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      Mikel Arteta to crack down on Arsenal’s Covid vaccine rebels with Granit Xhaka stuck in Switzerland after positive test

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      MIKEL ARTETA is cracking down on Arsenal’s vaccine rebels after Granit Xhaka became the latest Gunner to contract Covid.Midfielder Xhaka, 28, remains in quarantine in Switzerland after testing positive while on international duty with the Swiss last week.
      Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka has tested positive for Covid as boss Mikel Arteta urges stars to be vaccinatedCredit: Rex
      And boss Arteta is rapidly running out of patience with his players who ignore the club’s medical advice to get double jabbed.
      He said: “Players will be limited in certain aspects if they don’t have the vaccine because we don’t want to expose ourselves to the virus.
      “If they are travelling or socialising in certain places and they are not vaccinated, the risk increases a lot and we don’t want any of that within our group because the team will pay the price.
      “We are trying to explain the reasons why we believe it’s the right thing to do and make sure that everyone understands all the facts.
      “Some players don’t want to be vaccinated because maybe it’s a health issue, maybe it’s a contradiction that he has, his beliefs or the way he has been educated.
      “But we want what is best for the club by trying to minimise the risk of any player contracting the virus and passing it on to anyone else.

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      “Granit needs to stay in his country until Saturday and as soon as he can be released and is OK to travel, he will be back with us. But the vaccine is not an obligation and we have to respect that.”
      Arteta knows exactly how debilitating the virus can be after becoming the first person in British football to contract coronavirus in March last year.
      And no club has suffered the effects of Covid more than Arsenal, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, Ben White, Willian and Alex Runarsson missing games this season.
      Brazil centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes was also laid low last season while the club’s planned pre-season trip to Miami had to be cancelled in July after an outbreak at the club’s London Colney training ground.
      But not all of the players who tested positive have refused to be vaccinated and the club insists Premier League protocols are being followed, with players tested every three days.
      Centre-back White, a £50million summer signing from Brighton, has now recovered after having to sit out costly defeats by Chelsea and Manchester City and is available for Saturday’s visit of Norwich.
      Arteta is also hoping to receive international clearance for Japanese defender Takehiro Tomiyasu to make his debut following his £19.5m deadline-day signing from Bologna.
      Arteta said: “First of all we need to obtain a work permit for Tomi and the club is trying hard to achieve that.
      “He’s back in the country after international duty and I will meet him for the first time and see how he feels in training.
      “He’s been playing for Bologna this season so he should be completely fit and we’ve been impressed, which is why we decided to sign him.”
      Arsenal’s new Japanese defender Takehiro Tomiyasu could make his debut against Norwich on SaturdayCredit: Getty
      Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says Premier League clash with Norwich is a must win for Gunners More

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      Manchester City ace Riyad Mahrez hit with driving ban for doing 120mph on motorway

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      MANCHESTER City ace Riyad Mahrez has been hit with a driving ban for doing 120mph on a motorway.The Blues’ winger, 30, was caught speeding on the M6.
      Riyad Mahrez has been hit with a driving ban for doing 120mph on the M6 motorwayCredit: Getty
      The football ace was fined £2,500 and handed a 56-day ban by magistratesCredit: Cavendish
      It has emerged that Mahrez was fined £2,500 and handed a 56-day ban by magistrates.
      He was at the wheel of his grey £100,000 Audi RS6 — which has a top speed of 189mph — when he committed the offence.
      The Premier League winner was clocked while travelling southbound near junction 11 for Cannock, Staffs in May last year.
      Mahrez pleaded guilty to speeding in November and was punished by magistrates in Staffordshire on July 3.
      It is the second time the divorced dad-of-two’s driving has fallen foul of the law.
      He moved to Manchester City — whose fans’ anthem is Blue Moon — for £60million in 2018.

