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      Arsenal legend drops huge hint Bukayo Saka WILL be fit to face Liverpool after visiting Gunners’ training ground

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      ARSENAL icon David Seaman has suggested Bukayo Saka WILL be available to face Liverpool on Sunday despite injury concerns.Saka has not played since he was forced off with a knock during England’s 2-1 defeat to Greece earlier this month.Bukayo Saka could make a return from injury this weekendCredit: ReutersFormer Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman suggests he will be availableCredit: GettyHaving already missed two games for Arsenal, he is now a doubt for this weekend’s huge Premier League match against Liverpool.Following Tuesday’s 1-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta admitted: “Saka is not training yet so he won’t be available.”However, ex-Arsenal goalkeeper Seaman this week revealed that he saw the 23-year-old in training.Speaking on his Seaman Says podcast, the former England international explained: “I’m a little bit nervy, if I’m honest, because we’re not going to be at our strongest, depending on Saka.Read More on Arsenal”Although when I was in last Thursday at Arsenal, coaching with the young goalies, I saw Bukayo with his boots on and I was like, ‘ah, good sign’.”Not trainers or anything like that. He was going off to do some one-to-one rehab, so that was a good sign. Hopefully it’s not too bad.”Arsenal will be without several key players for the huge match.William Saliba will serve a suspension after being sent off against Bournemouth last week.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSArsenal ratings vs Shakhtar: Jesus reminds fans of his quality but Trossard flops for poor GunnersARSENAL continued their unbeaten run in the Champions League with a 1-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk – but it was far from a convincing performance.Gabriel Martinelli orchestrated the decisive goal when his low-driven strike hit the post and deflected in off the back of goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk.Here’s how SunSport’s Tony Robertson rated the Gunners…DAVID RAYA – 7Seldom asked to do much aside from recycle the ball to Gabriel or Saliba until the final stagesPushed a potentially dangerous cross out of danger in the 84th minute. Pulled out a magnificent low save in injury time before claiming a dangerous cross to keep his clean sheet.BEN WHITE – 6Back in at right-back today and played as if he had never been out of the team. Received a yellow card in the 34th minute. Subbed at half-time for Mikel Merino.WILLIAM SALIBA – 7In the team after his red card against Bournemouth, played like his typically assured self marshalling the defence.One or two sloppy passes late in the second half but otherwise can have no complaints with another solid performance.GABRIEL MAGALHAES – 5Sloppily gave the ball away to hand the visitors a dangerous chance out of nothing. Had another lapse just after the opener but in the end he was bailed out by Calafiori.Marked improvement in the second half.RICCARDO CALAFIORI – 6Skied a golden chance over the bar after six minutes. Tested the goalkeeper again after 24 minutes.Dragged his foot and went down injured after skipping under a tackle in the 67th minute. Replaced by Myles Lewis-Skelly in 71st minute.THOMAS PARTEY – 6Comfortable evening in midfield for him. Recycled the ball well when at his feet and kept play ticking over.Moved to right back as White was hooked but didn’t have too many worries. When he was caught out of position Rice was able to cover.DECLAN RICE – 6Like Partey, he had a quiet night in midfield with Shakhtar unable to retain meaningful possession.Moved into the six as White was hooked and Partey moved to right-back. Cut out a dangerous low cross at the edge of the area. LEANDRO TROSSARD – 4Nothing quite went right for him all night with some sloppy touches ending attacks and putting Arsenal in trouble.Summed up his night by missing a 77th minute penalty and was hooked in the 88th minute.GABRIEL JESUS – 8Wore the captain’s armband and looked bright down the right wing.Denied a well-deserved goal by the feet of the keeper in the 43rd minute after Havertz played him in.Second half saw more good link play, but never had another chance to end his goal drought as he was replaced by Sterling in the 68th minute.GABRIEL MARTINELLI – 7Grew into the game following a quiet start and was rewarded with a goal, of sorts, after 30 minutes.Brazilian cut inside from the left wing before firing a shot to the near post before the shot rebounded off the woodwork and hit the goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk to go in the net. KAI HAVERTZ – 7Centimeters away from getting Arsenal’s second in the 39th minute after Jesus squared a volley back across goal.Returned the favour to set up his team-mate moments later only for the goalkeeper to prevent a goal.Won a free-kick at the very end of the game to run the clock down.SUBSMikel Merino (on for White HT) – 6Some nice touches and stitched