Category: Sport

Arsenal legend Paul Merson thinks Mikel Arteta should be “worried” by comments from Ethan Nwaneri’s former academy coach comparing the starlet to Phil Foden and Cole Palmer.

The 17-year-old has impressed in 11 appearances in all competitions as he’s showed flashes of his talent with four goals – but he is yet to start a game in the Premier League.

Arsenal boss Arteta has been wary of introducing Nwaneri too early with the youngster progressing at a good pace, after being hyped up ever since becoming the youngest player to feature in the Premier League, when he made his debut against Brentford in September 2022 at 15 years and 181 days.

Former academy coach Dan Micciche reckons Nwaneri is in the same “tier” of talent as Foden, Palmer and Chelsea winger Jadon Sancho.

Micciche told Sky Sports: “I worked with Foden, Sancho and Palmer. Ethan is in that tier.”

Arsenal team-mate Gabriel Jesus has also likened Nwaneri’s talent to Foden and Palmer, the Brazilian said: “I have been with some very special youngsters, like Phil and Cole — and also James McAtee at City, he is also very good.

“So to see Ethan in training and in the game is good, because I am a fan of football… when I see someone young with this quality, I am happy and then obviously I want him to grow, grow, grow. Then if he needs something from me personally, I am here to help him because I am 27.”

But Merson insists he would be “worried” if he was Arteta over comments comparing Nwaneri to already established Premier League players and hopes the Arsenal youngster has good people around him.

Merson told Sky Sports: “His ability to get on the ball, he’s intelligent, he makes runs, he can beat people, he can see a pass. I’d be worried if I was the manager, him [Nwaneri’s former academy coach] saying that [comparison’s to Foden, Sancho and Palmer].

“If I’m Arteta I’d be worried. I’d be thinking, ‘please don’t say that’. Not just building him up too much, because he’ll start thinking, ‘well I should be in the team now because I’m better than Foden’. I’m not saying it’s him but it’s the people around him. Hopefully he does [have good people around him].”

MORE ARSENAL COVERAGE ON F365…
👉 Arsenal decide not to force Lopetegui sack despite Saka and Odegaard masterclass
👉 Gary Neville: Arsenal have new Henry-Pires relationship after ‘incredible’ West Ham moment
👉 Southgate accused of ‘lying’ about Arsenal, England star White: ‘He was being targeted and mocked’

Arteta said earlier this month that he “trusts” Nwaneri and the Arsenal boss plans to protect the youngster while he is still developing.

The Arsenal boss said: “It is rare to see a talent like this at 17, that’s true.

“When he made his debut in the Premier League there was a lot of talk about it.

“We didn’t do it as a gift, we did it because we knew the pathway we wanted to build with him and we wanted to send him a really strong sign about how much we trust him and how much we wanted him to stay with us.”

Arteta added: “The biggest thing is to push him and then when he is pushing you grab him from behind to make sure he is stable and protected. This talent you have to push him.

“Protection is necessary, keeping an eye on him, but he needs to see that he can go and fly and not cut his wings.

“I can talk about how good he is right now and the position he is at, at one of the biggest clubs in Europe, sums up really well the level he has.

“What happens in the future is going to depend on him and how much he wants it. At the moment he wants it a lot and he is surrounded by the right people.

“The crystal ball to see what he is going to be in two or three years, no. My prediction is going to be very positive.”

Ruud van Nistelrooy might have made a mistake in taking the Leicester job. Evanilson and Chris Wood are brilliant, while Marc Guehi had his redemption.

Brentford 4-1 Leicester: A Ruud awakening for Steve Cooper’s replacement
“I can’t wait to start,” Ruud van Nistelrooy told one reporter before watching his new Leicester side from the stands for the first time against Brentford. Ninety chastening minutes later, the Dutchman might have been checking the fine print in his contract for an exit clause.

Van Nistelrooy surely cannot have been caught off guard by the standard of this squad but witnessing the crushing incompetence of it first hand might have brought home the gravity and inherent gamble of his decision to make this his first Premier League job.

And if Leicester owner Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha was furious with his squad before, this cannot have helped.

