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      Barcelona 1-4 PSG LIVE RESULT: Mbappe’s HAT-TRICK leaves Messi & co needing another incredible Champions League comeback

      by

      BARCELONA will require a comeback almost as impressive as their 6-1 win in 2017 after a hammering by PSG at the Nou Camp.
      At the stadium where Lionel Messi has swept all before him for almost two decades, the night was all about Kylian Mbappe as the World Cup winner netted a stunning hat-trick.

      MAKING HIS MARC
      On a night where Kylian Mbappe made the world sit up and take note, he received praise from one of the Premier League’s best.
      Marcus Rashford took to Twitter to laud the PSG forward following his hat-trick.

      In his first game at Camp Nou, and his first time facing Barcelona…Kylian Mbappe completes a wonderful hat-trick with a SUBLIME finish 🤩We are witnessing greatness! pic.twitter.com/7uc84LQ2nE
      — Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 16, 2021

      DOUBLE OR QUITS
      Mauricio Pochettino has revealed that he told Kylian Mbappe he has won just once at Barcelona before, with Espanyol.
      In his press conference, he said: “Yesterday, at training, he asked me how many times I had won at the Camp Nou. Once, I told him.
      “He replied to me: ‘Tomorrow, we are going to win a second time’. He is a top player.”

      SIX OF THE WORST
      Barcelona may draw some inspiration from their famous 6-1 win over PSG in 2017, in which they overturned a four-goal deficit.
      However, Ronald Koeman has warned Barca fans not to expect the same this time around.
      He said: “You always have to play another game but 1-4 is very difficult because, and I could lie, but losing 4-1 at home, there’s hardly any chance of getting through.”

      COMPARING KYLIAN
      All the talk this evening has been about Kylian Mbappe and where he ranks among the best players in the world – especially when the careers of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are drawing to a close.
      And when it comes to scoring hat-tricks in the Champions League knockout stage, the young Frenchman has a head start on those two legends of the game.

      Age when scoring their first #UCL knockout hat-trick:✰ Kylian Mbappe: 22 years, 1 months, 27 days (vs. Barcelona)✰ Lionel Messi: 22 years, 9 months, 14 days (vs. Arsenal)✰ Cristiano Ronaldo: 31 years, 2 months, 7 days (vs. Wolfsburg) pic.twitter.com/fUgBM68rk8
      — Jahin (@jahin14) February 16, 2021

      BEST IN THE WORLD?
      In the BT Sport studio, Gary Lineker, Rio Ferdinand, Michael Owen and Peter Crouch have been heaping more praise on PSG’s young hot-shot.

      “Mbappe is on his own.” 📈”People forget he’s 22 years old!” 🤯”He’s the guy who’s going to take the throne.” 🤴”He’s in with a good shout for the Ballon d’Or this year.” 🥇Praise of the highest order for Mbappe! pic.twitter.com/vv1gIrxUf1
      — Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 16, 2021

      MBAPPE SHINING BRIGHTEST
      Paris Saint-Germain captain Marquinhos has also praised Kylian Mbappe for his individual brilliance this evening. Speaking to RMC Sport, the Brazilian singled out the hat-trick scorer as being the one capable of winning the big games.

      He shone and everyone is happy with his performance. When Kylian shines in the big matches, he makes the difference. He brought us this victory. As we often say, football is a team sport, but when the team is strong, it is the individuals that shine.
      MarquinhosRMC

      THE KOEM-BACK ISN’T ON
      Ronald Koeman poured cold water on Barcelona’s chances of achieving a 2017-style comeback against PSG.
      He said: “In the second half they were better and they were very effective.
      “In the first half it was a more even game.
      “There are very few chances to come back.”

      KYLIAN’S FANTASTIC FORTY
      With his hat-trick this evening, Kylian Mbappe took his Champions League goal involvements to an astonishing 40.
      In just 41 games for Monaco and PSG, the 22-year-old has now scored 24 and provided 16 assists.

      Kylian Mbappé has now been directly involved in 40 Champions League goals since making his debut in 2016-17:✰ 41 games✰ 24 goals✰ 16 assistsAn absolutely bonkers record. #UCL pic.twitter.com/Y1NQTiDZGy
      — Squawka Football (@Squawka) February 16, 2021

      VER-Y GOOD
      One PSG star who will have enjoyed today as much as anyone is Marco Verratti.
      The Italian was one of the standout poor performers during the 6-1 game four years ago, and gave away the winning free kick by needlessly fouling goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen.
      But today he was singled out for special praise by boss Mauricio Pochettino.
      Poch said: “He is a player with a very good ability to read the game.
      “He allows for us each time to have attacking possession and to bring the ball out into good situations, to better start off attacks.
      “In attacking phases, he can double his efforts and provoke situations going forward. For me, he is a truly great player.”

      LIGHTYEARS AWAY
      Arsene Wenger claims Barcelona will take three or four years to get back to a level where they can compete for the Champions League.
      He commented: “They are 1.1bn (euros) down.
      “So they have two handicaps. They need to rebuild the squad and they have no money.
      “To me it looks this is a job of three or four years for Barcelona to come back.
      “And they also have a choice to make. Do they extend Messi or not?
      “Because if they extend Messi they have no money at all for anybody else.”

      LEO BOWS OUT?
      Despite the evening starting so well with a converted penalty, Lionel Messi trudged off at the final whistle with his head bowed.
      Out of contract in the summer and with his future clouded in uncertainty, has the Barcelona captain played his last Champions League game for the Catalans at the Camp Nou?

      NO MESS-ING
      Arsene Wenger has had his say on a potential PSG move for Lionel Messi.
      And his view is very clear – when you have Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, what more do you need?

      BARC AND BITE
      Paris Saint-Germain’s 4-1 win at the Nou Camp will be particularly sweet for boss Mauricio Pochettino.
      The Argentine – a legend at Barcelona’s city rivals Espanyol – once said he’d rather work on a farm than ever manage Barca.
      In a 2018 interview, Poch commented: “I am never going to be manager of Barcelona or Arsenal because I am so identified with Tottenham and Espanyol.
      “I grew up in Newell’s Old Boys and will never manage Rosario Central.
      “That is my decision because I prefer to work on my farm in Argentina than in some places.”

      NEYMAR DELIGHT
      Injured for this evening’s encounter, Neymar has taken to Twitter to express his joy and appreciation at the exploits of his PSG teammate.

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

      KOEM OVER?
      An 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich did for Quique Setien in last year’s Champions League.
      And although this result wasn’t as humiliating, serious questions will be asked of Ronald Koeman.
      Critics of the Dutchman are already out in force after he was seen smiling at the final whistle of the 4-1 defeat to PSG.

      ANTOINE IN AWE
      Barcelona’s Antoine Griezmann was clearly disappointed at the final whistle but still found the energy and humility to praise international teammate, Kylian Mbappe. Speaking to French network RMC, the forward said his compatriot has the ability to match the very best the game has seen.

      We all need to enjoy Kylian [Mbappe], because PSG have a player who will be of the class of Leo [Messi] & Cristiano [Ronaldo]
      Antoine GriezmannRMC

      BROKEN BARCA
      It’s been another embarrassing night for Barcelona on the European stage.
      Throw in the 8-2 thumping to Bayern Munich last season, and the 3-0 defeat to Juventus earlier in this campaign, it’s clear changes are required at the Camp Nou.

      Barcelona’s 4-1 defeat to PSG was their second home defeat by three or more goals this season (also 0-3 vs Juventus).It’s as many as they suffered in their previous 20 seasons combined in all competitions. Yes, really. pic.twitter.com/PjahMiwDk0
      — The Blizzard (@blzzrd) February 16, 2021

      PAINTING A THOUSAND WORDS
      If ever a single image accurately summed up a match, and the rise of a superstar against Barcelona’s old guard, it’s this one.

      PRIDE OF PARIS
      What a night it’s been for Kylian Mbappe.
      The 22-year-old is only the third player to score a Champions League hat-trick against Barcelona following in the footsteps of Faustino Asprilla for Newcastle and Andriy Shevchenko for Dynamo Kyiv, both back in 1997.

      FT: BARCELONA 1-4 PSG
      A sensational scoreline at the Camp Nou! Kylian Mbappe and his PSG side have torn Barcelona apart to register a 4-1 first leg lead ahead of the return at Parc des Princes next month. Mbappe was the star of the show with a hat-trick while Moise Kean bagged the other, and all after Lionel Messi had fired the Catalans ahead from the penalty spot.

      PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!IT’S ALL OVER AT THE CAMP NOU!WHAT A NIGHT FOR PSG!WHAT A NIGHT FOR KYLIAN MBAPPE!

      BARCELONA 1-4 PSG
      90+4. A slight sight of goal for Martin Braithwaite, but the PSG defence and goalkeeper combine to deny the forward. It’s enough to make you wish you were back in Middlesbrough.

      BARCELONA 1-4 PSG
      90. Five minutes of stoppage time are signalled.
      Then it will be time for PSG to celebrate, and for the Barcelona inquest to begin.