play together well. A solid yet unspectacular performance.Raheem Sterling (on for Jesus 68 mins) – 6Tried to play on the shoulder of the last man but did not have the pace find the clear cut chance he would have liked.Myles Lewis-Skelly (on for Calafiori 71 mins) – 6Slotted in at left-back and was not afraid to show for the ball but often did not receive it while tucking infield.Jorginho (on for Trossard 88 mins) – N/AClub captain Martin Odegaard remains on the road to recovery from an ankle injury.Jurrien Timber is experiencing some fitness issues.Mikel Arteta admits Arsenal suffered with tiredness against Shakhtar Donetsk And new signing Riccardo Calafiori is set to miss Sunday’s match due to a knee injury he picked up against Shakhtar.Seaman added: “The only indication they’ve got that’s definite is that Saliba’s out with his suspension.”It’s going to be tough, but these are the games you want. These tell you how good you are, or how good you’re going to be in the season.” More

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      Medics rush to help and cover Nice star Sofiane Diop after terrifying injury in Europa League clash with Ferencvaros

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      NICE fans were stunned to see Sofiane Diop play on in their clash with Ferencvaros – after an injury so severe he was covered with a SCREEN. The 24-year-old midfielder was shielded from view as medical staff rushed onto the field during Thursday’s Europa League clash in Hungary. A screen was put up around Sofiane Diop after a clash of heads against FerencvarosCredit: GettyFans were stunned to see the Nice star play on after colliding with a teammateCredit: AFPDiop went down after clashing heads with a teammate midway through the first half at the Groupama Arena. Medical staff ran onto the field as the former Monaco star hit the turf, with Ferencvaros defenders urging them to hurry. Diop remained down on the ground for several minutes, with stewards holding a makeshift medical tent made out of Ferencvaros flags. Luckily for Diop, he appeared to escape serious injury after walking away under his own steam.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLDiop was strapped up by the medical team with a bandage, with blood seemingly visible on the back of his head. And fans were stunned to see him return to the game just moments after the collision. One wrote on X: “It’s not serious to keep Sofiane Diop in this match! He needs to get stitched up and go out.”Another said: “I hope that is nothing serious for Sofiane Diop.”Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSTrailing 1-0 after an own goal from Moise Bombito, Nice eventually subbed Diop out of the contest at half-time, around 20 minutes after the incident. He was replaced by former Birmingham City midfielder Jeremie Boga.Roberto Mancini brutally sacked from job as highest-paid manager in the world just days after clashing with fansA former French international youth star, Diop has opted to play for Morocco at international level.He began his career with Rennes before joining Monaco in July 2018. New Europa League format explainedTHE Europa League has been given a revamp this season, with a whole new group-stage format.All 36 teams are in one big league.Each team will play eight matches in the opening phase – against seeded opposition, in a system designed to ensure that teams play opponents of similar difficulty.At the end of the league phase, the top eight teams in the “final” table will automatically go through to the last 16, where they will be joined by the eight play-off winners of ties between the sides placed ninth to 24th in the table.The bottom 12 teams are eliminated from Europe entirely.Despite there being just eight matches in the opening phase, European matches will be spread over 10 midweek slots.The knockout phase of the tournament remains the same as previous years.The Tours native spent four years in Monte Carlo, including a successful season on loan at Sochaux.Diop linked up with Nice in August 2022, with the £18.3m midfielder currently enjoying a breakout season. More

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      Chelsea star Christopher Nkunku has banned laser pen shone in his FACE by fans before scoring penalty vs Panathinaikos

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      CHELSEA stars Filip Jorgensen and Christopher Nkunku had lasers shone in their faces at PanathinaikosThe Swedish-Danish goalkeeper, 22, got a rare start between the stick for the Conference League trip in Greece on Thursday.Filip Jorgensen had a laser beamed on his face during the Conference League trip to PanathinaikosCredit: TNT SportsChristopher Nkunku was also targetedCredit: TNT SportsThe Frenchman kept his composure to score the penaltyCredit: TNT SportsBut when the hosts got ready to put a corner into the danger area after 14 minutes, he was distracted by a laser.The green beam could clearly be seen on Jorgensen’s face. An announcement was put out over the PA system at the Olympic Stadium in Athens. However, it was seemingly ignored by some as Enzo Fernandez also had his face lit up in green during the first half.