It was the usual start to a caretaker manager reign for the Foxes, as Ben Dawson saw Jamie Vardy shrug off Ethan Pinnock to set up Facundo Buonanotte’s opener.

But Brentford’s ludicrous record at home and remarkable attacking productivity combined with Leicester’s rank defensive ineptitude to create the most inevitable of all comebacks.

None of the goals were flattering but the second and third placed particularly harsh spotlights on the backline.

With Caleb Okoli off the pitch receiving treatment, six Leicester players were in the area without any pretence of shape or organisation as Bryan Mbeumo’s low ball found Kevin Schade to make it 2-1.

There was slightly more cohesion as Brentford surged forward about 20 minutes later, but three players marking Yoane Wissa felt like a choice when James Justin left Schade and Keane Lewis-Potter behind him on the left flank completely unmarked.

Schade took full advantage with an unlikely hat-trick as the passing of Mikkel Damsgaard proved especially problematic for a Leicester side in more trouble than their position in the table suggests.

READ MORE: Van Nistelrooy already has managers ‘fuming’ after being shown door by ‘bonkers’ Amorim

Crystal Palace 1-1 Newcastle: A Guehi old time
It felt like the most predictable goal of the entire Premier League season came on the opening weekend. With apologies to Aston Villa and Jhon Duran, they will have to relinquish that title to Marc Guehi’s strike for Newcastle.

The Magpies drew 1-1 with one shot to Crystal Palace’s 15 and that wasn’t even how they scored. That instead came about from a free-kick routine which resulted in Anthony Gordon’s centre being bundled in by Guehi.

It was one of only two possible scenarios, the other being a centre-half performance singlehandedly channelling peak Baresi and Maldini from a player Newcastle fruitlessly pursued all summer.

But a double redemption act ensured a share of the spoils. Daniel Munoz’s inexplicable first-half miss from a matter of yards out looked to be incredibly costly until he converted Guehi’s cross in stoppage time. It was the least Palace deserved from a game which can only prompt more questions of Eddie Howe.

Nottingham Forest 1-0 Ipswich: Wood you believe it?
After a pair of confidence-sapping defeats to clubs in 5th and 10th, Nottingham Forest are back. Only Liverpool, Brentford, Aston Villa and Chelsea have accrued more points against bottom-half teams than Nuno Espirito Santo’s side and try as they might, that was a tide of momentum Ipswich could not fight against.

That and Chris Wood. His ninth goal of the season, a penalty after Sammie Szmodics fouled Jota early in the second half, brought the New Zealander level with Bryan Roy as Forest’s all-time top Premier League scorer.

It was a deficit Ipswich were always likely to struggle overhauling. They do not gain many points from losing positions, nor do Forest generally lose them when winning. The first goal was of the utmost importance and even more so on one of those rarer afternoons when Liam Delap encounters a defence he cannot barge through almost entirely on his own.

The 21-year-old has a bright career ahead of him, but even just matching the output and consistency of someone like Wood would be a phenomenal achievement.

Wolves 2-4 Bournemouth: Evan almighty as Sa pays the penalty
There is something charming about seeing the football food chain working flawlessly in real time. Several rungs separate each of Bayern Munich, Tottenham and Bournemouth yet all three were brought together by a domino effect of record-breaking transfers.

The European giants signed Harry Kane in summer 2023. The member of the established Premier League elite who sold him waited a year to identify and secure his replacement in Dominic Solanke. The aspirational mid-table side hoping to become an accepted top-flight side found his successor in the developmental area of all clubs: Portugal.

Evanilson has been an excellent addition to this Bournemouth team, which has moved seamlessly on from a 21-goal forward to one similarly selfless, skilled in build-up play and spirited when it comes to workrate.

The Gary O’Neil derby should have been defined by the performance of Matheus Cunha based on recent form but it was a different expensive Brazilian centre-forward who dictated the game. Evanilson won three penalties – all dispatched by Justin Kluivert – by preying on Jose Sa’s naivety, and helped knit together the wonderful move which Milos Kerkez dispatched to create a scoreline gap Wolves never could close.

