Sport Live Blogs

MANCHESTER UNITED have targeted Bayern Munich ace Kingsley Coman, and are set to offer a mammoth ‘£260,000 per week deal” for the winger.
Meanwhile, Alexandre Lacazette heads up a list of 10 players Arsenal are set to put up for sale.

Read our live blog below to get the latest from around the clubs…

LIVERPOOL ‘PERFECT’ FOR MBAPPE
Jamie Carragher reckons PSG striker Kylian Mbappe should join Liverpool – before moving to Real Madrid.
But Kop legend Carra’s view stunned even many Liverpool fans – as Jurgen Klopp’s defending Premier League champions struggle down in sixth place.

PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe is regarded by many as the long-term successor to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the best player in the worldCredit: PA:Press Association

Some doubt French World Cup winner Mbappe, 22, would be willing to join the Reds if they missed out on a Champions League spot.
And others wondered how Liverpool could could fund such a move
Goal quote ex-England defender Carragher as saying: “I think he will play for Real Madrid at some stage but maybe Liverpool is that perfect destination for a player like that before you make that next step.”

SAN UTD A TOP TIP
Manchester United are 3/1 favourites to sign Jadon Sancho – with Liverpool at 6/1.
Borussia Dortmund’s England attacker Sancho, 20, is rated likely to move this summer.

Dortmund’s 18-cap winger Jadon Sancho is tipped to join long-term suitors Man UtdCredit: Getty Images – Getty
And today’s odds from Coral’s also include Chelsea and Sancho’s old club Manchester City at 10-1.
Barcelona and Bayern Munich are next on the list at 14/1.

NEARLY CON TO A WINNER
A fake footballer has told the story of how he convinced a Champions League club to offer him a £15,000-a-month contract.
Frenchman Gregoire Akcelrod sent out a fake CV and created a website filled with made-up match reports in a bid to fool some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
Akcelrod also utilised the fact that he played for Paris Saint-Germain’s amateur side – a level of football he describes as the ‘worst in France’ – to fool other teams.
And after receiving trial offers from Norwich, Bournemouth, and Swindon, he eventually attracted the attention of Champions League side CSKA Sofia.
With the Bulgarian club believing he was a PSG reserve team player, a deal looked set to go through before it was scuppered in the final stages when some discrepancies were detected by fans.
Speaking to The Mail, he said: “I did the two-day trial and on the Sunday the coach told my agent that he wanted to sign me.
“They took photos of me in the CKSA official jersey, I signed the contract, they published on the CSKA website that I was signing.
“But it was the PSG fans who destroyed me. Overnight, one CSKA Sofia fan contacted a PSG online forum and asked, ‘We are about to sign Greg Akcelrod, what do you think about him?’

TWITTER BANS NKETIAH TROLL
Twitter has banned an account which sent racist abuse to Arsenal forward Eddie Nketiah.
The Gunners striker, 21, was racially abused on social media after posting a picture of himself at training.
A response to Nketiah’s photo captioned ‘working with a smile’ told him to leave the club along with a racist message.
And a spokesperson for Twitter told Sky Sports News: “Racist behaviour has no place on our service and when we identify accounts that violate any of the Twitter Rules, we take enforcement action.
“The account referenced has been permanently suspended.”
Top pros have demanded action from social media giants after vile abuse from trolls.
Manchester United’s Axel Tuanzebe and Anthony Martial are among those to have suffered racist hate. Chelsea’s Antonio Rudiger also revealed he was targeted with racist abuse.
Managers Mikel Arteta and Steve Bruce along with referee Mike Dean have all received death threats on social media.

XAVI ADMITS BARCA DREAM
Barcelona legend Xavi has admitted his dream to manage Barcelona just as pressure begins to mount on current boss Ronald Koeman.
The Catalans were humiliated this week in the Champions League as they were thrashed 4-1 at home by Paris Saint-Germain.
That was the latest blow to Barca in what has turned out to be an awful season by their standards.
Koeman only took charge last summer but instantly caused upset by offloading Luis Suarez and several other favourites, which is one of the reasons Lionel Messi tried to force a move away.
The club are also in a precarious situation financially amid the coronavirus pandemic as well as in the midst of a presidential election.
And to top off all of the above, their LaLiga title hopes are in tatters as they sit nine points behind leaders Atletico Madrid.
The PSG embarrassment heaped even more scrutiny on Dutchman Koeman as he looks set to end the campaign without any silverware.
And with the prospect of losing Messi to either Manchester City or PSG in June, Barca presidential candidate Victor Font has already made it clear he would axe Koeman and replace him with Xavi.

FIK’S THE DEAL
AC Milan could be offered Fikayo Tomori as part of a swap involving Franck Kessie.
The 23-year-old defender fell out of favour under Frank Lampard and was allowed to leave for the San Siro on loan until the end of the season.
Lampard’s departure and the arrival of Thomas Tuchel in the dug-out has potentially opened the door to a Chelsea return for Tomori.
However, Il Milanista claims the Blues boss could target a move for Milan’s £35m-rated midfielder Franck Kessie.
And it has now been suggested Tomori may be used as an incentive to try and strike a transfer agreement.

WILL BE HAARD
Erling Haaland feared he wouldn’t be able to hack it in the Bundesliga before his transfer from RB Salzburg to Borussia Dortmund.
But the Norwegian has ripped things up in Germany and become one of the game’s biggest stars.
His old Salzburg boss, Jess March, told Sportbuzzer: “That was exactly what he asked me at the beginning of his time in Dortmund.
“I replied: ‘What would have really surprised me is if you do not end up succeeding.
“I was convinced that the Bundesliga was made for him.
“I keep in touch with Erling. We usually write or talk on the phone.”

CAV SOME OF THAT
Argentine giants Boca Juniors have stepped up their attempts to prise Edinson Cavani away from Manchester United, it’s claimed.
The Uruguay striker, 34, signed a one-year deal at Old Trafford last October after leaving Paris Saint-Germain.
And he has already become a huge favourite with the Red Devils after seven goals in 24 appearances for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.
However, United have yet to take up their option to extend his stay by another year with the hotshot believed to be keen on staying.
And now Ole.com claims he could join Boca on a free transfer this summer.