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLThen before Nkunku took his penalty to make it 4-0 on the night, he was blinded by the bright laser beams.The Frenchman had to cover his eyes with his hand and squinted while being targeted but kept his composure to slot home the spot-kick. And the offences could prompt a fine from Uefa as punishment to Panathinaikos for their fans’ behaviour.Chelsea fans took to X, outraged by the use of a laser pen – which is an all-too-familiar occurrence in Greek football.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSOne fumed: “So Panathinaikos fans are doing laser in the face of Chelsea players? How classy.”Another wrote: “Why are Panathinaikos fans pointing laser pens at Chelsea’s players?? Why?”Chelsea star spotted at Emirates Stadium watching Arsenal’s Champions League clash with Shakhtar DonetskAnd a third added: “Nothing says Conference League like laser pointers on the faces of Chelsea players!”Joao Felix rounded off a lovely team move to break the deadlock before Mykhailo Mudryk headed in for 2-0.Mudryk, who assisted the first, turned provider again for the third as Felix’s deflected strike bounced in.The Portuguese forward won the penalty from which Nkunku scored before ex-Manchester United man Facundo Pellistri grabbed a consolation for the hosts. Earlier on, Panathinaikos paid an emotional tribute to their former defender George Baldock.Baldock died tragically in the swimming pool at his Athens home on October 9 aged just 31. A live band played a version of David Bowie’s Starman ahead of kick-off, the song Sheffield United used for his chant during his time with the club.Fans in both the home and away end held up cards with Baldock’s No32 on, while 32 flags bearing the number were waved pitchside.Supporters also displayed a homemade banner reading “George Baldock, Immortal” in Greek in the club’s first home game since his sudden passing.Chelsea ratings vs Panathinaikos: Mudryk gives rare glimpse of his talent but one defender strugglesCHELSEA maintained their 100 per cent start to their Conference League campaign with a 4-1 win at Panathinaikos.Joao Felix turned in the opening goal of an emotional night in Athens midway through the first half.Mykhailo Mudryk headed in from close range after the break – before another for Felix, who then won a penalty converted by Christopher Nkunku.However, Chelsea did not head back with a clean sheet as ex-Manchester United man Facundo Pellistri grabbed a consolation.Here’s how SunSport’s Joshua Jones rated Enzo Maresca’s men…Filip Jorgensen – 7Made a fine flying save inside the opening two minutes, flying across to prevent a nightmare start.Had to deal with a laser being shone in his face – will be disappointed not to get a clean sheet.Axel Disasi – 5Gave away the early free-kick that almost resulted in a shock early lead for the hosts.Dragged slightly out of position before Panathinaikos’ goal then got booked for cynical tug in injury time – but made big block from resulting free-kick.Benoit Badiashile – 5Will have plenty of sterner tests this season – but would have been desperate not to concede.Was the man who should have been picking up Pellistri at the back post when Disasi came central.Renato Veiga – 6Played as the left-sided centre-back and looked pretty relaxed about his evening’s work – understandably so.Except for when he almost scored a comedic own goal but the ball looped just wide of the post.Marc Cucurella – 6Enjoying his role as the left-back who is given orders to help out in attack – leaving a back three behind when in possession.Routine stuff for the Spaniard – although critics may say he was out of position in build-up to Pellistri goal.Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – 7Former Leicester man showed plenty of energy – just as he promises to do in every appearance.Played a neat long pass to Felix in the build-up to the opening goal.Enzo Fernandez – 6Back in the starting XI after his surprise exclusion against Liverpool, and given the captain’s armband.Had a glorious chance to make it 2-0 but ran on to his shot but it was rising and tipped over to make sure.Pedro Neto – 7A constant livewire and delivered an inch-perfect cross for Mudryk’s goal.May well get the nod against Newcastle ahead of Jadon Sancho and/or Noni Madueke.Christopher Nkunku – 7Despite the home fans’ best attempts with their lasers, the forward made no mistake from the penalty spot in his only notable contribution.Cool as you like from 12 yards, firing low into the bottom corner.Mykhailo Mudryk – 9Left his team-mates frustrated when he went solo and blasted off target but made amends minutes later with a lovely sliding pass for Felix.Then turned from assist provider to goalscorer with his header at the back post, just about nodding it in, and the smile said it all.Went back to setting up, though, as he teed up Felix again.Joao Felix – 8Scored the opening goal – and did so in style with a lovely, cushioned header to flick the ball on then getting in the six-yard