      He has has won seven trophies while at the Etihad Stadium.
      In 2016, while at previous club Leicester City, he received a six-month road ban for driving at 77mph in a 50mph zone.
      He admitted failing to give his details to police on three occasions and was fined £900 — which his lawyer said he would be able to pay straight away.
      The £160,000-a-week footballer was also given six points on his licence which, due to the fact he already has nine points, meant he was above the 12-point threshold that triggers a ban.
      In 2019, his Bentley SUV was clamped outside a Manchester restaurant after it was found to be untaxed.
      He previously won the Premier League in 2016 with Leicester, whose late owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha gifted him a £100,000 BMW i8 as a thank you for helping net the title.
      Algerian Mahrez is engaged to influencer Taylor Ward, the daughter of Real Housewives of Cheshire reality TV star Dawn Ward.
      Man City stars ‘don’t give a s*** about other teams’ matches’, says Mahrez who claims some pals play just for cash More

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      More Manchester United fans live in London than in the club’s home city, survey reveals

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      MORE Manchester United fans live in London than in the club’s home city, a survey has revealed.Just over half of Premier  League fans (55 per cent) actually support their local team, the poll suggests.
      More Manchester United fans live in London than in the club’s home city, a survey has revealedCredit: PA
      On average, they live 83 miles from the side they follow. More than one in five admit never even going to their side’s ground.
      Confirming a commonly held belief among rival supporters, the poll found almost 18 per cent of Man United fans live in London, with just 14 per cent in Manchester.
      Similarly, 14 per cent of Liverpool fans live in the capital, compared to 13 per cent on Merseyside. Kop fans are also furthest from the club on average — 129 miles from Anfield — while Aston Villa fans are nearest at 52 miles.
      On average, fans will see their team play in the flesh six times a season. However, they will watch them 12 times on TV, according to the Virgin Media poll of 1,500 supporters.
      Everton fans will go to the most games this season (nine) and Tottenham fans the least (two). One in five admitted they chose their club based on success rather than geography.
      Some  44 per cent of fans who do not support their nearest side get mocked by rivals for being glory-hunters.
      More than one in ten (11 per cent) considered switching to Manchester City because of Jack Grealish’s arrival this summer.

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      Fifa want to stage World Cup every two years – but not everyone’s convinced

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      EVERY four years, life stands still as the greatest show on earth – the football World Cup – unfolds.After a month of drama, tension and joy, a record 3.6billion people – half the planet’s population – watched the 2018 final between France and Croatia.
      Fifa want to stage the World Cup every two years insteadCredit: PA:Press Association
      Billions around the world tuned in to watch England and other countries playCredit: Getty
      Now moneybags organisers Fifa want to change it from 2026.
      Led by their chief of global football development, former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, they want to stage the tournament every two years instead.
      It left many fans wondering whether, even for the World Cup, you can get too much of a good thing.
      England manager Gareth Southgate has revealed he is “open-minded” about the proposal.
      But Gareth Bale, the Wales forward, is not keen.
      “I like the tradition of every four years,” he said.