Edinson Cavani is reportedly wanted by Boca JuniorsCredit: Kevin Quigley-The Daily Mail

FAN-TASTIC NEWS
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has not given up on seeing fans back in stadiums this season.
And the footy big-wig is confident supporters will fill grounds again next campaign.
Speaking during the Financial Times’ Business of Football summit on Thursday, he said: “The economic‌ ‌cost‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌Premier League clubs and the whole‌ ‌of‌ ‌football‌ ‌has‌ ‌been‌ ‌significant‌ ‌and‌ ‌hard‌ ‌to‌ ‌deal‌ ‌with‌. ‌
“Clubs‌ ‌have‌ ‌stepped‌ ‌up‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌right‌ ‌way‌ ‌in‌ ‌terms‌ ‌of‌ ‌reinvesting‌ ‌in‌ ‌their‌ ‌squads‌ ‌and‌ ‌getting‌ ‌on‌ with‌ ‌it‌ generally. ‌What’s been missing is the fans.
“We’re getting‌ ‌used‌ ‌to‌ ‌watching‌ ‌live football on television without‌ ‌fans‌ ‌in the stadium but‌ ‌I don’t‌ ‌want‌ ‌us‌ ‌to‌ ‌get‌ ‌used‌ ‌to‌ ‌that‌ ‌too‌ ‌much‌ ‌longer‌.”

Fans could still be allowed back in stadiums this seasonCredit: AFP – Getty

GUNNING FOR IT
Arsenal legends Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira are the favourites to take over as Bournemouth manager.
The Cherries sacked Jason Tindall earlier this month, placing Jonathan Woodgate in charge on an interim basis.
Now Bournemouth are set to decide between Gunners idols Henry and Vieira for the role.
But who would be the better man for the job?

Heres how Arsenal legends Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira compare

ULTIMATE RON
Cristiano Ronaldo could have become a UFC champion if he was born in Dagestan, according to Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Alongside a picture of himself at the Nou Camp during Paris Saint-Germain’s demolition of Barcelona, Nurmagomedov wrote: “I’ve loved football since my childhood and always dreamed of becoming a footballer.
“But I was born in Dagestan and you know yourselves, what the priority is.
“Who knows, maybe if Cristiano Ronaldo was born in Dagestan, he would have also become a UFC champion.
“I want to say that football is sport and I became a fighter by accident. I’m joking, not by accident.”

Cristiano Ronaldo pictured with the retired UFC superstarCredit: instagram

ODE TO ANNOY
Arsenal loanee Martin Odegaard has reportedly upset Real Madrid by failing to confirm that his future lies at the Bernabeu.
Odegaard, 22, has joined the Gunners until the end of the season after just nine appearances for Zinedine Zidane’s side in the first half of the 2020-21 campaign.
Odegaard said: “You never know what happens, but first of all my focus is about the rest of the season.
“Hopefully (I will) help the team, and then we’ll see what happens.”
According to reports from Defensa Central, his comments have annoyed those at Madrid.

Odegaard made the move to Arsenal after a lack of first team football at MadridCredit: AFP

JUAN-DERFUL
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer revealed Juan Mata has ‘been away a little while’ – but could return to play against Real Sociedad.
The midfielder has not featured since United’s 1-0 FA Cup win against Watford on January 9, his only appearance in 2021.
He said: “He’s been away for a little while. Of course, against West Brom, you’re thinking, ‘Can we have someone to unlock the door?’
“If we had Juan there, to create that pass… because he has done well in the earlier part of the season, Juan. Now he’s back, he’s travelling with us. 
“He’s been bright in training, so if we see Juan on the pitch, he’ll want to prove to his Spanish fans as well what a quality player he is.”

Juan Mata pictured with manager Ole Gunnar SolskjaerCredit: EPA

AL OR NOTHING
David Alaba will become the best-paid player in the Premier League should he join Chelsea this summer.
The Austrian star, 28, has confirmed he will quit Bayern Munich at the end of the season.
Alaba is out of contract at the Allianz Arena and has turned down a number of extension offers, believing the club to be undervaluing him.
It’s claimed the versatile defender is chasing wages of £400,000 a week – with Bayern unwilling to go that high.

David Alaba will become the highest-paid PL player if he joins Chelsea

BLUE BARGAINING
Chelsea could reportedly offer Fikayo Tomori as part of a transfer swap with AC Milan for Franck Kessie.
The 23-year-old defender fell out of favour under Frank Lampard and was allowed to leave for the San Siro on loan until the end of the season.
Lampard’s departure and the arrival of Thomas Tuchel in the dug-out has potentially opened the door to a Chelsea return for Tomori.
However, Il Milanista claims the Blues boss could target a move for Milan’s £35m-rated midfielder Franck Kessie.
And it has now been suggested Tomori may be used as an incentive to try and strike a transfer agreement.

Fikayo Tomori could be used as part of a transfer incentive by ChelseaCredit: Reuters

‘EXPECTATIONS ARE HIGH’
Mikel Arteta said criticism of Willian is ‘not unfair’ given the Brazilian has failed to perform since his move from Chelsea last August.
The winger has not scored in 24 Arsenal games and has looked a shadow of his former self at the Emirates.
Speaking ahead of the Gunners’ Europa League game against Benfica on Thursday, Arteta said: “I don’t say it’s unfair because expectations are really high in terms of the goals he can score and the assists he can create.
“You expect him to be in the starting line-up, so it is normal that people write things about him.”

Willian has failed to impress for the Gunners this seasonCredit: Reuters

NEW GOAT IN TOWN
For the better part of 20 years the question has been: Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi?
But now it’s fair to say people should be asking: Kylian Mbappe or Erling Haaland?
Ronaldo, 36, and Messi, 33, have thrilled – and utterly divided – fans in their battle for the ‘GOAT’ crown since their rivalry began in the early-mid 00s.
They’ve won a combined 11 Ballons d’Or and more Big Five league titles and Champions League medals than you can shake a stick at.
However, if recent months are anything to go by, there’s something of a changing of the guard.

Here’s how the four superstars compare

TIME OUT
Darren Drysdale will not referee this weekend after his heated clash with Ipswich’s Alan Judge.
The official was charged with improper conduct by the FA following the confrontation with midfielder Judge on Tuesday night.
As a result, PGMOL, who represent the referees, have now replaced him with Declan Bourne for Southend’s match with Bolton on Saturday.
A day after the incident, Drysdale issued a grovelling apology in a statement released by the PGMOL.