Kane is a freakish case but Solanke and Evanilson might both be judged harshly by fools whose assessments of a forward fail to extend beyond their goal records. The pair have four Premier League goals each for their new clubs but far more important is how they bring everything together in attack and even lead the defence from the front. Bournemouth should be proud of a recruitment model which has found such similar lynchpins.

READ NEXT: Five Premier League managers have served touchline suspensions

Gary Neville claimed Arsenal have a modern-day Thierry Henry and Robert Pires relationship as Martin Odegaard slotted a penalty in the Gunners’ clash with West Ham.

Mikel Arteta’s side roared into a 4-0 lead at the London Stadium thanks to goals from Gabriel Magalhaes, Leandro Trossard, Odegaard and Havertz, before Bukayo Saka scored from the spot to give them an incredible 5-2 lead at half-time after Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Emerson had pegged them back.

Odegaard played a delightful dinked pass through to Saka in the build-up to Trossard’s goal, but it was the Norway international’s penalty that sparked memories of Henry and Pires for Neville on commentary.

Saka won the penalty and looked as though he would take the spot kick having been the usual penalty taker in recent seasons, but the England international was in fact holding the ball for Odegaard, with the captain stepping up to score Arsenal’s fourth.

Neville flip-flopped as he watched the moment unfold, eventually claiming that Saka and Odegaard are the new Henry and Pires when it comes to penalties.

He said on Sky Sports commentary: “There’s no Henry-Pires relationship here where if you get fouled, you don’t take the penalty… That’s confused us all, there is an Henry-Pires relationship.

“The Henry-Pires relationship of 2024 is Saka and Odegaard.”

MORE ARSENAL COVERAGE ON F365
👉 ‘Next Sancho’ wanted by Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal as ‘initial talks’ take place over ‘future transfer’
👉 Southgate accused of ‘lying’ about Arsenal, England star White: ‘He was being targeted and mocked’
👉 Liverpool set for quadruple after Chiesa: Rubbish transfer windows that preceded brilliant seasons

Neville was also full of praise for Gabriel, who nodded in Arsenal’s opener from Saka’s corner.

The Brazilian was seen speaking to Saka and other Gunners players ahead of the delivery, seemingly in charge from start to finish.

“That is just incredible – Gabriel has just conducted that goal from start to finish. I can’t think of a more important place when defending corners than the near post,” said Neville.

“The quality of the delivery in is outstanding though and these Arsenal corners need special attention.”

Over on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Republic of Ireland midfielder Andy Reid added: “Straight away the Arsenal staff go to hug the set-piece coach [Nicolas Jover].

“It’s a brilliant ball in, there’s not a lot of pace on the ball, but it’s really accurate.

“Gabriel gets free and he has the movement from the back to the front post – he will not get an easier header.

“He has the desire to get his head on the ball, but the delivery is key.”

West Ham place immense importance on games against Arsenal, as David Moyes recently revealed. Julen Lopetegui should be grateful they pulled their punches.

If Arsenal have not already accepted some responsibility for West Ham’s current plight then they simply must.

“We beat Arsenal on December 28, we beat them at the Emirates, and that day they offered me a new contract,” David Moyes said earlier this month. By February and after a performance the manager generously described as “weak” in a 6-0 thrashing against the Gunners, West Ham paused negotiations and soon withdrew that new deal.

The apparent desperation of David Sullivan and friends to make such monumental managerial decisions based heavily on the outcome of matches against Premier League title contenders Arsenal is curious, but this latest home humbling revealed nothing new.

Yet here it was, the second of Julen Lopetegui’s latest run of Two Games To Save His Job. If the first was a corner turned with victory over Newcastle, this was a crushing, deflating dead-end. West Ham were 14th, hoveringly uncomfortably above a relegation scrap with Europe not even close to the horizon; no points for guessing precisely where they stand now, no clearer than before on whether Lopetegui should even make it to January.

Had West Ham’s full-backs not inexplicably united to threaten the most ludicrous of comebacks on the stroke of half-time, this might well have been his last game. It was on course to be precisely that final and hand-forcing a result and performance. Three goals in nine minutes made it 4-0 with barely half an hour played and Arsenal at their destructive best.