box to deftly turn home.Got Chelsea’s third thanks to a fortunate deflection then won the penalty.SUBSTyrique George (for Neto, 61 mins) – 7Stung the palms with a late effort and looked very bright when he came on.Marc Guiu (for Nkunku, 61 mins) – 5Spent half an hour up top but was largely anonymous.Cesare Casadei (for Fernandez, 71 mins) – 5Extra minutes in midfield as Fernandez’s legs saved for Newcastle on Sunday.Carney Chukwuemeka (for Dewsbury-Hall, 77 mins) – 5Got the final stages but game all over by then.Players from both sides, who took part in a minute’s silence ahead of the game, wore black armbands while the Chelsea squad also posed with a Blues shirt with “Baldock, 32” printed on the back.READ MORE SUN STORIESBaldock’s team-mates appeared close to tears during the minute’s silence, with manager Diego Alonso having said the club were still in a state of mourning.Panathinaikos players and staff plan to travel to England for Baldock’s funeral later this month, while the club are also considering honouring the remainder of his three-year deal to support his family. 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      Roberto Mancini brutally sacked from job as highest-paid manager in the world just days after clashing with fans

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      ROBERTO MANCINI has been sacked by the Saudi Arabia national team.The 59-year-old was appointed manager in August 2023 and penned a four-year deal worth £77million.Roberto Mancini has been sacked by the Saudi Arabia national teamCredit: ReutersIt made him the highest-paid boss in world football.However, Mancini’s time in the Middle East has been turbulent.The Italian managed just seven wins in 18 games during his 14-month spell in charge.He also suffered six defeats and five draws with the national team.Read More in FootballMancini’s dismissal stems from Saudi Arabia’s unsatisfactory results.Reports in Italy claim his relationship with the players also deteriorated in recent months.And fans have become increasingly frustrated, with Saudi Arabia sat third in their World Cup qualifying group.The ex-Manchester City boss was seen arguing with a group of supporters after his team’s 0-0 draw with Bahrain earlier this month.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSHe then criticised his players for the performance, insisting: “Sometimes I think the players have to take the responsibility.”In my life, when I was a player, I took the responsibility because it’s easy to say it’s the coach’s fault. It’s too easy.PIzza boss dedicated pie to famous Tartan Army duo in Italy”But many times it’s not like this. Because when the coach teaches the team everything and they have improved as a team, after, some players have to put on the pitch some quality.”If they don’t have it, it’s clear that it’s difficult.”Mancini was appointed manager of Saudi Arabia just two weeks after leaving his job as Italy boss.During his time with Italy, he won Euro 2020 after beating Gareth Southgate and England at Wembley.The Italian has also managed Man City, Fiorentina, Lazio, Inter Milan, Galatasaray and Zenit Saint Petersburg. More

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      I followed the money joining Chelsea and Man City – they only signed me because they couldn’t get my England team-mate

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      WAYNE BRIDGE has opened up on playing second fiddle to England team-mate Ashley Cole.While the former left-back admits he “followed the money” when joining Man City from Chelsea in 2009.Wayne Bridge has said he followed the money when moving from Chelsea to Man City in 2009Credit: PA:Press AssociationThe full-back joked City only bought him as they couldn’t afford his team-mate Ashley ColeCredit: PA:Press AssociationCole and Bridge were also teammates for EnglandCredit: News Group Newspapers LtdBridge played 36 times for the Three Lions and won a Premier League and FA Cup during his six-year stint with the Blues. But, in a candid new interview, the 44-year-old claims he was always playing in Cole’s shadow.Cole, 43, was England’s first-choice left-back throughout the 2000s and joined Chelsea from Arsenal in a high-profile 2006 switch. Bridge had arrived at Stamford Bridge three years earlier after excelling at Southampton. READ MORE ON FOOTBALLHe soon found himself pushed out of the starting XI by Cole, who he labels the “benchmark for all left-backs.”Bridge told the Seaman Says podcast: “I had a year out, and that’s when Ashley [Cole] came to haunt me at Chelsea instead of England.”I was actually playing well when Ashley turned up and he didn’t come straight in and start. “Then I remember playing Charlton, we were 1-0 up and they equalised, and I got dragged off and I kind of knew that was that.”Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSBridge was snapped up by Man City in 2009 – but claims they only bought him because they couldn’t afford Cole, by then regarded among the world’s best full-backs.He continued: “The organisation at Chelsea was just on point all the time. Watch Ashley Cole’s inspirational speech as presents England new boys Gomes and Gibbs-White with legacy caps”Then you go into a City team which had some great players, but not that organisation defensively and helping each other out. “It was just very different going to a team that was just changing. “I kind of followed the money! “Chelsea couldn’t get Ashley, so they got me. City couldn’t get Ashley, so they got me!”Chelsea ratings vs LiverpoolBy Ken LawrenceLIVERPOOL held on to beat Chelsea 2-1 in a thriller as they moved to the top of the Premier League table.Mohamed Salah opened the scoring against his former club from the penalty spot after Levi Colwill tripped Curtis Jones in the box.Chelsea went into the break trailing and it was nearly worse, only for VAR to overturn a second Liverpool penalty after Robert Sanchez’s lunge on Jones.The Blues came out from the break flying and Nicolas Jackson equalised.But they failed to hold on with star of the show Jones netting the winner just minutes later.Here is how SunSport rated the Chelsea players at Anfield.ROBERT SANCHEZ – 5Survived a shocker of a challenge on Jones to not give away a pen and never convincing.REECE JAMES – 6Got through 53 minutes in first start since last December and will surely shake off the rust.TOSIN ADARABIOYO – 5  Booked early on for clattering into Diogo Jota and no surprise was hooked for the second half.LEVI COLWILL –  5Got away with one challenge against a diving Salah but a no- challenge penalty after hacked on Jones.MALO GUSTO – 7  Intelligent display and constant threat down the left flank in the first half especially.MOISES CAICEDO – 5At £105m and in Chelsea’s biggest test of the season was found badly wanting.ROMEO LAVIA – 5Got the nod over Enzo Fernandez from the start but failed to show any urgency.NONI MADUEKE – 6Always mobile and was productive playing as a right-sided attacker – giving Robertson a tough afternoon.COLE PALMER – 5  Deployed in central midfield but struggled to show his star quality and blazed over a good chance just before the break.JADON SANCHO  – 4Lacked any real spark and unsurprisingly hooked off at the start of the second half.NICOLAS JACKSON – 7Picked up a typically mouthy booking but the boy definitely has something – as his fine equaliser proved.SUBS:PEDRO NETO (for Sancho 46) – 6Looked a whole lot livelier than the wide man he took over from.BENOIT BADIASHILE (for Adarabioyo 53) – 6Looked a lot steadier than the centre-back he replaced.RENATO VEIGA (for James 53) – 5Got stuck in and was booked.ENZO FERNANDEZ (for Romeo Lavia) – 6Worked diligently to use his passing to make an impact late on.CHRISTOPHER NKUNKU (for Noni Madueke 76) – 5Found it difficult to make his presence felt as the Reds dug in to win.Bridge won the Premier League with the Blues in 2004-05.But he claims he felt sheepish celebrating at the end of the season after missing a host of games through injury.He continued: “For me, personally, it’s great to say I’ve got [a Prem title], but that was the year that I got the injury.”So I played up till February. I played enough games, but I missed the end part. “I should look back and go, ‘I’ve got one.’ “But part of me thinks I wasn’t one of the people that played every weekend. “Of course I celebrated, I love a celebration! READ MORE SUN STORIES”But when I got the FA Cup one, I played in the final so that meant more to me than the Premier League. “It’s great to say I’ve got it, but I think I played 16 games.” More

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      Premier League could be forced to slash parachute payments – but new regulator will not abolish them

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      PARACHUTE payments will NOT be abolished by the new football regulator.But the Premier League could be forced to slash them if a report into the game finds evidence that the huge sums paid to clubs relegated from the top flight undermine the financial stability of EFL clubs.The Premier League’s parachute payments scheme could be altered under the new governmentCredit: ReutersSport Minister Stephanie Peacock says the payments will not be abolished by a new regulatorCredit: GettyThe EFL has long campaigned for the payments to be scrapped, while the PL insists they are essential and did not want the regulator to have any powers over them.The previous Tory administration proposed legislation that excluded parachute payments from a regulator’s influence.But the new Labour Government has reversed that in the Football Governance Bill that went before the House of Lords on Thursday.Sports minister Stephanie Peacock said: “In terms of parachute payments, we completely understand the importance of them.READ MORE ON FOOTBALL”I’ve met the Premier League on a number of occasions and heard their concerns.”The whole point of the Bill is around financial sustainability. “If the State of the Game report identifies that parachute payments are an issue, then it seems to be an odd situation that the regulator can’t look at them.”It will also be for a panel of experts to assess the situation.Most read in Football”But we have added some wording that makes it clear that they cannot be abolished.”