consortium, which includes billionaires Mark Walter, Hansjorg Wyss and investment firm Clearlake Capital, have signed an agreement to buy the club from Roman Abramovich.
      Goal ruled out
      Ruben Loftus-Cheek scores from a scrambled corner but it is given offside.
      VAR decided Loftus-Cheek was off after a Lukaku touch.
      Here come the two teams!
      The players emerge from the tunnel on to a pristine Stamford Bridge pitch. Chelsea are in their traditional royal blue, Wolves in their orange and black strip.
      Kick-off next!
      Follow the game live with our SunSport blog.
      A return to home comforts
      Despite conceding eight goals here in their last three games, Chelsea’s record at Stamford Bridge against today’s opponent will give fans some real hope, writes JOE ADAMS.
      The Blues haven’t lost at home to Wolves since 1979. More importantly, they haven’t conceded on seven of those ten occasions.
      Will it be more of the same this afternoon, or can Wolves break the cycle?
      Neto and Jiminez start for Wolves
      Bruno Lage makes three changes from the team that lost 3-0 to Brighton last time out in the league.
      Jonny comes in to replace Semedo at right-wing back after the Portugese limped off against Brighton.
      In attack, Lage has opted for Jiminez and Neto, with Silva and Hwang both dropping to the bench.
      Wolves XI: Sa, Jonny, Boly, Coady, Saiss, Ait-Nouri, Dendoncker, Neves, Moutinho, Jimenez, Neto.
      Chelsea line up vs Wolves
      Mason Mount and Kai Havertz are on the bench for today’s 3pm kick-off.
      Ruben Loftus-Cheek is in and Romelu Lukaku also starts.

      Barca chiefs inquire over Lukaku
      Barcelona’s transfer committee reportedly recently jetted off to London to discuss a number of deals for Chelsea players – including as shock move for wantaway striker Romelu Lukaku, writes CHISANGA MALATA.
      Barca chiefs are said to be planning a major summer revamp of their squad, which is a whopping 15 points behind bitter rivals Real Madrid.
      And according to Spanish newspaper Sport, Barca’s director of football and technical secretary – Mateu Alemany and Jordi Cruyff – recently travelled to London to lay the foundations for summer transfers for three Blues stars.

      The Catalan giants are said to have made overtures to sign Cesar Azpilcueta – who is out of contract at the end of the season – and fellow defender Marcos Alonso.
      Barca have been tracking the pair for some time but have yet to make an official move for the duo.
      It’s also claimed Alemany and Cruyff held discussions over a big-money move for Chelsea’s £97.5million flop Lukaku.
      The Belgium international has failed to hit the ground running since his spectacular return to Stamford Bridge last summer.
      Cash-strapped Barca, however, would be hard-pressed to pay the striker’s astronomical wages.
      Big money takeover
      Chelsea’s proposed £4.25billion takeover is set to more than DOUBLE the record for the most expensive in sporting history – and it dwarfs the fee paid for rivals Manchester United, writes DAVE FRASER.
      Todd Boehly’s consortium have signed a deal to purchase the club after Roman Abramovich decided to sell up.
      Chelsea confirmed £2.5bn will be deposited into a frozen UK bank account with the intention to donate it all to charitable causes.
      The remaining £1.75bn is for investment into the club including developments of Stamford Bridge and the women’s team.

      Boehly was pictured outside the ground on Friday night with fellow members of his group including ex-chancellor George Osborne.
      However, the mega-deal is not over the line just yet and needs to go through due processes with the Government and the Premier League but is expected to be completed by May 31.
      Wrestle Mania
      It was in the art of grappling where Boehly really showed his mettle, writes JON BOON.
      He led the school’s wrestling team to back-to-back Interstate Athletic Conference Championships in 1990 and 1991.
      And his achievements were so highly thought of at the private college, Landon named their gym the Boehly Family Wrestling Room in his honour.
      Boehly returned to the school in 2014 for the grand opening of the wrestling room, where he was joined by his fellow classmates and wrestlers.
      Super Boehl
      Incoming Chelsea owner Todd Boehly was a college WRESTLING star as a teenager, as his school yearbook photos show, writes JON BOON.
      The billionaire businessman, 46, attended the private Landon School in Maryland, where he excelled at sport as a youngster.
      Boehly is leading the consortium that has agreed to buy  a consortium Chelsea for around £4.25billion – which would be the biggest sports takeover in history.
      Boehly and his team, which includes billionaires Mark Walter, Hansjorg Wyss and investment firm Clearlake Capital, are now set to become the new Chelsea owners by the end of May.