MORE ARSENAL COVERAGE FROM F365
👉 Southgate accused of ‘lying’ about Arsenal, England star White: ‘He was being targeted and mocked’
👉 West Ham boss snubs Liverpool as he names ‘best team’ in Premier League ahead of Arsenal clash

Gabriel from a Bukayo Saka corner; stunning Saka and Odegaard combination play; a penalty; even a Kai Havertz ‘getting in on the act’ goal. Arsenal played all the hits and West Ham were imploding yet again.

But a sublime Carlos Soler through ball was converted by Aaron Wan-Bissaka and a sumptuous Emerson Palmieri free-kick halved the deficit. The brilliant Saka extinguished any burgeoning hopes of some Cheick Tiote-inspired madness and restored a kinder cushion from the spot before Anthony Taylor brought a quite frankly stupid 45 minutes to a close.

It was the fourth time in Premier League history that as many as seven goals had been scored in the first half of a game. The subsequent second halves of the previous three matches told an inevitable story: across Blackburn v Leeds in September 1997, Bradford v Derby in April 2000 and Reading v Manchester United in 2012, the only goal scored in the second half was a Craig Burley penalty in the 52nd minute to salvage a draw for the relegation-battling Rams at the turn of the millennium.

A seemingly endless flow of first-half goals always precedes talk of the double-figure scoreline barrier finally being broken before the collective vinegar strokes set in soon into a sleepy second half. Arsenal preserved their energy and West Ham tried to salvage what was left of their pride. Neither side was particularly tempted to twist; Lopetegui bringing on a defensive midfielder in Edson Alvarez for the bright Crysencio Summerville before the restart was a substitution which screamed ‘stick’.

Mikel Arteta will quietly seethe at that two-minute period in which West Ham were irresistible but really this was a continuation of Arsenal finding their Odegaard return groove. This is their first set of consecutive three-goal Premier League wins since March and the second game in five days to feature five different scorers.

A period of complacency was almost mandatory but as with the Sporting victory, there was immense encouragement in how they rode that wave of momentum and quickly regained control.

West Ham could almost have done without the distraction and implication of that ‘2’ in the scoreline. It suggests something closer than this, less definitive, when in reality it was as bad as anything served up during this reign or by latter day Moyes.

It is still impossible to envisage how Lopetegui possibly makes this work, and it doesn’t really feel as though they should wait until their February visit to the Emirates to act if nothing fundamental changes.

READ NEXT: Van Nistelrooy faces Leicester owner fury and Evanilson matches record Spurs signing

Paul Merson believes Man Utd will be “destroyed by four or five goals” if they fail to improve after Ruben Amorim’s first two games in charge.

Ruben Amorim’s first game in charge of the Red Devils finished 1-1 at Portman Road last weekend, with Marcus Rashford’s early opener cancelled out by Omari Hutchinson.

The Portuguese boss got his first win against Bodo/Glimt, but Merson believes a battering at the hands of the Gunners is coming on Wednesday if United don’t up their game, with Everton on Sunday offering them a chance to hone their craft in Amorim’s 3-4-3 system that’s yet to convince the pundit.

“I think even Ruben Amorim was shocked by what happened [against Ipswich],” Merson told Sportskeeda. “If they don’t start winning games, Amorim will have to start answering a lot more questions whether he likes it or not.

“That is just how big this club is and how the Premier League is in a nutshell. I’m not entirely convinced about Manchester United’s new system under Amorim.

“After a point in that game, you would’ve thought Ipswich were the bigger club and not United, that’s how it went.

“You could say everyone was away on international duty, and he did not have enough time. But if that performance was against one of the big boys in the league, Manchester United would have been destroyed by four or five goals!”

MORE ON MAN UTD FROM F365
👉 Amorim ‘breaks first promise’ at Man Utd as Ratcliffe ‘prepares £60m offer’ for Sporting star
👉 Van Nistelrooy infuriates managers, ‘bonkers’ Amorim and Slot is the next Paisley
👉 Rashford is ‘cooked’, Liverpool are giddy and Arsenal will still win the title

Owen Hargreaves agrees that United could come a cropper against Arsenal without “two super-athletes” as his midfield pairing.

“I think they’ve got a lot of good players. Do they have the players capable of winning the Premier League or Champions League? Probably not. That’s going to take time to sort the recruitment out,” Hargreaves told TNT Sports.