WENG AND A PRAYER
Arsene Wenger revealed Cristiano Ronaldo almost joined Arsenal in 2004 instead of Manchester United.
But Carlos Queiroz joining Sir Alex Ferguson’s back-room staff at Old Trafford sealed the deal for Ronaldo.
Wenger told BeIN Sports: “The bad luck for us was Carlos Queiroz joining Manchester United, and in a week he persuaded Ferguson to buy Ronaldo.”
Before he added: “We speak about Ronaldo, he was at our training ground with our shirt, but with Mbappe we were at his home when he was undecided to extend his contract in Monaco.
“He could’ve come to Arsenal for free, but I would say every club is full of histories like that.”

Cristiano Ronaldo pictured with Sir Alex Ferguson in 2004Credit: AFP – Getty

MAR TO IT
The late Diego Maradona’s agent once tried to secure the Argentina legend a Premier League manager’s job at Aston Villa.
The icon never played or managed in England, but he was ‘very open’ to the idea a decade ago.
Maradona, who died aged 60 on November 25, was represented by Walter Soriano in Europe and had just managed Argentina at the 2010 World Cup.
And Soriano told the Sunday Mercury at the time: “I think Diego would be very open to the idea of coming to England and managing Aston Villa.
“He is very attracted to English football and the way of life in your country and I know he would be very willing to move there.”

Diego Maradona could’ve managed in the Premier League, if his agent had his wayCredit: Getty Images – Getty

INCREDIBLE HULK
Brazil star Hulk stunned fans with his impressive physique during training for Atletico Mineiro.
The muscle bound striker looked in phenomenal shape in pictures posted online with one fan joking ‘Hulk’s muscles have muscles’.
One shot showed the forward, 34, striking a ball with his leg muscles bulging through his shorts.
And in the other image, the former Porto man is seen executing an acrobatic over-head kick with his toned arms and torso on show.

CITIZEN KANE
Manchester City have stormed ahead of Manchester United in the race to sign Harry Kane, according to the bookies.
The Red Devils were the previous front-runners for the Tottenham star’s signature at 2/1 with Betfair.
Now the odds look like this…
Manchester City – WAS 4/1 NOW 9/4
Paris Saint-Germain – 11/4
Manchester United – WAS 2/1 NOW 10/3
Real Madrid – 14/1
Juventus – 20/1

Harry Kane has been linked with a move away from SpursCredit: PA:Press Association

CRIS OF DEATH
Cristiano Ronaldo was branded ‘selfish’ by former Italy striker Antonio Cassano last night.
The ex-Real Madrid and Roma forward said Ronaldo doesn’t care about team-mates scoring.
Cassano, 38, said: “He’s always been a bit selfish, he doesn’t give a damn about others scoring goals.
“He does not live for the game – he lives for the goal and in this moment the situation is getting worse.”

Cristiano Ronaldo has been the star of the show for Juventus this seasonCredit: Getty Images – Getty

RAV SOME OF THAT
Ravel Morrison has revealed how he told Gary Neville he wanted to leave Manchester United for rivals Arsenal because they were BETTER.
Rio Ferdinand recalled: “At the training ground, this is how confident this kid was, we would be getting our lunch, me, Giggsy, Nev, Scholes, Wazza, everyone, we are sitting down at the first-team table.
“And he would be in the queue and I remember him telling Gary Neville that Arsenal are better than United.
“He said, ‘I’m gonna go Arsenal, I am gonna sign for Arsenal soon if I can.’ Do you remember that, Rav?”
Ravel replied: “Yeah, because I wanted to play with Thierry Henry.”

Ravel Morrison failed to live up to expectationsCredit: Getty Images – Getty

SUAR SUBJECT
Luis Suarez says he has ‘years left’ and ‘no one will get rid of me’ amid suggestions he may soon retire.
The Atletico Madrid star told ESPN: “I still feel like I’m enjoying this moment that I’m in today, in football’s elite.
“Being at Atletico, you’re in football’s elite. Some people didn’t believe that I could still be at this level. I’ve got the same enthusiasm.
“I hope that this year, next year and for however many years it is, I keep competing and giving my best, until you realise that you’ve gone as far as you can.
“But no one will get rid of me. I’ll decide when I go.”

The striker has been a resounding success at Atletico Madrid since he left BarcelonaCredit: Alamy Live News

Load more entries… More

ALEXANDRE LACAZETTE heads up a list of 10 players Arsenal are set to put up for sale.
Meanwhile Manchester United are looking at summer moves for Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde and Bayern Munich’s Kingsley Coman.

BETS OF THE DAY: GET MAN CITY AT 6/1 TO WIN TONIGHT – PLUS RONALDO TO SCORE 2+ GOALS BOOSTED
Read our live blog below to get the latest from around the clubs…

TOP OF THE POCHS
Dele Alli admits he was lucky to have played under Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham.
The ace said: “I was very lucky to have a manager like Pochettino — he was an unbelievable guy and very experienced.
“He would  pull me in if I was doing dumb stuff and speak with me.
“Not like a dad — but that sort of vibe.”

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SIGN OF THE CROSS
Ryan Shawcross is set to become David Beckham’s latest Inter Miami signing after agreeing to leave Stoke after nearly 14 years.
The long-serving defender, 33, has reached an agreement with the Potters to terminate his contract in order to push through the move to Beckham’s MLS franchise.
Inter Miami are gearing up for their second MLS campaign – with the season kicking off on April 17 – and new manager Phil Neville wants Shawcross at the heart of his defence.
He will join superstars like Gonzalo Higuain and Blaise Matuidi in Miami’s distinctive white and pink colours as they look to improve on last season’s 10th-placed finish in the Eastern Conference.

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MADE HIS MARC
Marcus Rashford pledged to never give up his fight for Britain’s kids – but accepted he had become a ‘target’ for being outspoken.
Rashford said: “I understood I was a target already. 
“Being a footballer for one of the biggest clubs in the world is going to bring attention. I knew what I was stepping into.
“There were people who had opinions before they’d ever met or spoke with me. I’ve come to terms with that. It’s part of my life.
“The effect it will have on me, the campaign is much bigger than that. 
“I’m willing to take the little bit of aggravation from wherever it comes from.”