      BARCELONA 1-4 PSG
      86. Wonderful from Kylian Mbappe! Wonderful from Paris Saint-Germain!
      With Barcelona throwing men forward in the hope of salvaging the tie, the visitors have picked them off in style.
      Substitute Julian Draxler does brilliantly to lead the charge, drawing the remaining defenders, and then slipping a well-weighted pass left to Mbappe.
      There’s still much for Mbappe to do, but he does it incredibly well, planting a first-time curling shot beyond Marc-Andre Ter Stegen and into the top corner. Sensational!
      It’s the first hat-trick scored by a visiting player in the Champions League since Andriy Shevchenko for Dynamo Kyiv in 1997.

      GOOOOOAAAAAALLLLL!!KYLIAN MBAPPE HAS A HAT-TRICK!!

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      RB Leipzig 0-2 Liverpool LIVE RESULT: Salah and Mane put Reds in command in Champions League

      by

      LIVERPOOL have one foot in the Champions League quarter-final after a convincing win over RB Leipzig in Budapest.
      Mo Salah and Sadio Mane both netted to give the Reds a two-goal lead to take back to Anfield.

      THANKS FOR JOINING US
      That’s all from us tonight as Liverpool put one step into the Champions League quarter finals with 2-0 ‘away’ win against RB Leipzig.
      The game may have been played in Budapest but away goals still count for Jurgen Klopp’s side, with the second leg to be played in three weeks time.
      Mo Salah opened the scoring for the Reds after capitalising on a Marcel Sabitzer error, before Sadio Mane was gifted Liverpool’s second after an equally as embarrassing mistake by Nordi Mukiele.
      Attention for the Reds now turns to Saturday’s mouthwatering Merseyside Derby clash with Everton.
      RB Leipzig meanwhile are next in action on Sunday as they travel to Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga.
      That’s all for now though.
      Thanks for joining us, it’s been a pleasure.

      JURGEN SPEAKS
      These are the full time thoughts of Jurgen Klopp:
      “It was the game we wanted [and] it was the game we needed tonight.
      “Leipzig can be a real monster, when they play in the Bundesliga they overrun teams, they are really physical, pretty much good in everything and tonight we controlled them in an exceptional way.
      “They had their moments of course with the quality they had but we played a really good game and so got the result we deserved.”

      MATCH STATS
      Here’s a look at the full time stats from Budapest.
      Liverpool had just three shots on target in the ninety minutes, but scored with two of them.
      It was a clinical performance from the Reds.

      HENDO’S ANALYSIS
      Jordan Henderson has this to say on Liverpool’s tricky period:
      “We just wanted to keep going [and] keep fighting every time we play.
      “[There’s been] a lot of difficult situations throughout the season but I think we’ve just got to keep going every single [and] take one step at a time and tonight was a good step in the right direction for us.
      “We need to continue with that performance level and if we continue that we’ll get some good results along the way.”

      FULL TIME SCENES
      A near perfect night for Liverpool in Budapest, but it’s only half time in the tie.
      The Reds host RB Leipzig at Anfield in three weeks time.

      Credit: Reuters

      HENDO’S ANALYSIS
      This is what Jordan Henderson has to say on the importance of the result:
      “Yeah it was an important game for us.
      “[A] tough game but really happy with the performance overall.
      “Obviously to score the goals as well and keep the clean sheet was important for us so overall [it was] a good night and a good performance.”

      FULL TIME
      Liverpool bounce back from just three wins in their last twelve with a well deserved victory tonight.

      A much-needed win for Jürgen Klopp and his Liverpool side 👏A 2-0 victory away from home against Leipzig puts them in a great position ahead of the return leg at Anfield! 🔴 pic.twitter.com/EppZQqVolA
      — Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 16, 2021

      WHAT A CHANCE
      Hwang Hee-Chan had a golden chance to pull a goal back for Leipzig with the last goal of the game, but could only blaze wide when one-on-one with Alisson.

      Credit: AFP or licensors

      FT: RB LEIPZIG 0-2 LIVERPOOL
      A great win for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, who take two away goals and a clean sheet back to Anfield.
      The tie is by no means over, but that couldn’t have gone much better for the Reds.

      PEEEEEEEP!
      THAT’S FULL TIME!
      RB LEIPZIG 0-2 LIVERPOOL!

      RB LEIPZIG 0-2 LIVERPOOL
      93. WHAT A CHANCE!
      They nearly were famous last words!
      Hwang Hee-Chan gets in behind Henderson after a neat ball around the corner and he’s through on goal.
      He should put it in the back of the net but can only fire wide!
      That will probably be that.

      RB LEIPZIG 0-2 LIVERPOOL
      92. Nothing to report as of yet in added time.
      This one looks like it’s going to fizzle out as a 2-0 win for the Reds.
      There is still one minute left though, could those be famous last words?

      RB LEIPZIG 0-2 LIVERPOOL
      90. Three minutes of added time are signalled by the fourth official.

      RB LEIPZIG 0-2 LIVERPOOL
      90. Liverpool substitution.
      It’s Mo Salah who’s coming off for Neco Williams as the clock ticks past ninety minutes.

      RB LEIPZIG 0-2 LIVERPOOL
      89. Neco Williams is readying himself to come on for the last couple of minutes.
      Liverpool aren’t far away from a precious clean sheet.

      RB LEIPZIG 0-2 LIVERPOOL
      87. Liverpool are seeing the game out professionally now.
      The Reds are keeping the ball well and ticking seconds off the clock.

      CLOSING STAGES
      We’re into the final five minutes in Budapest with Liverpool still leading 2-0 thanks to goals from Mo Salah and Sadio Mane.

      Credit: PA:Press Association

      RB LEIPZIG 0-2 LIVERPOOL
      84. The Reds work the corner short initially.
      The ball is eventually played into the box but Hwang Hee-Chan heads the ball away.

      RB LEIPZIG 0-2 LIVERPOOL
      83. Liverpool corner.
      Upamecano is across to block an Alexander-Arnold cross behind for a Liverpool corner.

      RB LEIPZIG 0-2 LIVERPOOL
      82. The ball bounces around in the Liverpool box after a cross by Angelino before it finally drops for Klostermann on the edge.
      He takes a wild swipe at it and slices his effort high and wide of the bar.

      RB LEIPZIG 0-2 LIVERPOOL
      81. Liverpool yellow card.
      Jordan Henderson is in the book now for tugging back Hwang Hee-Cha as he looks to get in behind.

      RB LEIPZIG 0-2 LIVERPOOL
      79. CHANCE!
      Liverpool give the ball away cheaply and Leipzig work the ball to Angelino on the left hand side of the box.
      He tries to cut across the ball and go for goal, but scuffs his effort completely.

      RB LEIPZIG 0-2 LIVERPOOL
      78. Sabitzer tries his luck from range but that’s never troubling Alisson.
      It flies three or four yards wide of the post.

      RB LEIPZIG 0-2 LIVERPOOL
      76. Leipzig yellow card.
      Dani Olmo drags Sadio Mane from behind to stop him going forward, and earns his name in the referees book.

      RB LEIPZIG 0-2 LIVERPOOL
      75. Into the final fifteen minutes in Leipzig.
      It’s nearly job done for Jurgen Klopp’s side, they’ll just be desperate to keep a clean sheet to take into the second leg.

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      Aubameyang ‘covid rule break’ EXCLUSIVE – Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, Man City, Leeds transfer news

      by

      PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG is to be investigated by Arsenal after getting a new tattoo in an alleged covid rule break.
      On the transfer front, defender Dayot Upamecano has been announced by Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.

      BET OF THE DAY: GET LIVERPOOL AT 10/1 vs LEIPZIG – PLUS MESSI AND MBAPPE 70/1 OFFER
      Read our live blog below to get the latest from around the clubs…

      JUR’LL BE OKAY
      Pep Guardiola admits he feels sympathy for his great rival Jurgen Klopp – but expects the Liverpool boss to bounce back.
      The German has had a tough start to 2021 when he lost his mother and saw his team’s title defence fall apart.
      Asked if he has empathy with the Anfield chief, he said: “A lot, what he’s done in exceptional.
      “We have good and bad moments all of us, no manager or club can sustain season after season, winning and winning, it would be boring.
      “Sometimes you have to lose, to realise. It can be so effective if you lose a little bit. I speak personally, not for my colleagues.
      “Sometimes it’s good to lose, you relaise how difficult it is. When you come back and start to win you get more credit and value for what you’ve done.
      “I said many times now and last season, previously in Germany, he makes football attractive for all spectators.
      “He wants to give joy to fans to world football, attacking football and there’s no doubts about it.”

      KARL IT AS I SEE IT
      Bayern Munich chief Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has laughed off suggestions the German giants could try to sign Lionel Messi this summer.
      The Argentina legend’s contract expires in June with Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City both desperate to secure his signature.
      But Bayern Munich won’t be in the mix.
      Rummenigge revealed it was unrealistic during an interview with Italian newspaper Correire della Sera.
      The 65-year-old said: “I laughed when I saw Messi’s contract with Barcelona.
      “I can only say congrats to him for obtaining an astronomical contract.
      “But this salary situation needs to be changed.”