      “It has the prestige, like the Olympics, coming around every four years.”
      And Spain midfielder Sergio Busquets said decision-makers “do not care enough about the players”.
      So is Wenger’s plan a work of genius or will it ruin the magic of the cup?
      Here, The Sun’s Head of Sport Shaun Custis and England goalkeeping legend Peter Shilton argue for and against the divisive proposal.
      YES – says The Sun’s Head of Sport Shaun Custis
      YES, let’s get on with it. As Alan Partridge might say: “Back of the net.”
      A World Cup every two years gets my vote for one big reason – there will be more meaningful, competitive England matches and less of the nonsense we had to suffer at the weekend.
      Shaun says: ‘A World Cup every two years gets my vote for one big reason – there will be more meaningful, competitive England matches and less of the nonsense we had to suffer at the weekend’Credit: The Sun
      We’ve had to put up with one-sided games against the likes of Andorra in qualifying ­campaigns for far too long.
      Part of the biennial World Cup plan is that the minnows will have to pre-qualify to earn the right to mix it with the big boys, and that’s how it should be.
      There would also be fewer friendlies where nobody is the slightest bit interested in the result. Hurrah to that.
      Over the past three years we’ve had a World Cup, a Euros and two extremely competitive Nations League competitions which have whetted the appetite for proper games – and no more of those glorified kickabouts.
      Whatever football supporters say about how they love their club far more than England, when the major tournaments come round they pack the pubs and the fan parks (Covid permitting) and scream themselves hoarse for the national team.
      Arsenal loyalists cheer on Harry Kane, Manchester United ­supporters hail Raheem Sterling.
      They don’t like to admit it but they do. And while Uefa is raging against the idea, watch them go for a Euros every two years too if the World Cup plan succeeds.
      Then we’ll have a high-profile competition every year – happy days.
      You could have put your house on the top European clubs kicking up an almighty stink.
      They claim all this will affect players’ welfare but that’s a smokescreen.
      What they are really upset about it is the effect on their lucrative pre-season tours, because players will have to get time off after the World Cup.
      They don’t care much about welfare when they are dragging their stars half- way around the world to fulfil sponsors’ demands.
      The mastermind behind the plan is ex-Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, now Fifa’s head of global football development.
      Mind you, when he was Arsenal boss he never stopped moaning when any of his players were away on international duty and came back late or injured.
      The poacher has truly turned gamekeeper and is making no ­apologies for it.
      So here’s to England winning the 2028 World Cup – after we’ve won it in 2022 and 2026, of course!
      NO – says Peter Shilton, who played in three World Cups
      WHEN I first heard talk of holding the World Cup every two years I thought it was a wind-up
      But former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger and football’s governing body are serious about the idea.
      Peter Shilton says: ‘I played in three World Cups for England and it is the ultimate moment in your career’Credit: Louis Wood News Group Newspapers Ltd
      The World Cup is already the biggest tournament in sport, so there is no need to make it any bigger.
      Lifting the golden trophy is what every football player dreams of.
      As a young player, my ambition was to represent my country on the biggest stage.
      I played in three World Cups for England and it is the ultimate moment in your career.
      You know the chance has to be grabbed because it doesn’t come round very often – and that adds to the incredible tension every time the ball comes close to the goal.
      If you get knocked out, you may never get another chance.
      Making it a biennial event would reduce the fervour and devalue this clash of nations.
      As a player I would be totally against it.
      Top-class footballers are playing almost the whole year round as it stands.
      Those England stars that reached the final of the Euros this summer hardly enjoyed any rest before they were thrown back into the cut-and-thrust of the Premier League.
      The domestic game just keeps expanding with more and more competitions, leading to more injuries.
      How will they squeeze in twice as many World Cups? It doesn’t sound workable.
      The Euros is very special, as we saw this summer, so that shouldn’t be shoved to one side
      There needs to be ample time to qualify for both the World Cup and Euros and build up excitement around these events.
      I can see the point of the lowest-ranked teams such as Andorra having pre-qualifying games for World Cup qualifiers because they have no chance of reaching the finals.
      But that should be introduced to the current four-year schedule.
      Generally, fiddling with formats produces no clear benefit to fans and is instead about money.
      The 2026 World Cup held in Canada, the US and Mexico will be the largest ever, with 48 countries taking part.
      Doubling the number of big ­tournaments is an idea too far.
      We shouldn’t be fixing something that isn’t broken.
      The ­current system is perfect.
      We are in danger of reaching a saturation point and need to ­realise you can have too much of a great thing.
      England manager Gareth Southgate comments on the possibility of having a FIFA World Cup every two years More

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      Kurt Zouma’s £125k-a-week West Ham wages haven’t gone down well with David Moyes’ tight-knit group of players

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      DAVID MOYES has created a tight-knit group at West Ham — which is one reason for the team’s impressive results, including qualifying for this season’s Europa League.But the £125,000 a week being banked by new arrival Kurt Zouma, 26, from Chelsea has not gone down particularly well with other players.
      West Ham stars are not pleased with the £125k-a-week being paid to new signing Kurt ZoumaCredit: AFP
      Zouma made the move across London and joined West Ham in the final days of last month’s transfer window.
      A thrilled Moyes said: “I am delighted to welcome Kurt to West Ham United.
      “He is a player we have tracked for some time, and we have taken great care and diligence to make the transfer happen.
      “He was always our first choice and I am very happy that he is now our player.
      “Kurt will join a squad full of players who are hungry and ambitious. He will provide competition to our squad.
      “He is a strong, powerful player with great experience in the Premier League while he is also at a good age for a centre-back.