“The most important thing is that they get results. Obviously Everton at the weekend is a tough game but at home you’d expect them [United] to win that game.

“Tough fixtures, especially the Arsenal one coming up after that, but they need to find a way to get results. Today they didn’t play brilliantly but they found a way to win the game which is the most important thing.

“I don’t think he has the personnel that he had at Sporting.

“I think if you’re going to play two in there [midfield], they need to be two super-athletes and cover the distances.

“I’m not sure they have that as such. I think they’ve got some really good players, different players but he might have to tweak it that maybe one of the No.10s drops in and one of the wing-backs gets a little bit higher for the width.

“But I think playing two in there against an Arsenal or a [Manchester] City, I think that’s going to be really, really difficult.

“I think it’s a work in progress, we need to be patient but we’re getting there.”

Joshua Zirkzee ‘wants to leave’ Manchester United to reunite with former Bologna manager Thiago Motta, according to reports in Italy.

Man Utd signed Netherlands international Zirkzee from Bologna for a little over his £34million release clause in the summer transfer window.

He scored the winner on his debut against Fulham but that is his only goal in a Red Devils shirt.

One goal in 12 Premier League matches is a horrendous return but it is not his lack of goals that Zirkzee is mainly being criticised for.

His overall play has been very disappointing and he looks miles off the required pace to play up front in the Premier League.

Furthermore, nobody seems to know what his best position is.

There has been lots of speculation surrounding the future of Zirkzee months after he joined from Bologna.

The 23-year-old was brilliant for the Serie A club last season as he helped them qualify for the Champions League for the first time in their history.

MORE ON MAN UTD FROM F365
👉 Amorim ‘breaks first promise’ at Man Utd as Ratcliffe ‘prepares £60m offer’ for Sporting star
👉 Van Nistelrooy infuriates managers, ‘bonkers’ Amorim and Slot is the next Paisley
👉 Rashford is ‘cooked’, Liverpool are giddy and Arsenal will still win the title

Zirkzee earned the move to Old Trafford, while his manager Thiago Motta earned his move to Juventus, who have been inconsistent under his management and are being linked with the player.

The Old Lady won their first two Champions League matches this term but have lost one and drawn two since, while they have drawn seven of their opening 13 league matches.

They are at least unbeaten domestically but the alarming number of draws leaves them sixth in Serie A with 25 points.

In order to turn these draws into wins, Juventus will likely sign some players in the winter transfer window.

Zirkzee ‘wants to leave’ Man Utd after horrendous start

According to Italian outlet Gazzetta, Zirkzee’s difficult situation at Man Utd has Juventus on red alert and the Italian giants could sign him in January.

It is claimed that Juve’s ‘radar is focused on Old Trafford’ as Zirkzee’s ‘situation has not improved’ under new head coach Ruben Amorim.

The Dutch youngster already ‘wants to leave’ the club in order to ‘re-embrace Thiago Motta’, and a loan deal is the most likely outcome if he does leave Man Utd.

The report states:

In attack, the radar is focused on Old Trafford: Manchester United has changed coach, but Zirkzee’s situation has not improved. The new coach Ruben Amorim has not yet fielded the Dutchman as a starter and in the Europa League he kept him ninety minutes on the bench against the Norwegians of Bodo Glimt.

The former Bologna man wants to leave the Red Devils to re-embrace Thiago Motta: Giuntoli is waiting for the opening to the loan of the English to seize the opportunity and guarantee the coach an alternative striker to Dusan Vlahovic regardless of the recovery of the long-suffering Arek Milik (the other option is Schick of Bayer Leverkusen).

Luxury rentals that could be followed by real investments thanks to the money of Fagioli and Douglas Luiz. In that case, the idea of the Bianconeri would be to try to anticipate the operations scheduled for June through more creative deals (loans with obligation): from the defensive wildcard Hancko to the dream Ferguson, Feyenoord and Bologna permitting.

👉 READ NEXT: Tyler Dibling and semi-automated offsides are two godsends for the Premier League

At the Congress in Tashkent, Alisher Usmanov received 120 votes in the election of the president of the International Fencing Federation. The billionaire with a fortune of 1 14.4 billion is a significant donor of international fencing through his charitable foundation.