‘If Arsenal lose to Liverpool, they are out of the Premier League title race… the gulf is massive’Peacock – Independent regulator will address imbalance in English footballBy Stephanie Peacock, Sports MinisterSun readers know exactly what it means to don the team scarf on match day. It’s a rite of passage for millions of us every week, our club colours tying us proudly to places close to our heart. For me, it’s the highs and lows that come with being a lifelong Birmingham City supporter.But for far too long, we have seen the hurt and agony when a cherished community football club goes to the wall as a result of a rogue owner running a club into the ground, or a reckless one spending well beyond their means. The impact on local people is devastating. Just ask fans from Bury or Macclesfield when their clubs hit the wall.As Sports Minister, it is my job to help ensure that sport in this country is run well and supported to be fair, competitive and sustainable, so I am delighted that we have been able to deliver on our manifesto commitment to introduce a beefed up Football Governance Bill in Parliament.The new Bill will deliver an Independent Football Regulator that puts fans at the heart of the game. It will make sure football fans are genuinely consulted on things like ticket prices, or proposed stadium moves. This is something our Football Governance Bill will address properly. It will give fans a strong voice on the things they hold dear such as home shirt colours, or club badges.The Regulator will seek to redress the imbalance and strengthen financial sustainability throughout the football pyramid – from the Premier League to the National League. To make this happen, the Bill will give the Regulator the power to assess the impact of parachute payments paid to clubs relegated from the top flight. To be effective, the Regulator needs teeth and it will have the power to see the whole picture of a club’s finances and that is why the Labour government has strengthened the Bill.To ensure the Regulator can truly carry the confidence of the public, clubs and leagues, we have dropped the last government’s requirement for the Regulator to consider government trade and foreign policy when assessing club takeovers.The Regulator will also operate an improved owners and directors test that will be better equipped to weed out unscrupulous and unwanted directors of fans’ beloved clubs.The regulator will not be able to take any action on parachute payments for at least two years in any case.The Government is readvertising the position of chair of the new body in a bid to attract a wider range of candidates.The person who gets the job will be able to shape the State of the Game report, which will be compiled over an 18-month period. More

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      You’ve been saying AZ Alkmaar all wrong and 12 other teams too… here’s why

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      WE ALL think we know our football.But do we know it quite as well as we think? Really?AZ Alkmaar and Athletic Bilbao are both incorrect namesCredit: GettyBecause there are a whole load of teams whose names we’ve been saying wrong for ages – many of us without even realising. A large part of that is down to geography.Of the 92 clubs in English professional football, all but two have the name of their city, town, borough or region in their title.The exceptions are Port Vale and Arsenal – although the Gunners were originally called Woolwich Arsenal when they played in South London. READ MORE ON FOOTBALLAs a result, we often tend to add the place names for some clubs that go by a single name to help us clarify which team we are referring to – more on that later.For other examples, it is a case of mistranslation – or, more specifically, partial translation. Finally, it could simply be a bit of laziness or ignorance.Anyway, with that all said, who are some of the regular football clubs we mispronounce or simply get wrong?Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSAZ Alkmaar is a common mistake.The Dutch side are actually called Alkmaar Zaanstreek.Football stars’ weird phobiasThis often gets nicknamed to AZ Alkmaar – but the A in AZ stands for Alkmaar.So AZ Alkmaar would mean Alkmaar Zaanstreek Alkmaar.To make things even more confusing, Alkmaar is the city the club is based in while Zaanstreek refers to the Zaan district in North-West Netherlands. Got it?Sticking in the Eredeivisie, there are regularly mentions of PSV Eindhoven when in actual fact the club’s full name is Philips Sport Vereniging, or PSV for short.There is no mention of Eindhoven, the city where they are based. The same rule applies to various other teams – where the city has been added for overseas fans to grasp exactly where they play.See Zenit Saint Petersburg and CSKA Moscow in Russia – officially Zenit and CSKA – AEK Athens.The Greek outfit are formally Athlitiki Enosis Konstantinoupoleos – with no mention of the capital city name – while AEK is pronounced as one word rather than A-E-K. TV fixtures