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      “Kurt has enjoyed great success at Chelsea and I can see that he is determined to continue being successful here at the London Stadium.
      “Myself, the coaching staff and players are all looking forward to working with him and we wish him all the very best in his career with us.”
      Some England fans crowded into the ‘home’ end against Andorra, causing chaosCredit: Getty
      SOME FANS ARE STILL BLOCKHEADS
      THERE was a terrific atmosphere at Wembley as England attracted a crowd of 67,171 for the World Cup qualifier against Andorra on Sunday.
      Thankfully, there  as no repeat of the carnage from the Euro 2020 final against Italy, which could see the FA hit with a ban.
      Yet some supporters still failed to engage their brains before the 4-0 win.
      Fans with tickets for different areas gravitated towards the so-called Home End, which is mostly populated by members of the England Supporters Travel Club behind the goal.
      One of the regulars in Block 109 told SunSport: “As kick-off neared, large groups of fans poured into the block. A lot went to the front — the front two rows were massively overcrowded.
      “They stood on the stairs and forced their way into rows of seats.
      “Several arguments broke out among fans as people forced their way into rows of seats.
      “As the half went on, stewards started to check tickets and move people out. By half-time it was a lot calmer.”
      Even from the media zone, the area looked rammed in the first half. It was reassuring that about 30 stewards dealt with the problem and it was not reported as a serious incident to the FA or Fifa.
      But it would really help if fans — and those who were clearly not England regulars — sat in the right seats in the first place.
      Tottenham icons aren’t happy their services are being cut for home gamesCredit: PA
      LEG-END OF AN ERA FOR SPURS
      SPURS legends are angry after the club cut back on using their services at home games.
      And some punters in the posh seats at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium aren’t happy either — because they won’t be seeing some familiar faces as often.
      Spurs have been renowned for their close links with ex-players and employ a group of just under 20 to appear in the hospitality areas on home match days. 
      But under new arrangements for this season, most of the legends will be used for about one in four games.
      Only Gary Mabbutt and Ossie Ardiles are due to be at every game. It will hit them in the pocket, with the club paying about £600 per appearance.  
      Spurs declined to comment but these latest changes follow the decision to let stadium announcer Paul Coyte leave after 16 years.

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      FINAL THOUGHTS
      FEW teams spent plenty in the summer. 
      It seems one owner has lent his club a few quid — but is charging an extortionate interest rate. 
      It is not the first time this has happened in English football and it only ends in tears.
      Kurt zouma shows off skills in training More

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      England home end at Wembley ‘massively overcrowded’ after blockhead fans ‘forced their way into seats’

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      THERE was a terrific atmosphere at Wembley as England attracted a crowd of 67,171 for the World Cup qualifier against Andorra on Sunday.Thankfully, there  as no repeat of the carnage from the Euro 2020 final against Italy, which could see the FA hit with a ban.
      Some England fans crowded into the ‘home’ end against Andorra, causing chaosCredit: Getty
      Yet some supporters still failed to engage their brains before the 4-0 win.
      Fans with tickets for different areas gravitated towards the so-called Home End, which is mostly populated by members of the England Supporters Travel Club behind the goal.
      One of the regulars in Block 109 told SunSport: “As kick-off neared, large groups of fans poured into the block. A lot went to the front — the front two rows were massively overcrowded.
      “They stood on the stairs and forced their way into rows of seats.

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      “Several arguments broke out among fans as people forced their way into rows of seats.
      “As the half went on, stewards started to check tickets and move people out. By half-time it was a lot calmer.”
      Even from the media zone, the area looked rammed in the first half. It was reassuring that about 30 stewards dealt with the problem and it was not reported as a serious incident to the FA or Fifa.
      But it would really help if fans — and those who were clearly not England regulars — sat in the right seats in the first place.
      LEG-END OF AN ERA FOR SPURS
      SPURS legends are angry after the club cut back on using their services at home games.
      And some punters in the posh seats at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium aren’t happy either — because they won’t be seeing some familiar faces as often.
      Tottenham icons aren’t happy their services are being cut for home gamesCredit: PA
      Spurs have been renowned for their close links with ex-players and employ a group of just under 20 to appear in the hospitality areas on home match days. 
      But under new arrangements for this season, most of the legends will be used for about one in four games.
      Only Gary Mabbutt and Ossie Ardiles are due to be at every game. It will hit them in the pocket, with the club paying about £600 per appearance.  
      Spurs declined to comment but these latest changes follow the decision to let stadium announcer Paul Coyte leave after 16 years.