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CARA BOW OUT
The League Cup will have to be sacrificed if the Prem wins a battle to change the Champions League revamp.
Top-flight clubs agreed at their latest ‘shareholder’ meeting on three points of contention with the latest Uefa-led plans for a 36-team competition from 2024.
League chiefs will now go to Uefa seeking changes to the expansion to 225 games from 125 matches in the current competition, the access list limiting English football to five places and plans to extend the opening phase into the January each season.
Premier League chiefs, instead, will argue that all the initial games – Uefa want 10 matches in the opening ‘Swiss model’ single table phase – should be completed before Christmas, leaving January free for domestic action.
But that will only be possible if teams in European action duck out of the League Cup, with the 20 clubs agreeing the future of the competition would have to be thrashed out and discussed as part of the new-look calendar.

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NOU START
Barcelona are tipped to battle Chelsea and Manchester City for Paris Saint-Germain starlet Kays Ruiz-Atil.
AS say Ruiz-Atil has it ‘in mind’ to return to the Spanish giants, where he developed from 2009-2015.
Ruiz-Atil’s PSG contract runs until the summer of 2021.
But negotiations over extending it are thought to have stalled.

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ART OF THE MATTER
Mikel Arteta has warned that he is ready to crack down on any Arsenal player who breaks the club’s strict Covid protocols after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s lockdown tattoo.
He said: “We advise every player and make sure they know all the rules and stick to them all the time.
“If someone doesn’t do that he’s obviously going to get found out by us and there are going to be consequences. 
“We have to act immediately but always privately as well. Whatever we do with our players we keep it internally.”

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I WANT MOUR
Jose Mourinho has issued a rallying cry claiming he’s not prepared to give up on Tottenham’s top four hopes.
He said: “It’s difficult in any case but it’s possible in both cases.
“The fourth position in the Premier League is of course very difficult but it is not mathematically impossible.
“Last season we were in a very, very bad position to try to get into the Europa League spots and in the end we made it in the last minute of the last game but we made it.
“Our motivation last season was while mathematically it’s possible we have to go for it.”

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CITY SLICKERS
Manchester City moved ten points clear at the top of the Premier League with a 3-1 win against Everton.
Goals from Phil Foden, Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva sealed victory for Pep Guardiola’s side, who also welcomed Kevin de Bruyne and Sergio Aguero back from injury.
City are now level on games with Man Utd and Leicester, who are joint-second.
And they will be in a confident mood for their trip to Arsenal on Sunday.

FED EX
Federico Chiesa scored a vital away goal for Juventus in their 2-1 defeat at Porto.
Mehdi Taremi fired the hosts ahead after just TWO minutes.
And Juve were left sweating when Moussa Marega doubled Porto’s lead in the 46th minute.
But Chiesa popped up in the 82nd minute to keep Juventus’ hopes of reaching the Champions League quarters alive.

HAA LA LAND
Erling Haaland was the star of the show as his two goals fired Borussia Dortmund to a 3-2 win at Sevilla.
The Germans have one foot in the Champions League quarters despite going behind in the 7th minute to a strike from Suso.
A 19th minute rocket from Mahmoud Dahoud levelled the score before Haaland bagged his first in the 27th minute.
Haaland then made it 3-1 in the 43rd minute before Sevilla pulled back a crucial goal through Luuk de Jong in the 84th minute.

NIGHT ON THE TOWN
Andros Townsend has sensationally claimed Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo aren’t the best players in the world.
The Crystal Palace ace told TalkSport: “I’ve got three in my head, but it’s sad to say because for me, I grew up with Messi and Ronaldo.
“But for me, at the moment, I can’t put them in my top three. Sorry. This is why I didn’t want to do this.
“I’m going to go three: Kevin de Bruyne. I’m going to go two: Neymar. And at the moment, I’m going to go one: Kylian Mbappe.”

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EDIN FOR HOME
Edinson Cavani wants to stay at Manchester United beyond this season – despite the club not yet triggering his one-year extension clause.
Cavani signed a one-year deal at Old Trafford in October with the option to extend for a further season after leaving PSG.
Now with just four months left on that deal Cavani is able to talk to other clubs with a view to a wants United to take up the option of keeping him at the club, according to the Telegraph.

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TOP TIER
Arsenal face Benfica in the Europa League last 32 on Thursday with the possibility that left-back Kieran Tierney could finally be available.
Emile Smith Rowe looks set to return to his No10 role, with Martin Odegaard rested.
That could see Nicolas Pepe enter the side, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang remaining in attack after his treble against Leeds.

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OWN GAAL
Louis van Gaal has blasted Adnan Januzaj’s claims the Dutch boss showed him ‘no love’ at Man Utd and neglected young players’ development.
Van Gaal wrote in an EMAIL to The Athletic: “I have absolutely no need to defend myself against so much injustice!
“The self-image of players leaves the wishes! And my career as a coach/manager shows just how many young players could take their chances under my leadership!
“With a kind box, LvG.”

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SILVA LINING
Man Utd have identified Eintracht Frankfurt striker Andre Silva as an alternative to Borussia Dortmund ace Erling Haaland, according to Sky Germany.
Portugal international Silva banged in 16 goals in all competitions last term.
And he has already scored more this season, as he has chipped in with 19 goals and five assists in 22 outings.
It has been claimed that Frankfurt are seeking a fee in the region of £26million for their talisman who is tied down at the club until 2023.
However the news report states that United face competition from Atletico Madrid in the hunt to secure his services.

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CAN’T FORGET
Rio Ferdinand has revealed he constantly tortures himself thinking about football moments that cost him trophies. 
He said: “If you ask me what I think about more, I’ve spent more time in retirement thinking about what we lost and didn’t win than what we won, which is so weird, but I can’t help it. 
“You can be sitting having the best day on a beach somewhere in an idyllic place and all of a sudden something shoots into your mind, like the FA Cup final, Drogba.” 
“It’s just mad. It just ruins your next fifteen minutes and you’re just sitting there and you need to snap yourself out of it. 
“I just think that competitive energy is always bubbling under somewhere. It’s difficult. 
“As much as I did win and was successful in my career, even for instance with England it was disappointing in the end. 
“Everyone called us the golden generation of players with Becks, and Michael Owen and (Paul) Scholes. 
“But we didn’t win, so it leaves you that little bit of taste of dissatisfaction.” 

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ON POINT
The spoils were shared at Turf Moor this evening as Burnley and Fulham drew 1-1.
Ola Aina fired the visitors ahead in the 49th minute.
But Ashley Barnes levelled the score just moments later.
The result sees Burnley move above Brighton into 15th.
But Fulham remain 18th in the table, six points off safety.