in DecemberHere are all the games that will be televised in December…Tuesday 3 December19:30 Ipswich v Crystal Palace (Amazon Prime Video)20:15 Leicester v West Ham (Amazon Prime Video)Wednesday 4 December19:30 Everton v Wolves (Amazon Prime Video)19:30 Man City v Nott’m Forest (Amazon Prime Video)19:30 Newcastle v Liverpool (Amazon Prime Video)19:30 Southampton v Chelsea (Amazon Prime Video)20:15 Arsenal v Man Utd (Amazon Prime Video)20:15 Aston Villa v Brentford (Amazon Prime Video)Thursday 5 December19:30 Fulham v Brighton (Amazon Prime Video)20:15 AFC Bournemouth v Spurs (Amazon Prime Video)Saturday 7 December12:30 Everton v Liverpool (TNT Sports)17:30 Man Utd v Nott’m Forest (Sky Sports)Sunday 8 December14:00 Fulham v Arsenal (Sky Sports)16:30 Spurs v Chelsea (Sky Sports)Monday 9 December20:00 West Ham v Wolves (Sky Sports)Saturday 14 December17:30 Nott’m Forest v Aston Villa (Sky Sports)Sunday 15 December14:00 AFC Bournemouth v West Ham (Sky Sports)16:30 Man City v Man Utd (Sky Sports)19:00 Southampton v Spurs (TNT Sports)Monday 16 December20:00 Brighton v Crystal Palace (Sky Sports)Saturday 21 December12:30 Aston Villa v Man City (TNT Sports)17:30 Crystal Palace v Arsenal (Sky Sports)Sunday 22 December14:00 Fulham v Southampton (Sky Sports)16:30 Spurs v Liverpool (Sky Sports)Thursday 26 December12:30 Man City v Everton (Amazon Prime Video)15:00 AFC Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (Amazon Prime Video)15:00 Chelsea v Fulham (Amazon Prime Video)15:00 Newcastle v Aston Villa (Amazon Prime Video)15:00 Nott’m Forest v Spurs (Amazon Prime Video)15:00 Southampton v West Ham (Amazon Prime Video)17:30 Wolves v Man Utd (Amazon Prime Video)20:00 Liverpool v Leicester (Amazon Prime Video)Friday 27 December19:30 Brighton v Brentford (Amazon Prime Video)20:15 Arsenal v Ipswich (Amazon Prime Video)Sunday 29 December14:30 Leicester v Man City (Sky Sports)17:15 West Ham v Liverpool (Sky Sports)Monday 30 December20:00 Man Utd v Newcastle (Sky Sports)We don’t do the same to PSG Paris, Juventus Turin, Schalke Gelsenkirchen or Real Betis Seville. In Spain, it is Atletico de Madrid, not Atletico Madrid or worse still Athletico Madrid.Athletic should be used for the team in Bilbao. But they are Athletic Club or simply Athletic – and definitely not Athletic Bilbao. In Spain, there is just one major club it could refer to whereas in England we have Charlton and Wigan, for example. Across the border in Portugal, it is a similar mistake with Sporting Lisbon. They are actually Sporting Clube de Portugal, Sporting CP or Sporting – but not Sporting Lisbon. It is such a touchy subject that a #NotSportingLisbon campaign was launched to raise awareness for the error. The 2010 Champions League final was contested between Bayern Munich and Inter Milan.However, Inter Milan should be referred to as Internazionale or Inter – although the official name is Football Club Internazionale Milano.As for the German giants, Bayern Munich sees half of the name translated into English – Munchen to Munich – but Bayern left in German. So it should either be Bayern Munchen – the official name – or Bavaria Munich. One of the other big teams in Germany also needs flagging.RB Leipzig are part of the Red Bull group along with Red Bull Salzburg and New York Red Bulls.But the RB in RB Leipzig’s name does not stand for Red Bull – well, not technically.It is no coincidence that the letters are RB – to make people think of Red Bull – alongside the red bulls on their logo.However, the German FA ban corporate company brands in club names.So they found a workaround and called the club RasenBallsport Leipzig instead – RasenBallsport translates as Lawn Ball Sports. Many refer to the Serbian team as Red Star Belgrade when “red star” is simply a literal English translation of their official name, Crvena Zvezda. And finally, the 1985-86 European Cup was won by Steaua Bucuresti, not Steaua Bucharest.READ MORE SUN STORIESAlthough they now have a new name, formally switching to FCSB in 2017 as a shortened version of FC Steaua Bucuresti.But the team is categorically not called Steaua Bucharest – which would be like the half-translation of Bayern Munich – because “steaua” is “star” in Romanian. Atletico de Madrid is the official name of the Spanish giantsCredit: GettyThe 2010 Champions League final was Bayern Munchen vs InternazionaleCredit: AP:Associated PressSporting fans get very frustrated with the incorrect use of Sporting LisbonCredit: GettyThe RB is RB Leipzig stands for RasenBallsport – not Red BullCredit: Getty More

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      Panathinaikos vs Chelsea LIVE SCORE: Latest Conference League updates as Blues look to continue perfect start in Europe