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      FINAL THOUGHTS
      FEW teams spent plenty in the summer. 
      It seems one owner has lent his club a few quid — but is charging an extortionate interest rate. 
      It is not the first time this has happened in English football and it only ends in tears.
      Kurt zouma shows off skills in training More

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      Man Utd can field TWO quality XIs after Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho transfer – but still no room for Van de Beek

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      OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER’S super summer of transfer business has left him with an embarrassment of riches that can fill two teams of internationals.As our graphics show the Manchester United boss can easily switch his whole XI from Premier League games to domestic cup competitions and not see a huge fall in quality.
      Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first XI after the transfer window
      The second Manchester United XI, packed full of internationals
      The potential to mix and match from a gruelling midweek Champions League trip to weekend Prem action is also huge.
      The Red Devils had one of their best summers ever in terms of transfer business.
      They landed Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund, Raphael Varane from Real Madrid and – of course – snatched Cristiano Ronaldo from the grasp of neighbours City to bring him home to Old Trafford.
      Often it’s a case of landing one young player for the future, one unknown and one star – but this time it was three players who could slot into any team in Europe.
      The fact they will all be playing together for United has got Red Devils fans buzzing as they seek a first Premier League title since 2013.
      But Solskjaer knows they really need to be making an impact on the biggest stage in Europe again.

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      Their record in the last ten years in the Champions League has been really poor for a club the size of United.
      Since reaching the 2011 final they have only gone as far as the quarters twice.
      Ronaldo has returned believing he can turn the clock back to 2008 when he was part of Manchester United the last time they ruled Europe after that penalty shoot-out win over Chelsea in Moscow.
      Solskjaer will not be taking the domestic cups lightly either as he chases that first piece of silverware as boss.
      Cristiano Ronaldo with United boss Solskjaer at CarringtonCredit: Getty
      To go at it on four fronts, however, he knows from his own time as a player that you need to be able to rotate with quality and that is what he now has.
      These two line-ups emphasise more than anything the huge arsenal he has in the attacking department.
      Players who can adapt to either flank, alone up front or as a No10.
      The first-choice front four – while Marcus Rashford recovers from a shoulder injury – in a 4-2-3-1 can do is whetting the appetite of United fans.
      With Sancho’s assists from out wide, Bruno Fernandes pulling the strings in the middle, Mason Greenwood cutting in to strike and now Ronaldo as the danger man in the box, there are goals everywhere.
      That’s before you consider the still considerable talents of Edinson Cavani and born-again Jesse Lingard who scored twice for England against Andorra on Sunday.
      Man Utd’s biggest transfers ever, both in and out, including Ronaldo
      Anthony Martial is down the pecking order right now and if you were naming your best two XIs Donny van de Beek would not get a place in either.
      His potential is still there to be unleashed if Solskjaer can somehow find a way to translate his form from the Eredivisie to the Premier League.
      The headache of juggling his selection from one game to the next is one he will be very happy to have.
      ⚽ Read our Man United live blog for the latest news and transfer gossip from Old Trafford
      Gareth Bale ‘excited’ to watch Cristiano Ronaldo tear it up at Man Utd as he heaps praise on ex-Real Madrid team-mate More

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      Supercar-loving Man Utd star Cristiano Ronaldo faces 20mph speed limit at new £6m village home

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      SUPERCAR-loving striker Cristiano Ronaldo is facing a 20mph speed limit outside his new village home.The star, 36, has only just moved into a stunning £6million mansion after flying into the UK last week fresh from signing for Manchester United.
      Supercar-loving striker Cristiano Ronaldo is facing a 20mph speed limit at his new village homeCredit: BackGrid
      It has space for his £17million collection of supercars, including a £1.4million Ferrari Monza, a £2.15million Bugatti Chiron and a £1.7million Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport.
      But council officials in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, want a 20mph speed limit as the village is already blighted by petrolheads showing off their motors.
      A source said: “Ronaldo loves his cars and being able to drive them fast so he can show off. But this talk of a 20mph is really going to impact on that.
      “Doing 20mph in a Lamborghini looks a bit daft.
      “The village has become a go-to place to spot supercars but while the petrolheads love it, locals have complained.”
      Cheshire East Council said: “We’re committed to reducing speeds.”

      The star, 36, has only just moved into a stunning £6million mansion after flying into the UK last week fresh from signing for Manchester UnitedCredit: Getty
      A source said: ‘Ronaldo loves his cars and being able to drive them fast so he can show off’Credit: AP:Associated Press
      Topless Cristiano Ronaldo sunbathes in Manchester with Georgina and their family More