      MARCED MAN
      Paris Saint-Germain star Marco Verratti wanted to join Barcelona in 2017, according to his former agent.
      The Italian’s former representative Donato Di Campli claimed the midfielder was eager to link up with Lionel Messi at the Nou Camp.
      He told French outlet L’Equipe: “When Barca contacted me, I asked Marco what we’re doing.
      “He told me to talk with them, and that we would also talk with PSG since an extension was in the pipeline. PSG was not great at the time, so I said to Marco: ‘Are we going or are we staying?’
      “He said ‘OK, let’s try another experiment’. Marco really wanted to go to Barcelona. He texted Nasser [Al-Khelaifi] to tell him, I kept it.
      “They were offering a lot of money, but it wasn’t even that. Playing with Messi, becoming a champion, which is a different thing to being a great player. PSG are one of the biggest clubs in the world, but they play in a weak league.
      “I told Marco that if he wanted to become a champion, he had to change tune.”

      RON-BELIEVABLE
      Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher have revealed their top five Premier League transfers of all-time – and have NOT included Cristiano Ronaldo.
      The Sky pundits collated their best ever signings but did not include the Portuguese megastar, despite him going on to be one of the best players of all time.
      Manchester United signed Ronaldo, 36, from Sporting Lisbon for just £17million in August 2003 and ended up selling him to Real Madrid for £85m six years later.
      Ronnie bagged 118 goals and 69 assists in 292 United appearances and left as officially the best player in the world alongside Lionel Messi.
      The duo instead opted to select Alan Shearer, Eric Cantona, Jamie Vardy, Thierry Henry and Vincent Kompany.

      CAL TO ARMS
      Duje Caleta-Car has confirmed that Liverpool were keen to sign him last month but he decided to remain at Marseille.
      The 24-year-old was heavily linked with a move to Anfield as Jurgen Klopp desperately looked to sign a centre-back due to their defensive crisis.
      Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s top-flight encounter against Nice, the Croatian told reporters: “Today, there is the Champions League, and I am going to watch the two games.
      “I received an offer from Liverpool. It was an honour for me to know that such a club wanted me.
      “We decided with the club that I was going to stay.
      “Marseille is also a great club and I still have a lot of improving to do here.”

      ON THE MOU-VE?
      Moussa Sissoko cast doubts on his Tottenham future – insisting he is wanted by several other clubs.
      Sissoko, a £30million buy from Newcastle in 2016, has two years left on his contract and has attracted interest from Fenerbahce in the past.
      He told beIN Sports: “I don’t know whether I will stay here at Tottenham. My contract expires in 2023.
      “I could tell you ‘yes,’ but we know that everything can happen very quickly in football.
      “I will try to have the best season possible with my club. Once it is over there will be the Euro 2020 finals, and I hope to be involved.
      “I will leave my agent to deal with off-the-field matters.
      “I have had calls from various other clubs. But I will remain focused on Tottenham for now.”

      UNDERDOGS
      Carlo Ancelotti admits Everton hardly have a chance when they face Manchester City – but is hoping their history of raising themselves against top teams will see them turn it on tomorrow.
      The Toffees lost at home to Fulham on Sunday but the Italian is counting on their tendency to perform better against the top sides to inspire the Merseysiders tonight.
      Ahead of playing City who have won 16 matches in a row, Ancelotti said: “You have to say we don’t have a lot of chance against Man City but we have a chance.
      “I don’t know how much chance we have to fight and to try to win, but we have chance because usually this kind of game we did really well.
      “Of course our home form we have to improve.
      “We are still in a good position on the table, not because what we did at home, because at home was not good enough.
      “The best games that we played at home were against top teams like Arsenal, like Chelsea where we won and we were really focused. I hope I will be the same against City.”

      LENO BLOCKS IT OUT
      Bernd Leno has stopped reading social media comments.
      The Arsenal goalkeeper was sickeningly told to copy Robert Enke – the German’s compatriot who committed suicide in 2009.
      Leno said: “There are so many stupid people on social media.
      “I don’t need it, it doesn’t make me better, it’s wasting time. What’s the point?”

      Bernd Leno says he stopped reading comments on social media after he was once told to copy Robert Enke, the former Germany goalkeeper who committed suicide in 2009.
      — Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) February 16, 2021

      ‘NEW CHALLENGE’
      In a press conference on Tuesday, Alaba said: “I have decided to do something new. It wasn’t an easy decision.
      “I have not yet made the decision where to go.
      “I have personally decided to see something new, to look for a new challenge. That certainly took its time.”
      On his future, Alaba continued: “It’s no secret that my agent is negotiating with other clubs.
      “I am looking for a new challenge to develop myself as a person on and off the pitch.
      “Where can I continue to play football successfully? That will certainly be important in my decision.”

      AL BE OFF
      David Alaba has confirmed he will leave Bayern Munich on a free transfer this summer.
      The Austrian superstar, 28, refused to sign a contract extension at the Bundesliga giants after claiming he was made to feel under-appreciated by a series of low-ball wage offers.
      Alaba – who is believed to be demanding £400,000 a week – is being chased by Chelsea, Man City and Real Madrid.

      Credit: Getty Images – Getty

      CONTRACT THRILLER
      Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says he is happy to put talks over his future on hold while he looks to win silverware with Manchester United.
      The Norwegian will just have one year left on his existing deal at Old Trafford by the end of the season.
      SunSport exclusively revealed last week the club would wait until the summer before they opened negotiations about a new contract.
      And the United boss has now confirmed there is nothing pencilled in yet as he chases glory on three fronts with the Red Devils.
      Solskjaer, 47, said: “I have not thought about that, and we have not discussed it at all.
      “I am just focusing on doing my job and part of the job is to stabilise things.”

      I REMEMBER JU
      Juventus have reportedly ‘contacted Zinedine Zidane’ to take over from Andrea Pirlo as manager.
      The Italian giants have now fallen eight points behind Inter Milan at the top of Serie A.
      And according to Spanish TV programme El Chiringuito, Juve are ready to make their move for Real Madrid chief Zidane.
      It would of course mean a reunion with Cristiano Ronaldo, who left Real for Juventus for £88m in 2018.
      But another option for the 48-year-old could be to succeed Didier Deschamps as boss of the France national team.

      REF WATCH
      Chris Kavanagh and Jon Moss have got the biggest gigs in the Premier League this weekend.
      Kavanagh, below, will take charge of the Merseyside derby at Anfield on Saturday tea-time.
      And then Moss is referee for Arsenal’s home clash with Manchester City the following afternoon.
      Mike Dean will be back in action, too, as he keeps Burnley and West Brom in check.

      Credit: AFP

      KINGS OF EUROPE
      Manchester City are finally set to win their first-ever Champions League crown, according to a supercomputer.
      Since being taken over by their mega-rich owners in 2008, the Etihad club have wanted to win it all – but like PSG have fallen short of winning Europe’s elite club competition.
      Man City take on Porto in their last-16 tie in their next step towards the holy grail.
      And according to FiveThirtyEight, Pep Guardiola’s side are finally set to break their European Cup duck.
      The numbers suggest absolutely no-one will put up a fight in their determined quest for ‘Old Big Ears’ either.
      Incredibly, City have a 37 PER CENT chance to winning the Champions League crown such is their current dominance.
      For context, their closest rivals are Barcelona with just a 13 per cent shot of getting their hands on the trophy.

      AL-WRIGHT AFTER ALL
      Mark Wright could return to action for Crawley tonight after his nightmare full EFL debut.
      The 34-year-old reality TV star was hooked after just 45 minutes into his first start for the club with Crawley 3-0 down to to newly-promoted Harrogate.
      But with the Red Devils facing Stevenage at home tonight, the ex-Spurs youngster may be back.
      Betway are offering 11/2 on left-back Wright to score anytime, and 14/1 on him being the first scorer in the match.
      He can also be backed at 14/1 to be the last scorer or at 80/1 to score in both halves.

      Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

      BAR-D ARRIVAL
      Barcelona fans have vented their anger towards Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi over his alleged pursuit of Lionel Messi.
      The two European giants clash in the Champions League tonight and there is clearly no love lost.
      Al-Khelaifi was met with a barrage of insults from angry Barca fans as he arrived in Spain, furious at the thought their idol Messi could join the French champs.
      The billionaire businessman was called a ‘son of a b**** thief’ while others told him to ‘let go of Messi’.

      FLAMING HELL
      Worrying scenes from the Ipswich training ground…
      Furious fans started a FIRE during a protest calling for manager Paul Lambert to be sacked.
      Their actions led to a session being halted and police are now investigating the incident.
      Supporters rocked up to to the club’s training centre and let off flares while chanting for the Scottish boss to be given the boot after one win in five and a promotion bid faltering.
      But some signage ended up catching fire, and the players were hurriedly led away.

      Ipswich fans START FIRE in protest to get Paul Lambert sacked

      MORE TO GIVE
      And Morrison revealed he would change ’90 per cent’ of his life if he could go back to his senior debut.
      The 28-year-old was one of the club’s most promising prospects when he made his debut against Wolves in the League Cup in 2010 when he was just 17.
      But he would make just two more appearances for the Red Devils before he joined West Ham in January 2012.
      “When I made my debut – words can’t describe that you know.
      “Making your debut for Man United it was only a minute as well.
      “It touches you because if I could go back in time I’d would change 90 per cent of my life.”