WHAT A KOU
Man Utd are reportedly prepared to bid for Sevilla’s Jules Kounde in their search for a new defensive star.
According to Spanish outlet La Razon, United are preparing a £61million bid for the 22-year-old.
Paris Saint-Germain are also in the hunt for a new defender with Sergio Ramos a target.
If the Ligue 1 side fail to land the Spanish veteran, they are reportedly ready to forego negotiations and pay Kounde’s full £78m release clause.
Real Madrid are eager too as they look to replace out-of-contract Ramos.

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TEAM NEWS
Everton will line up with an apparent five-man defence in their 8.15pm Premier League game with Man City.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin is absent yet again with a hamstring injury, while James Rodriguez is left out as the Toffees look to avoid consecutive defeats.
Visitors City have Kevin de Bruyne and Sergio Aguero back on the bench, with the pair fit enough to feature later on in the match.
Ruben Dias is back in the starting XI at the expense of John Stones, with unlikely goal machine Ilkay Gundogan out with a knock.
FOLLOW THE ACTION WITH OUR LIVE MATCH BLOG

🚨 TEAM NEWS 🚨XI | Ederson, Walker, Dias, Laporte, Cancelo, Rodrigo, Mahrez, Bernardo, Foden, Sterling (C), JesusSUBS | Steffen, Stones, Aguero, Zinchenko, De Bruyne, Torres, Mendy, Fernandinho, Garcia📋 @HaysWorldwide🔷 #ManCity | https://t.co/axa0klD5re pic.twitter.com/m4mIofLP1A
— Manchester City (@ManCity) February 17, 2021

TEAM NEWS
Jadon Sancho and Jude Bellingham both start in Borussia Dortmund’s 8pm Champions League last-16 clash at Sevilla.
The English duo are joined in attack by Erling Haaland, who is looking to add to his 23 goals scored so far this season, and club icon Marco Reus.
Meanwhile, the Spanish hosts are starting exciting veteran winger Alejandro ‘Papu’ Gomez, signed from Atalanta in January.
Reported Man Utd target Jules Kounde lines up in defence, with star midfielder Ivan Rakitic also included.
FOLLOW THE ACTION WITH OUR LIVE MATCH BLOG

TEAM NEWS
Cristiano Ronaldo leads the line for Juventus in their 8pm Champions League last-16 clash at Porto, with Everton-linked Adrien Rabiot also included.
But there is no room for Paulo Dybala, Alvaro Morata and Aaron Ramsey, who have all been benched for the first-leg battle.
Ronaldo will find himself coming up against ex-Real Madrid pal Pepe, who captains the Portuguese hosts.
Reported Premier League target Otavio is in midfield, but West Ham loanee Felipe Anderson misses out on the starting XI.
FOLLOW THE ACTION WITH OUR LIVE MATCH BLOG

THE REAL DEAL
Real Madrid are accelerating the refurbishment of their famous Bernabeu home with new pictures showing the immense undertaking.
Among the changes being made is the old roof, which has been completely removed.
A vast wraparound of the Bernabeu is being created to fit in with the new roof, the first signs of which are now on display.
Attached to the underside of the new roof will be a new vantage point overlooking Madrid for the public to enjoy year round, as well as hosting VIP guests on matchdays.

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KING MAKER
Bayern Munich are worried Man Utd could poach Kingsley Coman by offering him a huge £260,000-a-week contract.
Bild says United have put together a package to tempt the France international away from the Bundesliga and are looking to make him one of their big buys this summer.
Bayern are desperate to tie Coman down and avoid a repeat of their mishap with David Alaba, with the Austrian defender leaving in the summer for free.
Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka are also in line for new contracts and are ready to agree terms.
But doubts over the future of Coman have now emerged, with United eager to double his current wages.

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DRY ANOTHER DAY
Ref Darren Drysdale faces a three-game violent conduct ban after clashing with Ipswich midfielder Alan Judge.
The astonishing scenes saw Ipswich boss Paul Lambert demand an investigation by the EFL and FA.
SunSport understands that Drysdale’s performance was criticised by players on both sides throughout the game.
He is said to have flipped and used foul and abusive language when Judge insisted he had been brought down and not dived in a bid to win a spot kick.
FA beaks had already opened a probe into the incident, likely to end with Drysdale being charged with violent conduct and banned for his behaviour.

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KOE EXCUSES
Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman says his side were handed a reality check as Kylian Mbappe and his PSG cohorts ran riot 4-1 at the Nou Camp.
Koeman said: “They were better, they were very effective, especially [Kylian] Mbappe. The first half was very close and Ousmane Dembele had a clear chance at 1-0, but we had defensive problems in the second half.
“Yes [it was a reality check], in the second half. We have to admit that they were better.
“They have a more complete team than we do. We have to accept it and move on. We know that these things can happen. Their team are ahead of ours.”  

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MAN CITY have opened up a ten-point gap at the top of the Premier League.
Phil Foden gave City the lead at Goodison before Richarlison equalised, but Riyad Mahrez then put Pep Guardiola’s men back in front.

And a Bernardo Silva strike made the game safe for the Citizens..
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THAT’S A WRAP
Thanks for joining us this evening, as we watched City pretty much wrap up the title!
Don’t forget to take a look at our match report here, courtesy of Dave Kidd.

TABLE TOPPERS
Manchester City have now extended their lead at the top of the table, they’re ten points away from their neighbours.
Everton are just behind their neighbours in seventh, who they face this weekend in a Merseyside derby.

ANCELOTTI SPEAKS
The Everton boss was full of praise for City this evening as he admitted they were a tough team to play.
He said: “We started to believe and the game was difficult for an hour, we worked hard but their second goal was the turning point of the game.
“They came in with fantastic shooters, there’s nothing to say about that
“It’s difficult to say another name [about who will win the Premier League] they have fantastic quality, they’re strong and they believe.
“They play well with the ball and work hard without the ball, it doesn’t leave you many possibilities to play.
“They’re the best team we’ve played this season- congratulations to them.”

PEP TALK
Speaking on Amazon, Pep Guardiola says: “It was a really tough game, the pitch wasn’t in perfect condition and they’re such a physical team, they make it difficult to use our wingers.
“But, yes, solid performance from our guys.
“We have the quality up front, but it comes from the passes in the final third, we often attack too quickly and need to be more patient – our second goal is an example of that.
“We have to try and get the players who play up front in better positions and we did that today.”
Pep refused to be drawn on questions about the title and instead so Arsenal were his only focus.