Russian – Uzbek billionaire Usmanov was elected president of the International Fencing Federation

A 71-year-old man received 120 votes in the elections in Tashkent (Uzbekistan).

Передаю повідомлення з повідомлень на Spiegel.

Russian-Uzbek billionaire Alisher Usmanov was elected president of the International Fencing Federation at the organization's Congress in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, on Saturday, November 30.

a 71-year-old man received 120 votes.

Usmanov's fortune, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, is 1 14.4 billion.he earned his fortune in mining, industry, Telecommunications and the media. Through his charitable foundation, he is a significant donor to international fencing.

The result in favor of Usmanov was predictable, writes Spiegel.

He had already spoken out in advance about a clear majority in his favor. After the election, he himself responded with a "thank you for the FIE's trust", saying in a press release that he "cannot ignore" "the opinions of more than 100 associations that supported my nomination.

Assets of Russian oligarch Usmanov worth more than UAH 2 billion recovered in favor of UkraineSep 26 2024, 01:05 PM • 13533 views

Liverpool will not miss Trent Alexander-Arnold if he moves to Real Madrid because of Conor Bradley, according to Mark Lawrenson.

Alexander-Arnold is reportedly a top target for Real Madrid, who want to sign the England international on a free transfer at the end of the season.

Liverpool have allowed Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and captain Virgil van Dijk to enter the final seven months of their contract.

They can all negotiate a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs from January 1.

Salah recently said he is “more out than in” having not received an offer to extend, while Trent has been relatively quiet, saying in September that any negotiations will not be played out in public.

“I want to be a Liverpool player this season [as a minimum] is what I will say,” he 26-year-old said.

“I have been at the club 20 years now. I have signed four or five contract extensions and none of those have been played out in public – and this one won’t be either.”

Conor Bradley has proven himself to be a very capable replacement for Alexander-Arnold and put Kylian Mbappe in his pocket in Liverpool’s impressive 2-0 win over Champions League holders Real Madrid on Wednesday.

Alexander-Arnold returned to the bench for the European clash after missing Sunday’s trip to Southampton through injury and was not needed with Bradley thriving against the French superstar.

And Liverpool legend Lawrenson thinks Bradley’s form is a sign that Arne Slot will survive without Alexander-Arnold.

“Conor Bradley has done well, and that’s because he’s playing with plenty of freedom,” he said.

“Unfortunately for him, he knows that when Trent Alexander-Arnold is back from injury, he’ll go straight into the team, meaning that Bradley isn’t under any pressure when he plays.

“If Trent leaves Liverpool in the summer, the club would be absolutely fine with their replacements as they’ve got Conor Bradley and Joe Gomez, who are both great players.”

MORE ON LIVERPOOL FROM F365
👉 Liverpool, Arsenal set to leapfrog Man City in race to be 2024 Premier League kings
👉 Former Liverpool striker Owen reveals what he is ‘hearing’ about Salah contract standoff
👉 Liverpool and Man City fans unite in ticket price protest after Man Utd £66 hike

Liverpool host Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday and Slot is keen keep on pushing rather than admiring their amazing start to 2024/25.

“Let me start by saying Wednesday was a special night for this club,” Slot wrote in his matchday programme column.

“To defeat a team like Real Madrid so many things have to come together – the performance of the players, the atmosphere created by the crowd, the preparation, the desire. It was all there. This is not to say it was perfect, because as a coach you are always striving for a perfection that might not even exist, but all of the ingredients you would want were in place.

“I liked a lot of what I saw. Again, not everything, but a lot. One of the things I liked most was that everyone from players to supporters saw the victory for what it was and that is another step forward on the road to where we want to be. This isn’t to play the win down or to make it less important. But as I said afterwards, it was a group-stage win and not a victory in the later stages or the final. Of course we can enjoy it and we did enjoy it, but we know also that there is still work to be done.

“It is also worth remembering that Real remain the best team in Europe. They won the Champions League last June and this makes them holders.