      CRYING SHAME
      Rio Ferdinand has claimed he was almost reduced to tears after reading Sir Alex Ferguson’s text message about Ravel Morrison.
      The BT Sport pundit was joined by his former team-mate on his FIVE YouTube channel where he read out text messages from their ex-manager.
      Ferdinand revealed that Ferguson told him Morrison’s footballing ability was on the same level as Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, but he was ultimately ‘beaten by his background’.
      He later read out a message from Fergie, as he added: “Rio, my first and last impression of Ravel as a young lad was that he has always got time and space, always available to be on the ball, so unusual for a young lad of his age.
      “Give my regards to him please. Another thing about Ravel which I’ve always treasured, because no other young player who made their debut did this.
      “After the first game in the first team that he played, the next morning he came into my office and gave me a letter, thanking me for giving him his debut.
      “I was gobsmacked Rio. The boy had a good heart, he was just beaten by his background.”
      Ferdinand admitted that the honest and open text made him emotional, as he stated: “I almost started crying.”

      ‘LOTS MORE TO COME’
      Greenwood told the club’s website: “When you join the club at seven years old, you just dream of playing for the first team one day.
      “I’ve worked so hard to reach this level and the last two years have been amazing.
      “There is so much that I want to achieve in the game and I know that this is the perfect environment to play my football.
      “With the support from the manager, his coaching staff and so many great players to learn from; I know that I am developing every single day.
      “There is a lot more to come from myself and this team and I am so committed to working hard week in, week out to help the group achieve success.
      “I want to repay the club for the support that everyone has given me over the years and show everyone just what I am capable of.”

      BREAKING NEWS
      A bit of breaking news for you…
      Mason Greenwood has signed a new long-term deal at Manchester United.
      The 19-year-old has penned a bumper four-year contract to stay at Old Trafford until June 2025, with the option to extend for a further year.

      Credit: Getty Images – Getty

      NEXT AT SPURS?
      Brendan Rodgers is the 2/1 favourite to replace Jose Mourinho following another Tottenham defeat.
      The 3-0 loss to Man City is Spurs’ fifth defeat in six games in all competitions.
      And Mourinho’s future is under scrutiny with fans frustrated with his style of football – especially with results now not going their way.
      Next Tottenham manager odds – Betfair
      Brendan Rodgers 2/1
      Eddie Howe 5/1
      Max Allegri 8/1
      Rafael Benitez 10/1
      BETFAIR BET £5 GET £20*
      Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. Begambleaware.org

      GONE LIKE ‘PHON
      Staying with Bayern Munich and how about this from Musiala’s team-mate Alphonso Davies?!
      The flying full-back clocked a staggering speed of 35.6 km/h going into a brave challenge last night in the comeback 3-3 draw against Arminia.
      And he even did it in the SNOW – as fans joked the Canadian was used to running in the cold stuff.
      To top it off, Davies scored this thunderbolt to rescue a point for the Bundesliga leaders.

      IN A JAM
      Bayern Munich are reportedly set to end rumours over Jamal Musiala’s future by tying him down to a bumper new £100k-a-week five-year deal.
      The 17-year-old left Chelsea’s academy for the Bundesliga side in 2019 and has burst on to the scene this season.
      The England Under-21 international is still currently on a youth contract and has caught the attention of Manchester United.
      Premier League rivals Liverpool are also interested in the winger – but now The Guardian claims Bayern are close to ending any uncertainty about their starlet.
      They began negotiations over a new deal in December and now he is believed to be on the verge of penning an incentivised contract, running until 2026, when he turns 18 on February 26.
      And although the basic salary will be lower than the three-figure mark, it could rise to that if he meets certain goals.

      Credit: Getty Images – Getty

      FREE WILL
      Luis Suarez could leave Atletico Madrid on a FREE this summer.
      But the Uruguay goal machine wants to stay in the Spanish capital after hitting the ground running.
      The 34-year-old striker signed a two-year deal after joining from LaLiga rivals Barcelona last summer.
      And, according to Marca, he has a clause in his contract that lets him leave for nothing at the end of the campaign if he wants to.
      But the report adds that Suarez – LaLiga’s top scorer with 16 in 18 – has no intention of triggering it with Atletico top of the league and on course to win the Spanish league.

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      Chelsea 2 Newcastle 0 LIVE REACTION: Timo Werner ends goal drought as Blues make it five wins in a row – latest updates

      by

      CHELSEA overcame a tough Newcastle side at Stamford Bridge with a 2-0 victory thanks to goals from Olivier Giroud and Timo Werner.
      The German hadn’t scored since November in the league but tapped home to nab his fifth Premier League goal of the season.
      RESULT: Chelsea 2-0 Newcastle
      Chelsea XI: Kepa, Azpilicueta, Christensen, Rudiger, Hudson-Odoi, Jorginho, Kovacic, Mount, Alonso, Abraham, Werner
      Newcastle XI: Darlow, Krafth, Lascelles, Clark, Lewis, Hayden, Shelvey, Willock, Almiron, Saint-Maximin, Gayle

      Follow ALL the action with our live blog below…

      THAT’S ALL FOR TONIGHT
      Thomas Tuchel’s Blues rain on West Ham’s parade, knocking the Hammers off 4th spot.
      As for Newcastle, it’s going to be a hard fought end to the season – with Bruce’s men sat seven points above 18th place Fulham, but the Cottagers have a game in hand.
      That’s all from me, goodnight!

      TUCHEL SPEAKS
      Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel gave his assessment to Sky Sports after the game: “I liked the first half. We played with courage and a lot of purpose in the box.
      “We had a lot of shots and managed to keep them away from our box. I liked that a lot.
      “Our decision-making in the box can be more deadly, more precise, more decisive.
      “The second half, we gave away shots, lost duels, suddenly there were corners against us.
      “We played too many balls back. We did not keep the advantage to put the game into the opponent’s half.
      “Our counter attacks were also not clinical enough to score a third goal and finish the game.”

      Credit: Getty Images

      ABOUT TIMO
      THOMAS TUCHEL has only been in charge for Chelsea 20 days so he is still in the honeymoon stage with Roman Abramovich.
      But already, the new man at Stamford Bridge has helped the club leapfrog Arsenal, Aston Villa, Everton, Spurs, West Ham and Liverpool to claim fourth place in the Premier League.
      Tuchel has even got Timo Werner scoring again after 100 days and 1000 minutes without a goal.
      And maybe even more impressively, Tuchel has been able to stick Kepa back in goal for a League game without it turning ito a complete and utter disaster.
      So, as starts go, it has been a decent one for Tuchel.  A fifth successive win in all competitions was certainly never in doubt last night once substitute Olivier Giroud and Werner struck in the first half.
      Read More Chelsea 2 Newcastle 0: Match Report

      TIMO SPEAKS
      Goal-scorer Timo Werner spoke to Sky Sports after the game: “The first half was really good from us.
      “We played a lot of very good football. I’m happy that I scored finally!
      “There’s still a long way to go for the rest of the season, but if we keep going like this, I think it will be a good end for us.
      “As a striker you always want to score. But at the end it’s a team sport, and if we win it is good.
      “If I help my team with assists, by winning penalties, and now scoring, I am happy and very glad I scored today.
      “My team brought me a lot of situations when I could score.
      “It is really important for us to reach the Champions League, to reach for the top four, but look for next year as well.”

      HIGH-FLYING BLUES
      Professional performance indeed.

      FULL-TIME STATS
      Chelsea brushed Newcastle aside tonight – dominating possession for the full 90.
      The Blues had more touches in the opposition penalty area, more shots target, and completed more passes than Newcastle.

      FT: CHELSEA 2-0 NEWCASTLE
      Chelsea climb into the top four thanks to goals from Giroud and Werner, leapfrogging Liverpool and West Ham.
      Newcastle didn’t really give the Blues a run for their money, and as a consequence, they stay in 17th.
      They remain seven points ahead of 18th place Fulham, BUT……… Scott Parker’s side have a game in hand.

      PEEEEEEEEEEP!
      THE FULL-TIME WHISTLE GOES AT STAMFORD BRIDGE!

      CHELSEA 2-0 NEWCASTLE
      90+2. Kante commits a foul on Lewis on the edge of the Newcastle penalty area.

      CHELSEA 2-0 NEWCASTLE
      90. Three minutes to be added on at the end of the second half, Newcastle have simply ran out of time to stage a comeback!
      Chelsea will move into 4th place in the Premier League, leapfrogging Liverpool and West Ham.

      CHELSEA 2-0 NEWCASTLE
      87. Carroll throws his weight about in typical Carroll fashion and concedes a free-kick in a promising area.
      Not long left to go.

      CHELSEA 2-0 NEWCASTLE
      85. Shelvey picks out Almiron inside the Chelsea penalty are with a quick free-kick.
      The forward tries to get a shot off, but it deflects off a Blues defender and behind for a Magpies corner.