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      CHELSEA continue their Conference League campaign TONIGHT as they travel to Panathinaikos.The Blues will be looking to continue their perfect start in Europe after they thrashed Gent 4-2 in their competition opener.Enzo Maresca’s side are aiming to hit straight back from their 2-1 defeat at Liverpool on the weekend.Kick off time: 5.45pm BSTTV channel: TNT Sports 1Live stream: discovery+Panathinaikos team: Dragowski; Kotsiras, Schenkeveld, Jedvaj, Mladenovic; Cerin, Maksimovic; Mancini, Ounahi, Pellistri; JeremejeffChelsea team: Jorgensen; Cucurella, Disasi, Badiashile, Veiga; Enzo, Dewsbury-Hall; Neto, Joao Felix, Mudryk, NkunkuFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSFollow our live blog below…Panathinaikos statsPanathinaikos are sixth in the Greek Superleague table after three wins and two losses in their first eight league matches.Diego Alonso’s side have scored a mere seven goals and conceded a whopping six.PAO picked up a 0-0 shock draw at Borac in their first ever Conference League match three weeks ago.That means the Greek giants now sit 19th in the League Phase table.Copy linkCopiedPanathinaikos formationPanathinaikos manager Diego Alonso has chosen a 4-2-3-1 formation for this emotional match.Bartlomiej Dragowski starts in goal with Giannis Kotsiras at right-back and Filip Mladenovic on the other side, while Tin Jedvaj and captain Bart Schenkeveld team up at centre-back.Adam Cerin and Nemanja Maksimovic link up in midfield with Azzedine Ounahi at No10.Daniel Mancini covers the right flank with Facundo Pellistri on the other side, while Alexander Jeremejeff spearheads the attack.Copy linkCopiedChelsea formationChelsea boss Enzo Maresca appears to have opted for a 4-3-3 formation for his heavily rotated line-up against Panathinaikos.Filip Jorgensen starts in goal with Renato Veiga at right-back and Marc Cucurella on the other hand, while Benoit Badiashile and Axel Disasi team up at centre-back.Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Joao Felix and captain Enzo Fernandez link up in midfield.Pedro Neto, Mykhailo Mudryk and Christopher Nkunku spearhead the attack.Copy linkCopiedPanathinaikos subsLodygin, Lilo, Vagiannidis, Sporar, Tete, Bakasetas, Ingason, Fikaj, Bregou, Duricic, Arao, DabizasCopy linkCopiedChelsea subsSanchez, Bergstrom, Tosin, Madueke, Chukwuemeka, Sancho, Casadei, George, Guiu, Rak-Sakyi, MheukaCopy linkCopiedPanathinaikos XIDrągowski, Schenkeveld, Ounahi, Cerin, Mancini, Maksimovic, Jedvaj, Mladenovic, Kotsiras, Pellistri, JeremejeffCopy linkCopiedChelsea XIJorgensen, Disasi, Cucurella, Badiashile, Neto, Fernandez, Mudryk, Felix, Nkunku, Dewsbury-Hall, VeigaCopy linkCopiedThe team sheets are in!!!Copy linkCopiedChelsea statsChelsea completed a whopping 92.6 per cent of successful passes in their first ever Conference League match against Gent three weeks ago at Stamford Bridge.That was the highest return of all matchday one teams in that category.The Blues defeated Gent that night with a score of 4-2, which led them to sixth place in the League Phase table.Tonight marks the West Londoners’ first ever away match in the competition against an opponent they never faced before.Credit: RexCopy linkCopiedHead to HeadThis is the first ever time Panathinaikos and Chelsea face off throughout their entire history.The Blues become the sixth English club PAO meet after 18 matches against the likes of Arsenal, Everton, Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester United.The Athens giants only beat the Gunners and lost 11 of the other games against everyone bar the Toffees.Chelsea are set to face their fourth Greek opponent after Olympiacos, Aris and PAOK, all of which they met on two occasions each.The West Londoners count four wins and no losses across all competitions.Credit: GettyCopy linkCopiedGood afternoon from AthensWelcome to SunSport’s live blog coverage of the Conference League clash between Panathinaikos and Chelsea at Athens Olympic Stadium (OAKA) in the League Phase – Kostas here, and I will be bringing you all the action from Greece.The Blues pose as the strongest favourites to win this European competition, which would seal a hat-trick of continental trophies after conquering the Champions League and Europa League in recent years.However, the West Londoners will have to do it without Marcus Bettinelli, Wesley Fofana, Ben Chilwell, Romeo Lavia and star man Cole Palmer at least during the first round as they have been omitted from the squad list.Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has also travelled to Athens without Levi Colwill, Reece James, Malo Gusto, Moises Caicedo and Nicolas Jackson.who stayed in London to rest ahead of Sunday’s crunch Premier League clash with Newcastle at Stamford Bridge.Panathinaikos manager Diego Alonso, on the other hand, is without Dimitris Limnios, Zeca, Tonny Vilhena, Erik Palmer-Brown, Hordur Magnusson, Ruben Perez, Alexis Trouillet, Lazlo Kleinheisler and Benjamin Verbic who are ineligible after missing out on the squad list.Alonso is also deprived of Philipp Max who is nursing a sprain and star striker Fotis Ioannidis who has been sidelined with an adductor injury.However the Uruguayan tactician has been given a boost with Andraz Sporar passing fit in time after overcoming a knock.Nevertheless, PAO are in a time of mourning after the sudden death of star player George Baldock who tragically died two weeks ago.Credit: GettyCopy linkCopied More