GLORIOUS GOAL
Speaking about Mahrez’s goal, Michael Owen claimed it was near-impossible to defend it and was struck perfectly.
Ally McCoist was in agreement and hailed it a ‘thing of beauty’.
Here’s it once more for your viewing pleasure.

MAHREZ-OF-THE-MATCH
Speaking on Amazon, man-of-the-match Riyad Mahrez says: “It was a good performance, we played well.
“It’s a shame to concede that goal in the first half because we haven’t conceded much recently, but we really made the difference in the second half.
“We tried to pass the ball a lot and move to find the right space.
“We have found our confidence- when you keep winning, scoring and taking chances, conceding just a few, then you grow in confidence.”
On whether the title was pretty much a given, he added: “I don’t know about that. We have to just keep going.
“I don’t know about the title, but we have to think about the next game and that’s Arsenal so we have to play the same way.”

CITY SLICKERS
Manchester City are now ten points clear of their rivals United as they set a record of being the first side to win their first ten games of a calendar year..
Twelve Premier League wins in a row shows that City really have found their mojo after a sloppy start to the season.
City enjoyed a whopping 70 per cent possession as three separate goal scorers got their name on the scoresheet.

FT: EVERTON 1-3 MANCHESTER CITY

EVERTON 1-3 MANCHESTER CITY
92. Rodriguez catches Cancelo on the knee with a sliding tackle.
It wasn’t intentional, but that looked painful!

EVERTON 1-3 MANCHESTER CITY
90. Pep gives a couple of minutes to Fernandinho as Rodrigo makes way.
There’s plenty of quality on his bench too, but he’s been quite conservative with his substitutions of late.

EVERTON 1-3 MANCHESTER CITY
90. Three extra minutes at Goodison Park.

EVERTON 1-3 MANCHESTER CITY
88. Mahrez’s delightful goal has earned him the man-of-the-match award.
To be fair, there were several City players who could have got it.

EVERTON 1-3 MANCHESTER CITY
86. Another corner for City leads to a scramble in the box as Everton fail to clear it.
City really are on a roll of good form at the mo, aren’t they?
Out-passing, out-pacing and out-scoring all opponents.

EVERTON 1-3 MANCHESTER CITY
84. City fans will be pleased to see De Bruyne back in action.
Not a bad substitution by all accounts!

EVERTON 1-3 MANCHESTER CITY
82. Another chance for Everton is squandered.
Rodriguez whips a ball into the box that’s headed away by Walker, it falls to Doucoure but he just can’t get a shot away and the ball is pinched from his feet by Foden.

EVERTON 1-3 MANCHESTER CITY
81. Keane sends a long diagonal ball to pick out King in the box.
But King takes a little too long to steady himself and his first touch allows Ederson to gather, they end up colliding with one another.

EVERTON 1-3 MANCHESTER CITY
Third time’s a charm

EVERTON 1-3 MANCHESTER CITY
79. Pep’s flexing the depth of his squad by bringing off one star for another.
Sterling forgoes the captain’s armband as he makes way for the returning De Bruyne.

EVERTON 1-3 MANCHESTER CITY
77. Superb finish by Silva, City don’t do things by half!
Walker works the ball well around the top of the box with Silva before the Portuguese star takes a touch inside, drops his shoulder and pulls the trigger from the top of the box with his left foot.
Pickford gets his fingertips to it, but Silva drilled it hard and fast so he had little chance of stopping it.

GOOOAL
THAT’S THREE DIFFERENT GOAL SCORERS!

EVERTON 1-2 MANCHESTER CITY
75. Richarlison peels away as Coleman tries to pick him out with a long ball over the top, but it’s intercepted by Dias.
City regain possession and look comfortably in control.

EVERTON 1-2 MANCHESTER CITY
74. City continue to enjoy the lion’s share of possession and have completed 482 passes.
Everton have completed 152.

EVERTON 1-2 MANCHESTER CITY
73. Dias jumps on Richarlison’s back to stop the Everton man from getting forward- the ref is having none of it.
Freekick to Everton at least 35 yards out.

EVERTON 1-2 MANCHESTER CITY
72. City have regained control since the start of the second half.
They’re determined to prove why they’re the league leaders.

EVERTON 1-2 MANCHESTER CITY
70. Ancelotti’s substitutions have led to Sigurdsson playing further back.
King is offering help to Richarlison.

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ALEXANDRE LACAZETTE heads up a list of 10 players available for sale from Arsenal this summer.
And in a SunSport exclusive, Manchester United could move for Real Madrid star Federico Valverde this summer with uncertainty over Paul Pogba.

BETS OF THE DAY: GET MAN CITY AT 6/1 TO WIN TONIGHT – PLUS RONALDO TO SCORE 2+ GOALS BOOSTED
Read our live blog below to get the latest from around the clubs…

STRIKE OUT
Man Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has called on his strikers to up their game.
Solskjaer said: “We are the top scorers in the league, but our forwards have not scored as much as we would have liked.
“In a way that’s a big positive because as we go into the final stretch of the season because if we can get them firing again it will give us another edge in our game.
“We have not been at our best for the last four or five games and we are waiting for them to show what they are showing in training.
“They are working hard. Maybe the form is not the best but that will come, that is the positive thing.”

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KOP THAT
Rio Ferdinand has warned Liverpool teams will still fancy their chances against Jurgen Klopp’s side in the Champions League despite brushing RB Leipzig aside 2-0 on Tuesday night.
He told BT Sport: “I think other teams who are looking at them won’t be too carried away with the way Liverpool played today because they’ve still going to get chances.
“I think Leipzig could have had one or two goals, if you’re being hugely critical. They were getting in.”

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NO ROON
Wayne Rooney has turned down the chance to sign Ravel Morrison after it was revealed that he pinched his boots while at Man Utd.
The Derby boss said: “Obviously I know Ravel because I played with him, but I am happy with the squad I’ve got, it’s a good squad of players.
“I hope Ravel can find a club which he deserves, because he’s a fantastic player, and I wish him all the best.
“I can’t recall him taking my boots, so he can have them.”

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KYLLER INSTINCT
Kylian Mbappe’s breathtaking display against Barcelona has stunned the footballing world after he scored a hat-trick at the Nou Camp.
The likes of Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Neymar heaped praise on the Frenchman after he put PSG on the verge of a quarter-final place.