      CHELSEA 2-0 NEWCASTLE
      83. Chelsea are holding onto the ball well inside the final ten minutes – will they score a third and put the game to bed?

      Credit: Getty Images

      CHELSEA 2-0 NEWCASTLE
      81. CHANCE!
      Carroll wins the flick-on, Lascelles plays a lovely back heel over the top of the Chelsea defence.
      Almiron is the man to latch onto Lascelles pass, but he slashes his effort wide of the near post!

      CHELSEA 2-0 NEWCASTLE
      79. Carrol is on for Willock, one last roll of the dice from Steve Bruce.

      CHELSEA 2-0 NEWCASTLE
      78. SAVE!
      Kante drives Chelsea forward through the middle of the pitch before playing the ball wide to James on the right-hand side.
      James takes the ball into the penalty area and drives a low effort towards the near post, but Darlow saves with his feet!
      Both substitutes nearly combine for Chelsea’s third.

      CHELSEA 2-0 NEWCASTLE
      76. James is on for Hudson-Odoi to see out the final 15 minutes or so – it’s been a good shift from the Chelsea youngster.

      Credit: Getty Images

      CHELSEA 2-0 NEWCASTLE
      73. That’s more like it!
      Fraser – who has just come on for Saint-Maximin – delivers a cross into the box from the left-hand side.
      Willock times a late run into the box and rises highest to send a header goal-bound.
      But Kepa does well to sprawl across his line and tip the ball wide!

      CHELSEA 2-0 NEWCASTLE
      72. Just under 20 minutes left in the second half, and Newcastle have barely troubled Kepa.

      CHELSEA 2-0 NEWCASTLE
      70. Werner gets in behind Newcastle’s backline and drives into the penalty area.
      The German goes to ground after being pushed by Newcastle captain Lascelles.
      No penalty is given, and it appears Newcastle have gotten away with that one!

      CHELSEA 2-0 NEWCASTLE
      69. Kante is on in place of Mount, who has put in a real shift tonight!
      And for Newcastle, Fraser is being given his final instructions and he’ll be on shortly.

      CHELSEA 2-0 NEWCASTLE
      68. Chelsea spread play out wide to Alonso on the left-hand side, and the left-back floats a cross into the penalty area.
      Giroud pulls off a bicycle kick, but his effort is easy for Darlow to save.

      CHELSEA 2-0 NEWCASTLE
      68. Kante is putting his Chelsea shirt on and he’ll be out on the pitch shortly.

      TURBO TIMO
      Timo Werner has been a constant threat for Chelsea tonight! The German has been driving the Blues forward at every given opportunity!

      Credit: Getty Images

      CHELSEA 2-0 NEWCASTLE
      64. Kovacic plays the ball wide to Hudson-Odoi and the youngster drives into the Newcastle penalty area.
      The youngster drills a cross across the face of goal, but Newcastle clear the ball behind for a Blues corner.

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      Arsenal ‘to offer Luiz new deal’, Man Utd draw reaction, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, Man City and Leeds transfer news

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      ARSENAL beat Leeds 4-2 while Manchester United drew 1-1 with West Brom in the Premier League on Sunday.
      On the transfer front, in-demand Dayot Upamecano has signed for Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.

      BET OF THE DAY: GET THE BEST FOOTBALL PRICES ON THE MARKET WITH OUR EXPERT ADVICE
      Read our live blog below to get the latest from around the clubs…

      POSITIVE STEP
      Premier League Covid positives fell to a new season low last week.
      Just two out of 2,915 tests across the 20 clubs gave positive results.
      It is the lowest number this season and further indicates the success of the Prem’s enhanced Covid measures introduced last month.
      Premier League chiefs have confirmed there were no positives from the first round of 1,428 tests between Monday and Thursday.
      The two positives came from the second round of 1,487 tests of players and staff across the 20 clubs.

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      BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
      Barcelona host Paris Saint-Germain in a tasty-looking Champions League clash on Tuesday night – with their combined XI worth a staggering £536million.
      We take a look at a combined XI of Barcelona and PSG stars, worth over half a billion pounds.
      But who makes the cut in terms of pure value? Check out the team below…

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      DIO NO-GO
      Man Utd’s Diogo Dalot may have scuppered the chance of landing a permanent move to AC Milan.
      The defender was fiercely criticised for his disastrous performance in the loss to lowly Spezia over the weekend. 
      The Italian media did not hold back assessing his display, with Milan Live saying he had a ‘largely negative performance, which was rejected by everyone’.
      But that was tame compared to others, with Milan News describing his display as ‘disastrous’ and ‘horrible’ while Sky Italia pundit Stefano De Grandis dubbed him ‘the worst’ player in the game.
      He added: “It is not the first time that Dalot has not shown himself up to par.
      “Apart from the San Siro match against Europa League opponents Sparta Prague, in which he scored a goal and an assist, his performances have never been really positive.”

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      NEW BALLS PLEASE
      New Champions League and Premier League balls have been released for the conclusion of the 2020-21 season.
      Adidas’ Finale Istanbul 21 – named after the host city of May’s Champions League final – celebrates the 20th anniversary of the iconic ‘starball’ design, synonymous with memorable big European nights over the years.
      The new ball subtly features every design from the last 20 Champions League finals, and the year and city of each final is written in a thin red strip on the corresponding panel.
      Meanwhile, the latest Nike Flight football features the old-school Total 90 ring famously used in the Premier League between 2004 and 2006.
      It also incorporates Nike’s AerowSculpt technology, used in the two previous models this term with 634 goals scored so far.

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      BATTLE RED-Y
      Jurgen Klopp has denied rumours he has quit Liverpool after insisting: ‘I don’t need a break.’
      He said: “I don’t need a break. I am fully of energy, honestly. I see an interesting challenge.
      “We will sort it by playing football, we will sort it together by fighting with all we have. That’s the plan.
      “Nobody has to worry about me.”

      PAUL OVER?
      Paul Merson has insisted Liverpool will be title contenders NEXT season.
      Writing for Sky Sports, the pundit said: “They will be back, 100 per cent.
      “As soon as Van Dijk is back, this is a different team. I have no doubt about that.
      “I still think next season, they will be the team to beat. If everyone is back fit, it’s 50-50 for me, heads or tails with City for the title.”

      Credit: PA:Press Association

      STICKY RICE
      West Ham star Declan Rice claimed he was taught a ‘big lesson’ when he came up against Liverpool’s Thiago Alcantara.
      The England international told BBC Radio Five Live: “When I played against Thiago the other day for Liverpool, obviously he is a holding midfielder, it was a big lesson.
      “He ran the game. The ball was like on a string.
      “It was like he dictated the tempo of the game and he has been there and done that.”

      ED IN THE GAME
      Arsenal have been told that transfer target Odsonne Edouard could be available for a cut-price £15million this summer.
      The Gunners were interested in a move for the French striker last summer but were put off by the Hoop’s £40m valuation.
      Edouard is in the final 18 months of his contract in Scotland with Celtic forced to sell to avoid losing him for nothing.
      Former Parkhead star Andy Walker told the Scottish Football Podcast: “It all depends on how much they’re willing to accept, but if they got anything around £15m now I think you’re absolutely doing business.”

      Credit: Kenny Ramsay – The Sun Glasgow

      RAM RAID
      Sergio Ramos definitely WILL leave Real Madrid when his contract ends in June as there’s ‘no way back’ for him at Los Blancos.
      Spanish journalist Josep Pedrerol claiming the star is going to exit the Bernabeu amid interest from Manchester united and PSG.
      Pedrerol told El Chiringuito: “Sergio Ramos is leaving Real Madrid. I don’t think there’s any possibility of him staying. There’s no way back.
      “Real Madrid believe it’s a fact and believe that Ramos deserves to sign for whatever team he wants to earn one last big contract before finishing his career.
      “In these circumstances, Real Madrid won’t offer him more money.”

      Credit: Getty Images – Getty

      LEAVE OF ABSENCE
      Fernando Torres has stepped away from his Atletico coaching role for ‘personal reasons’, reports say.
      The ex-Liverpool and Chelsea striker has been working with Atletico Madrid’s B team.
      And reports in Spain state the 36-year-old has asked for short-term leave.
      Diario AS say the former Spain forward’s absence is ‘due to personal reasons’.

      Credit: EPA

      FLIPPIN’ HECK
      Iranian centre-back Nader Mohammadi has left fans stunned after his somersault throw-in from his own half won his side a corner.
      The 23-year-old pulled out the acrobatic move during Pakyan’s 1-0 defeat against Persepolis in the Persian Gulf Pro League on Sunday.
      Mohammadi incredibly hurled the ball into the box from the halfway line, with the opposition’s goalkeeper Hamed Lak forced to punch the ball behind.
      However his efforts were in vain as his side failed to get back in the match, with Pakyan remaining 11th in the table.

      MOUR TO PAY
      Jose Mourinho would reportedly be entitled to a significant payout if he is sacked by Tottenham with no break clause in his contract.
      The Athletic claim the Portuguese signed a deal to stay at Spurs until the summer of 2023, with no exit option for either side.
      The report adds that Daniel Levy is not considering replacing Mourinho with the absence of a break clause indicating their long-term plans.
      The Special One — who is among the highest-earning managers in football — would command a huge fee should the club change its mind.