      And Boehly was clearly earmarked for big things as in his school yearbook he was named as one of the ‘Future Leaders of the US’.
      A teenage Boehly juggled a budding athletics career with his studies – starring in both baseball and American football teams.
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      F1 Miami Grand Prix qualifying LIVE RESULTS: Leclerc on POLE, Verstappen third AND Hamilton to start SIXTH – updates

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      F1 is back this weekend for racing fans all over the world to enjoy with the best race car drivers on earth set to grace Miami for the very first time. This weekend’s Grand Prix has been a long time coming and comes at a vital time in the season with Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc level on two race wins each so far.
      And Lewis Hamilton will be hoping he can finish in a better position than he did at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix two weeks ago.

      FABULOUS BINGO: Get a £20 bonus & 30 free spins when you spend £10 today
      Follow ALL the action with our live blog below…
      Here comes Hamilton
      Lewis Hamilton has given his take on a much better day for him in the Mercedes.
      He told Sky Sports F1: “Much much better qualifying session than the last two races. “Unfortunately I don’t think we’re moving forward at the rate we want to be but we have to keep our head down and eventually we’ll get there.”Today I was able to get the tyres in a better place and it felt better in qualifying.”
      Meanwhile, Bottas said he is “living the dream” after his struggles at Mercedes and hasn’t ruled out an (unlikely) fight for a podium in his Alfa Romeo tomorrow – “it’s Formula 1, everything is possible.”
      Nothing in it
      The Ferraris were so close on lap times in those final Q3 runs. Leclerc’s time was 1.28.796, while Sainz’s was 1.28.986.
      They also claimed the fastest time in sectors 2 and 1 respectively, with Sergio Perez, disappointed with p4, fastest in sector 3.

      Russell not happy
      A frustrated George Russell, who qualified p12, tells Sky Sports F1:
      “We’re a bit confused to be honest. The car felt completely different today, couldn’t attack any of the corners, and we saw yesterday we were quick and it’s massively come away from us today.
      “Yesterday we looked we could fight for pole and today we finished p12.”
      He adds that Mercedes’ issue of porpoising has returned with a vengeance and it’s “not making sense at the moment.”
      Horner speaks
      Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said: “It will be a fascinating contest.
      “I think there will be [places to overtake]. With DRS and the long straights, I think there will be a couple of opportunities.
      “Strategy, a bit of luck, and lets see what the rain does tomorrow.”Citing the lack of long-run data due to the multiple red flags in practice, he added: “Is a two stop quicker than a one stop? We will have to figure it out on the fly.”
      Full classified results
      It’s set to be tasty tomorrow, with Ferrari 1 and 2 while Red Bull are 3 and 4.
      Can Hamilton get involved for the fight for victory from 6th? If he plans to, he will have to overcome his former teammate Bottas who qualified 4th.
      Meanwhile, we have the likes of Fernando Alonso and George Russell fighting their way from the midfield to try and get points. Throw in a couple of safety cars, and we could be in for a decent race tomorrow.

      On Top
      It’s Leclerc’s fourth pole of the season, following Imola, Australia and the opening race in Bahrain.
      Carlos Sainz appeared upbeat in his post-quali interview, but he will be frustrated with his inability to outqualify his teammate. But it’s much better stuff from the Spaniard who qualified 10th in Imola and has went out the previous two races before the end of the second lap.

      Best of the rest
      Lewis Hamilton will start p6, with Valtteri Bottas an outstanding p5. Incredible stuff from the Alfa Romeo driver.
      Pierre Gasly is 7th, Lando Norris will probably be disappointed being only p8, with Gasly’s teammate Yuki Tsuonda p9 and Lance Stroll p10.
      How it ended
      So it turned out Verstappen went off the track on his flying lap, leading him to abandon the rest.
      It’s the first time two Ferraris will start at the front of the grid since Mexico 2019.

      Leclerc on pole!
      Charles Leclerc has done it, he’s p1, and it’s a Ferrari 1-2 in quali with Sainz two.
      Not quite clear what has happened with Verstappen, but he has limped to third haven’t not gotten a proper final flying lap in.
      Here we go
      Some of the cars are out for their final runs in Q3.
      Worth mentioning Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo is currently p5, with his former teammate Lewis Hamilton in p6. Bottas is certainly one of the stars of the season so far, let’s see if he can outqualify both Mercedes again.
      Tight at the top