Mbappe JOGANDO MUITO….. HAT-TRICK do meu menino 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
— Neymar Jr (@neymarjr) February 16, 2021

ALL ON THE BOX
A Premier League statement reads: “The Premier League today confirmed all fixtures for the 2020/21 season will continue to be made available to fans to watch live in the UK. This arrangement will be extended until Government guidance permits supporters to return to stadiums.
“All matches will be shown via existing broadcast partners Sky Sports, BT Sport, Amazon Prime Video and BBC, who continue to work with us to deliver these additional matches while stadiums are missing the supporters who are such an integral part of the game.
“Details of broadcast selections for March and the rearrangement of previously postponed matches will be announced in due course.
“The Premier League and its clubs remain committed to an accessible solution for fans. The UK live broadcast arrangements will be reviewed in consultation with clubs and in line with any decisions made by Government regarding the return of spectators to stadiums.”

BREAKING NEWS
Some more big news just confirmed…
All Premier League matches will be televised until fans are allowed to return to grounds.

Credit: Getty Images – Getty

WAITING NEYM
Neymar is facing a two-game ban for slamming the penalty decision given to Barcelona on Tuesday night.
The injured Brazilian star could be made to explain his tweets during the 4-1 win for his PSG side.
Neymar tweeted: “Joke that penalty,” accompanied by laughing emojis after Frenkie de Jong was awarded a spot-kick.
The tweet was quickly spotted by fans, who shared it on social media – but it wasn’t live for long, with Neymar deleting it.
And Uefa could act with a ban of up to two games for the 29-year-old.
The UEFA disciplinary code stops players from ‘insults or other conduct that violates the basic rules of conduct’.
Neymar was given a three-game ban in March 2019 for insulting match officials, but it was reduced to two by CAS.

GLAD TO HEAR IT
In more United transfer news, Bundesliga star Rami Bensebaini has sent Manchester United a ‘come and get me’ appeal.
The Borussia Monchengladbach defender and former Arsenal triallist said he has been a lifelong Red Devils fan – and wants to play in England.
Left-back Bensebaini, who won the Africa Cup of Nations with Algeria and is rated at £20million, helped Borussia into the Champions League last 16.
The 25-year-old told BBC Afrique: “I have been a Manchester United fan since I was very little.
“The Premier League has always attracted me. Everyone knows that I am a United fan.
“I am with Gladbach for now, and I am happy with them.
“But if one day I get the opportunity to make an upward step, and have a change of scene, I will seriously think about it.”

CARM-AGE
Sticking with United and they reportedly face a transfer battle with Real Madrid for Braga’s £36m-rated defender David Carmo as the Spanish giants look for a Sergio Ramos replacement.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men have been tracking the 21-year-old star this season, having watched his excellent performances in the Portuguese Primeira Liga.
Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof were heavily criticised for their performance in Sunday’s 1-1 draw at strugglers West Brom, with pundits once again claiming Solskjaer needs reinforcements at centre back.
But now Real are heading to the front of the queue for Carmo, with the La Liga side’s president Florentino Perez friends with his Braga counterpart, Antonio Salvador, according to AS.

DIALLO ON THE PLANE
Amad Diallo will travel with Manchester United for their Europa League away trip to Turin to face Real Sociedad.
The teenager arrived from Atalanta in January and has been on fire for the Under-23s.
He was on the bench against West Ham in the FA Cup last week.
Academy youngster Shola Shoretire, 17, also be on the plane with the senior squad for the European away fixture.
The Red Devils are due to fly from Manchester Airport on Wednesday afternoon.
Edinson Cavani, Donny van de Beek and Paul Pogba have all been ruled out through injury.

❗ Our official 22-man squad for tomorrow’s #UEL clash features two fresh faces 👇#MUFC
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 17, 2021

AL ABOARD
Chelsea’s secret transfer weapon is at it again – with Blues defender Antonio Rudiger admitting he is trying to lure Bayern Munich’s David Alaba to Stamford Bridge.
He was branded ‘agent Rudiger’ by fans after admitting he chatted to Timo Werner and Kai Havertz to help secure their moves in the summer – with Alaba his latest target.
The Bayern star has confirmed he is leaving the Allianz Arena after 11 years this summer with Real Madrid favourites to secure his signature.
Alaba wants an eye-watering £400,000-a-week at his new club after growing frustrated with the German champions’ low-ball offers to stay with Real Madrid favourites to sign the free agent.
But Rudiger told Bild he has already been in contact with the Austrian as he plots his next move, while also revealing he is ready to chat to Jerome Boateng and Niklas Sule if moves for them materialise.

MOUR TO IT
Gareth Bale’s agent says Jose Mourinho has to answer for the Welsh superstar’s issues at Spurs.
Bale has made just two Prem starts since arriving at the end of the summer transfer window.
Asked why Bale was having a tough time, Jonathan Barnett said: “He’s towards the end of his career.
“But you have to ask Mourinho that.”

WELCOME MAT
Paul Pogba’s brother Mathias has joined his 12th club after being unveiled by NK Tabor Sezana.
The Slovenian side announced the signing of the 30-year-old on their Twitter feed yesterday.
Pogba posted on Instagram: “Another team, another mission. Thanks god for that opportunity you gave me.”
His transfer to Tabor Sezana makes it his 12th club in as many years.
Mathias has also previously played for Wrexham, Crewe, Crawley Town and Partick Thistle.

JUDGE & JURY
Bit more breaking news…
Referee Darren Drysdale has apologised for his ‘unprofessional manner’ after he SQUARED UP to Ipswich Town star Alan Judge.
We shared earlier the shocking incident after Judge was booked for diving inside the area on 90 minutes in his team’s clash against Northampton.
The Tractor Boys midfielder protested strongly, pointing at Drysdale – prompting him to push his HEAD into Judge’s face.
Now in a statement released by the PGMOL, who represent the referees, Drysdale has issued a grovelling apology.
The 49-year-old said: “I fully understand that it is important to maintain our composure throughout the game and always engage with players in a professional manner.
“I’m sorry that I did not do that last night and I can only apologise to Alan and Ipswich Town.”
The FA have also confirmed they are investigating the incident.