      FAB RETURN
      Liverpool are sweating on Fabinho’s fitness ahead of a tricky Champions League clash against Leipzig.
      The Reds travel to neutral territory in Budapest for their last 16 first leg tie on Tuesday night.
      And Jurgen Klopp’s men hope Brazilian Fabinho returns in defence after a defensive calamity.
      Here’s how SunSport’s Sunni Upal thinks Liverpool will start the match…

      THE SACK RACE
      Jurgen Klopp is odds-on favourite to be the next Premier League manager to leave his position, according to Paddy Power.
      The German tactician was the LEAST likely boss to be axed at the beginning of the season having guided Liverpool to their first league title since 1990.
      But he’s now the MOST likely at 8/15 after capitulating against Leicester on Saturday.
      Liverpool are now fourth in the division 13 points behind leaders Manchester City, who have a game in hand.

      Credit: Reuters

      AL STAR
      Manchester City are prepared to offer David Alaba a whopping £370k-a-week deal, according to reports.
      Pep Guardiola’s side are looking to hijack Real Madrid’s attempts to sign the Bayern star.
      And Spanish outlet AS say City are willing to meet Alaba’s demands in the middle with a £370k-a-week contract offer.
      But ESPN claim that the Austria international is holding out for £400k-a-week.

      Credit: AP:Associated Press

      GET WELL SOON
      Portsmouth will be without boss Kenny Jackett for a short period from Thursday while he undergoes a ‘medical procedure’.
      His No2 Joe Gallen will take charge of first-team affairs on a caretaker basis, assisted by first-team coach Jake Wigley.
      It is not known exactly how long Jackett will be off work for.
      The League One promotion chasers announced yesterday he will not be at matches or training procedures while he rests and recuperates.

      PORT OF CALL
      England could be set for a ‘tug-of-war’ with Portugal for Ezri Konsa.
      The 23-year-old defender has shone for in-form Aston Villa to help them up to eighth in the Premier League.
      He is well-known to the FA already having been part of the Three Lions’ 2017 Under-20 World Cup-winning squad and he has also been capped at U21 level.
      He is also eligible for a number of other nations, including DR Congo and Angola.
      But The Athletic claims they have ‘learned he would also be eligible to turn out for Portugal’ and that they ‘are following him closely’ ahead of this summer’s European Championship.

      Credit: Getty Images – Getty

      CAN’T ADAM AND EVE IT
      Tony Adams has slammed the club’s loan signing of Martin Odegaard as well as the acquisitions of Willian and Nicolas Pepe.
      He told Premier League Productions: “To be honest, there’s an argument that you don’t need Martin Odegaard.
      “I got so annoyed that we bought Pepe and Willian in when you’ve got two kids [Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka] bursting into the team.
      ‘There’s other areas in the team that you could look at, there’s holes in that team, we saw how fragile they are defensively. The defence has always been the weak link.”

      LEAGUE OF HIS OWN
      Rio Ferdinand reckons Jack Grealish is the BEST player in the Premier League right now.
      Rio was asked by fellow BT Sport pundit Robbie Savage which Prem star he’d pay to watch.
      And Ferdinand responded: “Grealish. I love watching him.”
      Before he added: “Grealish is the best player in the league right now, on form. He’s been the best player this season.”

      Credit: AFP

      PIERRE PRESSURE
      Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored his 200th league goal on Sunday.
      Only six players have scored more since the Arsenal captain’s 2009 debut.
      Despite going ice-cold for much of the 2020-21 campaign, Aubameyang is still incredibly the seventh-highest goal-getter since his league debut in 2009.
      Since making his first Big Five league start with Lille, Aubameyang has scored 201 top-flight goals.

      HELPING HEND
      Joey Barton claims Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson ‘is not even in the same stratosphere’ as Steven Gerrard.
      Speaking on Robbie Fowler’s podcast, he said: “I’ve played against Jordan loads of times. He’s done incredible, but he wasn’t Stevie Gerrard.
      “He’s not even in the same stratosphere as Stevie Gerrard, but will be talked about as a Liverpool great for what he’s done.”

      Credit: PA:Press Association

      SUN EXCLUSIVE
      Riyad Mahrez’s wife asked cops “don’t you like to party?” as they raided a London home for breaching Covid rules.
      Video footage shows Covidiot model Rita Johal, 28, surrounded by officers as they served her a fine for partying at the flat in London.
      The model was with at least half a dozen people at the property on Friday night in videos she uploaded to her half a million Instagram followers.
      They show at least ten Metropolitan Police officers quizzing the revellers as Rita asks them: “Guys is this what life is? Don’t you guys like to party anymore, guys?”
      A female officer can be heard telling her: “Not during lockdown.”

      KANT GO WRONG
      Thomas Tuchel could reshuffle his side for the clash against Newcastle as Chelsea look to climb back into the top four.
      Following Liverpool’s defeat to Leicester on Saturday, the Blues know that victory on Monday night will see them leapfrog the Reds into fourth spot.
      And should the West London outfit beat the Magpies, they will also trail second-placed Manchester United by just four points.
      Here’s how SunSport reporter Jake Lambourne thinks the Blues will start…

      FOR KEEPS
      Gary Neville says Manchester United MUST sort out their goalkeeper situation amid doubts over David De Gea’s future.
      He told the Webby and O’Neill YouTube channel:  “There’s a real problem brewing for Ole in the next few months. He has Henderson issues building behind De Gea. 
      “There comes a point where (De Gea) is making mistakes too regularly. Man United need to win a title, no team can win a title without a great goalkeeper. 
      “David De Gea was a great goalkeeper, but it’s not just the mistakes he’s making – the saves are less. He’s not the same level he has been.”

      ‘REAL TALENT’
      Arsenal legend Tony Adams has compared Emile Smith Rowe to Robert Pires.
      He told Premier League productions: “Smith Rowe has picked Aubameyang out for that goal.
      “The kid’s got talent, he’s got feet like Robert Pires. Pires could run faster with the ball than I could without the ball.
      “Smith Rowe has got real talent. He plays everything with one touch. He’s intelligent and seems to know where the ball is going before he even receives it.”

      Credit: Getty Images – Getty

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      Arsenal 4 Leeds 2 LIVE REACTION: Aubameyang scores hat-trick as Bielsa’s men fail in late comeback – latest updates

      by

      ARSENAL produced a thrilling performance to overcome a stern Leeds side at the Emirates in which Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored a hat-trick in a 4-2 win.
      Hector Bellerin also scored for the Gunners while Pascal Struijk and Helder Costa scored consolations for the visitors.
      RESULT: Arsenal 4-2 Leeds
      Arsenal XI: Leno, Bellerin, Luiz, Gabriel, Cedric, Ceballos, Xhaka, Odegaard, Smith-Rowe, Saka, Aubameyang
      Leeds XI: Meslier, Ayling, Cooper, Struijk, Alioski, Harrison, Shackleton, Klich, Dallas, Raphinha, Bamford

      Follow ALL the action with our live blog below…
      Betting: Back Patrick Bamford to score any time at 40/1

      GOODNiGHT FROM NORTH LONDON
      Roses are redViolets are blueArsenal bagged fourWhile Leeds managed two
      There certainly was plenty of love shown to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on this Valentine’s Day – not least by the Leeds defence and goalkeeper during a dismal first half display from visitors.
      Recalled to the first team, the Arsenal captain bagged his first Premier League hat-trick as Mikel Arteta’s men raced into a four-goal lead inside 47 minutes at the Emirates Stadium.
      However, if there’s one club that don’t know when they’re beaten, it’s Leeds – and if there’s one club that can make hard work of a four-goal lead, it’s Arsenal – so it was no surprise to see the Yorkshire club rally late on.
      Their two-goal response threatened a sensational comeback, but the Gunners stood up to the challenge for a most welcome win.
      The result was enough to lift Arsenal above their opponents and into the top half of the table, and all the while setting Mikel Arteta’s men up nicely for their visit to Benfica on Thursday.
      For Leeds, it may feel like another heavy defeat, and another pointless trip to London, but they can take heart in the knowledge that it’s one they will definitely be making again next season.
      Thanks for reading and goodbye.

      UPBEAT ARTETA
      A delighted Mikel Arteta has praised his side for their performance against a Leeds side that never lost heart, and signalled out his captain for making a triumphant return to action.

      I’m very pleased with the result and very happy with the performance – especially in the first half – against a fantastic team that make it very hard for you.
      Mikel Arteta

      “If there is a team in the Premier League who are never going to give up – it’s Leeds”Mikel Arteta was thrilled with how Arsenal held off a second half fightback at the Emirates pic.twitter.com/OVioMCSDYE
      — Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 14, 2021

      PIERRE-HAT-TRICK AUBAMEYANG
      Arsenal skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has endured a difficult season but he marked his return to the starting line-up today with his first Premier League hat-trick. After the game, he paid tribute to his family, his club and the Arsenal fans for helping him through a bleak period.