      First blood to Verstappen
      Max Verstappen is on provisional pole after the first runs in Q3. He was only 0.064 quicker than Leclerc, proving how tight the fight for first will be between the big teams.
      In fact, Carlos Sainz in third is only 0.080 behind Verstappen himself. It’s the thinnest of margins separating Red Bull and Ferrari so far.
      Top 5 in Q2
      Leclerc – 1.29.130Verstappen – 0.072 (behind him)Norris – 0.504 Perez – 0.543Sainz – 0.599
      Alpine have complained that Alonso was impeded by Sainz in Q2, contributing to his exit, but the race stewards have deemed no investigation is necessary.
      Q3 has begun and Leclerc is looking favourite so far based on the times we’ve seen in Q1 and Q2.
      “I wasn’t good enough”
      That’s George Russell’s honest admission over team radio. A fall from grace given how high expectations were for Mercedes this weekend.
      The fight for pole is next.
      Q2 bottom five
      15. Schumacher 14. Ricciardo 13. Vettel 12. Russell 11. Alonso
      Russell had been fighting the car the whole session and had complained about porpoising throughout.
      A bit of a surprise to see Fernando Alonso out so early as well, and this will be the first time this season he doesn’t take part in Q3.
      Worth mentioning Stroll impressing in the Aston Martin – he’s in Q3.
      RUSSELL IS OUT
      Our first shock of quali has come, and it’s the Mercedes of George Russell tumbling out at Q2!
      His teammate Lewis Hamilton is safe in p7, but Russell will find himself not taking part in the fight for pole for the second race in a row.
      Pressure on
      Four minutes to go and George Russell is yet to set a time.
      He was on a hot lap but had multiple moments of oversteer and went off track, so abandoned the rest of the lap. He’s out again now
      He sits p15, Ricciardo p14, Vettel p13, Schumacher p12 and Stoll p11.
      Q2 well underway
      Red Bull are fastest so far, with Verstappen ahead of his teammate Perez, but they have immediately strapped on the new tyres.
      Ferrari, on used tyres, sit fourth and fifth.
      We are once again losing the five slowest drivers, and you would imagine the Aston Martins, Alpha Tauris and Mick Schumacher in the Haas would be most fearful of the elimination zone.
      Top 5 in Q1
      Leclerc – 1.29.474Verstappen – 0.362 (behind)Perez – 0.581 Sainz – 0.605Hamilton 0.914
      Q1 is over
      Q1 is done, and it’s gone mostly by the form book after Hamilton put in a lap which put him in p5.
      Going out are both Williams cars, with Alex Albon just outqualifying Nicholas Latifi. They’re joined by Zhou Guanyu in p17 and, surprisingly, Kevin Magnussen in the Haas, who qualified fourth in the last traditional qualifying session around Imola.
      No yellow or red flags to speak of so far.
      Need for speed
      The current bottom 5 is: 20. Ocon (out already) 19. Latifi 18. Hamilton 17. Magnussen 16. Schumacher
      Less than two minutes left of Q1, with Hamilton about to go on a fast lap to get himself out of jail.
      5 minutes to go
      Charles Leclerc has gone fastest, and it’s been a great showing from McLaren so far with Daniel Ricciardo p5 and Brit Lando Norris p7.
      Great effort from Lance Stoll in the Aston Martin, who sits p6, while Fernando Alonso brushes the wall but comes out unscathed.
      Lewis Hamilton, who currently sits in the dreaded bottom 5, needs to set a fast lap after his previous lap was deleted.
      To the Max
      Verstappen is the quickest so far in the first hot laps from the big guns.
      He put in a 1.30.2, half a second clear of his teammate Sergio Perez. George Russell and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz follow in third and fourth respectively.
      Remember we normally lose the five slowest drivers in Q1, but with Ocon not taking part, we’re only losing the slowest four.
      Obama in the house
      Michelle Obama is among those watching Q1 from the Mercedes garage.
      The cars are now out the pits and we’ll start seeing some lap times soon.
      epa09932334 Former US First Lady Michaelle Obama in the Mercedes garage during Free Practice 3 of the Formula One Grand Prix of Miami at the Miami International Autodrome in Miami Gardens, Florida, USA, 07 May 2022. EPA/SHAWN THEWCredit: EPA
      Time to shine
      F1’s first ever Miami Grand Prix qualifying session is about to get underway – and there’s a lot to be excited about.
      Mercedes look back on the pace and could even be in the fight for pole if the cards fall in the right place for Lewis Hamilton or George Russell. They’ve looked fast in multiple practice sessions after struggling for much of the season so far.
      But the Miami circuit is a test, and we will undoubtedly see disruptive yellow and red flags.
      Esteban Ocon will not be taking part in quali after crashing his Alpine in the difficult turn 14 corner.
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