DIM VIEW
Dimitar Berbatov believes Manchester United are OUT of the title race – and fears they could even miss out on the top four.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side are seven points behind league leaders Manchester City – who have a game in hand.
The former Old Trafford star told Betfair: “You see what happens when you don’t win games against the smaller teams?
“Sheffield United and West Brom were two matches that United were expected to take all the points from, but they weren’t concentrated enough and now there is no point talking about their title chances.
“Sometimes people talk about records against the top four teams, but it is equally as important to beat the teams in the bottom four.
“City are seven points ahead with a game in hand, and with the performances that thy have shown recently I think it will be impossible for them to lose it, and at this moment the title is theirs.
“It just goes to show that it really pays when you are inconsistent.”

FERGIE’S FEAR
Sir Alex Ferguson feared he would lose his memory after suffering a brain haemorrhage in 2018.
The world of football held it’s breath after the legendary former Manchester United manager was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery.
But thankfully the procedure was a success, and after less than a month Fergie was back at home being nursed back to health by his loved ones.
Speaking about an upcoming documentary about the Scot, Fergie said: “Losing my memory was my biggest fear when I suffered a brain haemorrhage in 2018.
“In the making of this film I was able to revisit the most important moments of my life, good and bad.
“Having my son Jason direct this film has ensured an honest and intimate account.”

INFLUENCER
Marcus Rashford features in TIME magazine for being one of the world’s most influential people.
The Manchester United striker has campaigned tirelessly to support the UK’s children by forcing the Government into U-turns on the free school meals.

‘FEEL PERSONALLY LET DOWN’
Gerrard continued: “We’ll certainly move forward from it. I think we’re at a real critical stage in terms of the games coming up and where we are as a club.
“It won’t affect us as a group. I’ve been absolutely delighted with the group in terms of their application.
“I feel personally let down by recent events, but I’m trying to move forward and focus on the important things which is to prepare the team for a huge game against Antwerp.
“I’m really excited, I’m looking forward to the game and so have the players. They’ve trained extremely well going into this game and it’s important that we focus on the important things, which is the games that are in front of us.”
Asked if he could confirm the identity of the players, he said: “Yes. Bungani Zungu is involved. Nathan Patterson, Calvin Bassey, Dapo [Mebude] – who is on loan at Queen of the South at the moment – and a young goalie who is an academy player but has spent some time around the first-team as well, Brian Kinnear.”

‘REALLY DISAPPOINTED’
Addressing the issue, Steven Gerrard told Rangers TV: “Well first and foremost we have to acknowledge that five of our players have been involved in a breach of the Covid regulations which, from the top to the bottom of the club, we are all really disappointed in.
“That will be dealt with internally. The players will be fined and we are involved with the SFA and the government to find the solution in terms of those boys.
“They’ve been removed from the club and the squad for a short time now while they isolate.
“I’ll sit down with all those boys face-to-face once the situation allows us to do so.”

BREAKING NEWS
Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has confirmed that five players have breached coronavirus protocols.
The Liverpool legend named the Gers players involved in the alleged Covid party which was busted in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The players involved are Nathan Patterson, 19, Bongani Zungu, 28, Dapo Mebude, 19, Brian Kinnear, 20 and Calvin Bassey, 21.
The Ibrox club are now in dialogue with SFA and Scottish Government over the next steps involved regarding the rule breaches.
Cops raced to reports of an illegal bash in Glasgow’s West End on Sunday at around 1.10am.
Police Scotland confirmed they’d dished out fines to those they caught up in the lockdown breach party at the gaff in the city’s trendy Hyndland area.

STAT ATTACK
Manchester City will be aiming for victory No17 in a row when they head to Goodison Park – a game Carlo Ancelotti admitted his side have very little chance of winning.
Our friends at Opta have compiled these stats ahead of the match…
Everton have won just one of their last 14 Premier League games against Manchester City (D4 L9), winning 4-0 in January 2017 at Goodison Park.
Manchester City have won each of their last five Premier League games against Everton, netting at least twice each time. It’s their longest ever winning run against the Toffees in the top-flight.
Everton have lost their last two home Premier League games, last losing three in a row back in March 2016 under Roberto Martinez, while manager Carlo Ancelotti hasn’t lost three home league games in a row since November 2006 when he was AC Milan boss.
Manchester City have won their nine Premier League matches in 2021 – they could become the first team in top-flight history to win their opening 10 matches in a calendar year, breaking the record of nine wins set previously by Bolton Wanderers in 1906 and Manchester United in 2009.
Among the 137 teams Carlo Ancelotti has faced more than once in the league in his managerial career, his worst losing percentage is in games against Man City, losing four of his five games against them (80%).

Credit: Getty Images – Getty

WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY
It’s going to take something special to match last night’s drama with the live action later on…
But there is plenty to look forward to.
In the Champions League, Porto host Juventus and Sevilla take on Borussia Dortmund (both 8pm).
It is Burnley vs Fulham (6pm) and Everton vs Manchester City (8.15pm) in the Premier League.
Elsewhere, the top two in the Championship – Norwich and Brentford – both face away games, two of six matches.
Sunderland face Lincoln in the EFL Trophy semi-final and Levante host leaders Atletico Madrid in LaLiga.
The pick of the remaining three EFL ties sees League One promotion hopefuls Hull go to strugglers Wigan, the Tigers desperate to get back on track after no goals and two defeats in their last three.

GUNNERS OR GONERS
We brought you news earlier of Arsenal’s summer transfer plans.
The clear-out could see Alexandre Lacazette, David Luiz, Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi all shipped out.
Mat Ryan, Dani Ceballos and Martin Odegaard, however, may make their loan moves permanent.
So here are a couple of possible starting XIs Mikel Arteta could use next season…

LONG WAY OFF
Mbappe, who now has 16 goals in all competitions this season for Mauricio Pochettino’s side, still has some way to match their overall records though.
Ronaldo has an incredible 134 goals in the competition – which he has won five times – and will be looking to add to that when Juventus play Porto tonight.
Messi is slightly behind his Portuguese rival on both goals and trophies, scoring 119 times and having a mere four Champions League winner’s medals to his name.

BAPPE IN TIME
Kylian Mbappe is far better than both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were at the same age, his breathtaking Champions League record suggests.
His treble against Barca last night took his overall tally in the competition to 24 goals in just 41 appearances, to go with his 16 assists.
At the same age of 22 years and 58 days, Messi had only managed 17 goals and seven assists from his 33 Champions League appearances for Barca.
As for Ronaldo, he was still waiting to get off the mark in Europe’s premier club competition after making 26 appearances for Manchester United.

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