      I’m really happy and my kids are going to be happy too because they’ll get [the match ball]. It means a lot to me. It’s been a tough time for me but now it’s time to get the smile back, win games and score goals. Everyone has given me a lot of love. I’m really proud to be part of this family.
      Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

      FULL TIME STATS
      As exciting and intriguing a game as when these sides met at Elland Road earlier in the season. Only this time with added goals.

      FT: ARSENAL 4-2 LEEDS
      A first Premier League hat-trick from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang help Arsenal into the top half of the table at the expense of their opponents. The Gunners were given a late scare as Leeds fought back from 4-0 down, but held on for a first win in four.

      PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!THE FINAL WHISTLE GOES AT THE EMIRATES!

      ARSENAL 4-2 LEEDS
      90+5. Dallas is booked for scything down Aubameyang as the Arsenal forward threatened to counter from a Leeds corner.
      It’s late, it’s cynical and it should mean the end of the game.

      Incredible yellow card from Dallas, unbelievably satisfying
      — Dan (@lufc_dan) February 14, 2021

      ARSENAL 4-2 LEEDS
      90+3. Shackleton nearly finds himself in on goal after a wonderful pass from Roberts, but somehow – more through luck than judgement – Cedric manages deny the Leeds man.

      ARSENAL 4-2 LEEDS
      90+2. They say subs change games but it’s not always for the better…

      Willian has lost possession with five of his 10 touches since coming on in the 62nd minute against Leeds.
      — Squawka Football (@Squawka) February 14, 2021

      ARSENAL 4-2 LEEDS
      90+1. In the first minute of stoppage time, Leeds are guilt tripped into putting an attack out of play with Aubameyang down injured in the other half of the field.
      The hat-trick hero was accidentally caught on the calf by Ayling’s studs.

      ARSENAL 4-2 LEEDS
      90. Ayling launches a long, hopeful ball forward as the clock strikes 90 minutes.
      There will be an additional four minutes of stoppage time to be played.

      ARSENAL 4-2 LEEDS
      88. Defensive reinforcements for Mikel Arteta. Rob Holding is on to shore up the back-line in these final stages, replacing Dani Ceballos.

      ARSENAL 4-2 LEEDS
      87. Cedric tries his luck with a swerving shot from distance.
      It should be a routine stop for Meslier, but given his day so far, perhaps Leeds fans should be grateful for his dramatic parry away.

      ARSENAL 4-2 LEEDS
      85. David Luiz to Arsenal’s rescue. The much-maligned defender is in the right place to clear off the toes of Bamford following good build-up play from Huggins and Ayling.
      A third goal for Leeds there and it would have been panic stations in the home ranks.

      ARSENAL 4-2 LEEDS
      83. Saka! Post!
      Excellent stuff from the teenager, who plays a one-two with Willian, before racing in on goal and sliding a shot on to the base of the post.
      Replays show that the Arsenal youngster was offside in the build-up so it wouldn’t have counted.

      ARSENAL 4-2 LEEDS
      80. Costa and Roberts haven’t been in the best of form lately, but there can be no doubting that their arrival helped turn this game – after that initial opening minute of the second half when they combined to set up Arsenal’s fourth.

      ARSENAL 4-2 LEEDS
      78. Another change for the hosts. Martin Odegaard’s steady first start in the Premier League is over, and it will be Willian trusted to see out this one.

      ARSENAL 4-2 LEEDS
      76. Straight up the other end, and Aubameyang is presented with a chance to kill off the comeback but strikes the crossbar with his first time effort.
      The visitors are leaving bigger and bigger gaps at the back, and you feel Arsenal may just exploit them on the break.

      ARSENAL 4-2 LEEDS
      75. Excellent football from the visitors sees Bamford race into the box, only to go down under pressure from Cedric and Gabriel.
      The Leeds forward wants a penalty, but Stuart Atwell is not interested – and neither are the VAR officials.

      ARSENAL 4-2 LEEDS
      71. This is a worry for Leeds fans.
      Instrumental to this recovery, Raphinha has now gone down injured and appears in some discomfort.
      The visitors have already made their three substitutions so there is an anxious wait while the winger receives treatment.
      Thankfully, he is given the green light to continue.

      ARSENAL 4-2 LEEDS
      69. Well, well, well…
      Raphinha catches Hector Bellerin napping with a through ball for Tyler Roberts, and the forward keeps his cool to pull a pass back from the touchline for fellow substitute Helder Costa.
      The Portuguese international keeps his cool by lifting a first time shot beyond Bernd Leno, and with just over 20 minutes to play, the deficit is cut to two.

      GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLL!!HELDER COSTA GETS LEEDS’ SECOND!!

      ARSENAL 4-1 LEEDS
      66. A half-chance for Raphinha.
      Ceballos gives the ball away on the edge of his own box, allowing Leeds to spring into action.
      Roberts quickly moves play on to Raphinha on the left, only for the Brazilian to drag his shot wide of Leno’s far post.

      ARSENAL 4-1 LEEDS
      64. Raphinha looks for Struijk again with another corner. This time, however, the Arsenal defence stay alert to the danger and manage to clear their lines.

      ARSENAL 4-1 LEEDS
      63. A great chance for Bellerin to bag his second and Arsenal’s fifth.
      The right-back runs on to Odegaard’s pass in acres of space, but takes an awful first touch that sees him dispossessed by Dallas.

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      West Brom 1 Man Utd 1 LIVE REACTION: Red Devils scupper chance to close gap on title rivals Man City – latest updates

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      MANCHESTER UNITED missed the chance to close the gap on Premier League title rivals Manchester City with a frustrating 1-1 draw away at West Brom.
      Bruno Fernandes equalised after Mbayne Diagne scored early in the first half for the Baggies.
      RESULT: West Brom 1-1 Man Utd
      West Brom XI: Johnstone, Peltier, Ajayi, Bartley, Townsend, Yokuslu, Gallagher, Maitland-Niles, Snodgrass, Diagne, Perira
      Man Utd XI: De Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw, Fred, McTominay, Bruno Fernandes, Martial, Rashford, Cavani.

      Follow ALL of the latest updates below…

      UNITED CAPTAIN SPEAKS
      Harry Maguire says: “We created a lot of chances – enough to win the game- but we made it tough for ourselves by conceding a goal. For me, that was a foul.
      “At the end, I felt we almost had it, but it’s a great save by Sam to be fair.
      “We felt we deserved more, we dominated the game. It’s disappointing.
      “We created chances and in the second half played with better tempo.
      “For sure, we need to improve.”

      ALL SQUARE
      An uneventful afternoon at the Hawthorns saw West Brom get a much needed point.
      The gap at the top increases, as United fail to test Johnstone.

      FT: WEST BROM 1-1 MAN UTD 

      WEST BROM 1-1 MAN UTD 
      94. There’s very little happening in the final few minutes, before Johnstone rattles the post with a save.
      Maguire greets a Shaw cross and attempts to head it downwards, but Johnstone reacts quickly and tips the ball away.

      WEST BROM 1-1 MAN UTD 
      92. Fernandes has a shot from at least 20 yards out.
      It’s on target, but doesn’t test Johnstone.

      WEST BROM 1-1 MAN UTD 
      90. Five additional minutes at the Hawthorns.

      WEST BROM 1-1 MAN UTD 
      88. Rashford is taking out by Diagne and he sees yellow for the tackle.
      VAR review it as Diagne seemed to slide his studs down Rashford’s calf, but check is complete and it’s left at a yellow.

      WEST BROM 1-1 MAN UTD 
      87. CHANCE! Phillips gets straight into the action as he races down the right wing with the ball.
      He sends a delicious ball into the centre of the box and picks apart United’s defence with it.
      Diagne then leans back a little too far and blazes it over the bar.

      WEST BROM 1-1 MAN UTD 
      86. Sam Allardyce makes his final change as Phillips replaces Snodgrass.

      WEST BROM 1-1 MAN UTD 
      85. Fernandes chooses not to shoot, instead he clips it to Maguire at the far post.
      The United captain fails to get in front of Townsend and nothing comes of it.
      You can’t help but think a shot would have been a better shout there.

      WEST BROM 1-1 MAN UTD 
      84. Snodgrass sees yellow for taking out Rashford on the edge of the area.
      He’s raging at the decision as he knows how deadly Fernandes can be from here.

      WEST BROM 1-1 MAN UTD 
      81. United haven’t really tested West Brom’s keeper this evening, despite dominating possession.
      They’ve failed to get the ball into the box and even when they have, it’s been dealt with well by the Baggies’ defence.

      WEST BROM 1-1 MAN UTD 
      81. Van De Beek gets a run out as he replaces Fred.
      Can he help lift United to a win?

      WEST BROM 1-1 MAN UTD 
      79. Maitland-Niles is booked for taking out Fernandes.

      WEST BROM 1-1 MAN UTD 
      78. De Gea saves United’s blushes with an impressive save as Diagne almost gets his second.
      Diagne and Maguire collide in the box and the United captain seemed to come off worse.
      Pawson doesn’t blow his whistle and the West Brom forward finds himself one-on-one with De Gea.
      De Gea’s outstretched body denies the first attempt, he recovers quickly and bats away the rebound before Diagne can get his head to it.

      WEST BROM 1-1 MAN UTD 
      Here’s the overturned penalty decision.

      WEST BROM 1-1 MAN UTD 
      74. Van De Beek is ushered down from the stands.
      Will he get his time to shine?

      WEST BROM 1-1 MAN UTD 
      74. Townsend is down after colliding with Wan-Bissaka.
      The West Brom man seemed to leave his leg outstretched to halt Wan-Bissaka, but they appear to have collided heads.

      WEST BROM 1-1 MAN UTD 
      73. West Brom have done a lot of defending today, will tired legs and minds mean United get their second?
      Once more, United are working the ball well around the box, but can’t seem to do much with their final pass.

      WEST BROM 1-1 MAN UTD 
      70. Towsend breaks up United’s charge and West Brom counter.
      The ball gets played wide to Maitland-Niles who tries to sweep the ball to Diagne in the centre of the box.
      It’s overcooked but De Gea chases it out just to be sure.

      WEST BROM 1-1 MAN UTD 
      68. United’s corner is delivered into the box with plenty of loft by Shaw.
      Cavani nods the ball across the box to Greenwood who tries to slot the ball into the far corner but it’s cleared.
      The ball falls to McTominay at the top of the box who tries to drill it home, but it’s cleared on the line.
      The Baggies can breathe a sigh of relief.

      WEST BROM 1-1 MAN UTD 
      67. Fernandes is barking instructions at his team-mates and conducting their moves from the top of the D.
      United have enjoyed a spell of possession around the box, but are once again struggling to find space.

      WEST BROM 1-1 MAN UTD 
      66. West Brom also make their change.
      Yokuslu’s debut comes to an end as he’s replaced by Livermore.

      WEST BROM 1-1 MAN UTD 
      64. Greenwood is called up as Martial makes way.
      The Frenchman hasn’t managed to have much of an impact this afternoon.

      WEST BROM 1-1 MAN UTD 
      64. Maguire went to the ground a little too easily.
      The United captain isn’t protesting too much, he knew there wasn’t much contact.

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      Arsenal vs Leeds LIVE: Stream, TV channel, kick-off time, teams as Odegaard STARTS for Gunners – latest updates

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      ARSENAL welcome Leeds to the Emirates today looking to bounce back from two-straight Premier League defeats.
      The Gunners were poor as they went down 1-0 to Aston Villa last time out, leaving them in the bottom half of the table.
      Start time: 4.30pm GMT
      TV/Live stream: Sky Sports Premier League/Main Event
      Arsenal XI: Leno, Bellerin, Luiz, Gabriel, Cedric, Ceballos, Xhaka, Odegaard, Smith-Rowe, Saka, Aubameyang
      Leeds XI: Meslier, Ayling, Cooper, Struijk, Alioski, Harrison, Shackleton, Klich, Dallas, Raphinha, Bamford

      Follow ALL the action with our live blog below…
      Betting: Back Patrick Bamford to score any time at 40/1

      SENSATIONAL SAKA
      There haven’t been many reasons for Arsenal fans to be cheerful this season, but the emergence of Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe have helped to numb the pain.
      Saka, in particular, has been consistently impressive, contributing five goals and two assists to the cause. Only Alexandre Lacazette has scored (8) and been involved in more goals (10) for the Gunners, while the 19-year-old has also created more chances (26) and won more fouls (42) than any of his teammates.

      Bukayo Saka’s performances have earned a thumbs up this season.

      HEAD-TO-HEAD
      Arsenal are unbeaten in their last eight games against Leeds United (W6 D2) in all competitions since a 3-2 defeat in May 2003, a result that handed Manchester United the Premier League title at the Gunners’ expense.
      In terms of their history in league competition, the clubs couldn’t be on more of an equal footing.

      Arsenal and Leeds have played each other 101 times in the league and both sides have won 38 games.
      — Orbinho (@Orbinho) February 14, 2021

      BAMFORD BACK IN FORM
      Unsurprisingly, Patrick Bamford leads Leeds’ line today, and will be looking to continue the good form that has him in the England reckoning.
      The striker has been involved in five goals in his last three Premier League games (2 goals, 3 assists), and brought up the 100th of his career by scoring in Monday’s 2-0 beating of Crystal Palace.
      Eight of his 12 Premier League goals this season have come away from home (67%) with only Jamie Vardy netting a higher ratio of his goals on the road (82%).

      Patrick Bamford celebrates the 100th goal of his career in Monday’s win over Crystal Palace.

      LEEDS UNITED SUBSTITUTES
      13 Casilla, 11 Roberts, 17 Costa, 19 Hernandez, 24 Davis, 30 Gelhardt, 35 Cresswell, 47 Jenkins, 52 Huggins

      LEEDS UNITED XI
      It’s just the one enforced change for Marcelo Bielsa. Kalvin Phillips has failed to recover from his calf problem, and so Jamie Shackleton comes into the team. Leeds’ 4-1-4-1 formation remains the same, but the switch in personnel is likely to see Mateusz Klich drops back into a deeper holding role.
      1 Meslier; 2 Ayling, 21 Struijk, 6 Cooper, 10 Alioski; 43 Klich; 18 Raphinha, 15 Dallas, 46 Shackleton, 22 Harrison; 9 Bamford

      ARSENAL SUBSTITUTES
      33 Ryan, 9 Lacazette, 12 Willian, 16 Holding, 19 Pepe, 21 Chambers, 22 Mari, 25 Elneny, 35 Martinelli

      ARSENAL XI
      Mikel Arteta makes five changes to the Arsenal side narrowly beaten at Aston Villa last time out. Bernd Leno and David Luiz are both back from suspension to take their place in goal and at centre-half respectively while Dani Ceballos comes into central midfield at the expense of the injured Thomas Partey. Nicholas Pepe – red carded in the reverse fixture – drops to the bench along with Alexandre Lacazette, Rob Holding and Mathew Ryan, and make room for Martin Odegaard’s first start. At the head of a 4-2-3-1 shape, captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is recalled to lead the line.
      1 Leno; 2 Bellerin, 23 David Luiz, 6 Gabriel, 17 Cedric; 8 Ceballos, 34 Xhaka; 32 Smith Rowe, 11 Odegaard, 7 Saka; 14 Aubameyang

      THE TEAMSHEETS ARE IN!

      GOAL-SHY GUNNERS
      Only five sides – the marooned bottom three, Burnley and Crystal Palace – have failed to score in more Premier League games than Arsenal this season.
      The Gunners have been unable to find the target in nine of their 23 fixtures so far including the goalless draw at Elland Road in November.
      It’s the highest amount of league games in which Arsenal have failed to score in since firing 11 blanks in the 2005-06 campaign – and there are still 15 games to go.

      LONDON FALLING
      Many enjoy a day trip to the capital (or at least they did before Covid) but, for Leeds United, their recent visits to London have proved less than fruitful.
      The Whites are winless in their last 12 away league matches in London (D2 L10), their longest run without a victory in the capital since a 19-game stretch between 1933 and 1938.
      Marcelo Bielsa’s team have lost their three Premier League fixtures in London this season – at Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Tottenham – by an aggregate score of 10-2.
      Leeds’ last league win in London came in a 3-1 Championship success at Queens Park Rangers in December 2017 courtesy of a Kemar Roofe hat-trick.

      SIZING UP THE OPPOSITION
      The two managers have arrived at the Emirates Stadium, and Marcelo Bielsa has taken a moment to inspect the artwork on display.
      What does he make of this piece, unimaginatively titled Arsenal 2020-21?

      GOOD AFTERNOON FROM THE EMIRATES
      Welcome to our live coverage of Arsenal’s home game with Leeds United in the Premier League.
      Just one place and one point separate them in the table, but the mood engulfing these two clubs this season couldn’t be more different.
      That was certainly the story when they met at Elland Road three months ago. While the game may have ended goalless, United were the far superior side and were only denied success by poor finishing and a goalframe struck three times. Arsenal’s performance, on the other hand, was summed up by Nicolas Pepe’s red card for a petulant headbutt.
      It was a Leeds display indicative of their first year back in the top-flight since 2004, and it has been a campaign in which they have continuously excited and exceeded expectation.
      Back in the winning way once again, Marcelo Bielsa’s men have chalked up victories in three of their last four matches, and now have their eyes on a top-half finish.
      The gloss was taken off their latest triumph, the routine rolling over of Crystal Palace on Monday night, when Kalvin Phillips hobbled off with calf trouble late on. The influential midfielder is now a doubt for the trip to London.
      Meanwhile, the Gunners are faltering once more. Having salvaged their season with a seven-game unbeaten run after Christmas, they come into this afternoon following back-to-back defeats – albeit it unfortunate circumstances at Wolves and Aston Villa.
      Mikel Arteta will welcome David Luiz and Bernd Leno back after their bans, but Kieran Tierney remains unavailable, and he has been joined in the treatment room by Thomas Partey.
      We’ll have confirmation of today’s teams shortly with the kick-off to come in the capital at 4.30pm.

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