👉 Big Weekend: Liverpool v Man City, Aston Villa, Odegaard, Dawson, Yorkshire, Der Klassiker

“It is a similar situation with Sunday’s opponents, Manchester City, who are the holders of the Premier League having won the title four years in a row. The calibre of these teams speaks for itself and that is why this is such an exciting week with us being able to play both of them in a matter of days.

“I would like to welcome Pep Guardiola, his staff and the players and supporters of Manchester City to Anfield. In terms of trophies won, there is no question that City have been a dominant force in English football for several seasons. Yes, they are our rivals, but even within this rivalry we can definitely find room to respect their achievements and qualities.

“It is an interesting time to play City because so many are questioning them at the moment. I am not one of them. This is not to ignore their recent results, because clearly they have not been of the usual standard, but City still have one of the best managers in the world – if not the best manager in the world – numerous top-class players and a culture of success, which means they cannot be written off even in times of adversity.

“To be very clear, they remain one of the best sides not only in this country but also in the world and we have prepared for this fixture on that basis. Of course we get to take our own belief into the game and we will definitely do that, but we also arrive with the knowledge that our performance will have to be as good, if not even better, than it was on Wednesday night.

“We should not be surprised that we are in a good position, though. The squad that I inherited is one that has been high-performing for several seasons.

“It is not new to them to be challenging the likes of City and Real Madrid. It is what they have done for some time. But the challenge for them – for us – is not only to keep challenging, it is to show that we can continue improving in everything that we do. This is what the very best teams do. They do not stop and admire their work. They keep on pushing themselves.

“Finally and importantly, Sunday is a day when Liverpool FC as a club will show our support for the LGBTQ+ community by demonstrating our backing of Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign.

“This is something that we do proudly and passionately because football is for everyone and has to be for everyone.”

👉 READ NEXT: Walker, Gakpo, Arsenal’s ‘best £20m spent’: Every Premier League club’s worst player in 24/25

Premier League side Leicester City have confirmed Ruud van Nistelrooy as their new manager following the decision to sack Steve Cooper.

Cooper was dismissed on Sunday after a 2-1 home defeat to Chelsea left the Foxes with one point from their four league matches.

The decision came as a surprise and former Manchester United striker, assistant coach and interim manager Van Nistelrooy has replaced the ex-Nottingham Forest boss.

It is the Dutchman’s first managerial job in England having gained one-year experience with PSV Eindhoven in 2023/23.

A Leicester statement read: ‘We are delighted to confirm the appointment of Ruud van Nistelrooy as Leicester City’s new First Team Manager.

‘The 48-year-old Dutchman joins us with a wealth of experience at the highest level of the game, both as a player and a coach, and has agreed terms on a contract to June 2027.

MORE PREMIER LEAGUE CONTENT ON F365
👉 Van Nistelrooy infuriates managers, ‘bonkers’ Amorim and Slot is the next Paisley
👉 When will Arne Slot’s Liverpool beat their first Proper Team this season?
👉 Hojlund can solve one big problem for Man United – and make fixing others easier too

‘Ruud will arrive in the UK in time to be in attendance for our Premier League trip to Brentford on Saturday, before assuming full First Team responsibilities from Sunday.

‘City will be led at the Gtech Community Stadium by First Team Coach Ben Dawson, supported by coaches Danny Alcock and Andy Hughes.’

Van Nistelrooy said: “I’m proud, I’m excited. Everybody that I speak to about Leicester City Football Club is enthusiastic.

“They have great stories about the quality of the people working at the club, the supporters and, of course, the recent history of the club is impressive.

“I’m excited to start and to get to know everyone and give everything I can for the football club.”

Leicester chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha added: “It is my pleasure to welcome Ruud to Leicester City.

“He joins a club with a rich history, passionate supporters, and a talented squad, and we are all excited to see the impact he can have as we embark on this new chapter together.

“Ruud’s experience, knowledge, and winning mentality will undoubtedly bring great value to us, and we look forward to supporting him in achieving success for our fans and our club.”

👉 READ NEXT: Big Weekend: Liverpool v Man City, Aston Villa, Odegaard, Dawson, Yorkshire, Der Klassiker

Southampton were controversially denied a winning goal by VAR as they drew 1-1 away to Brighton in the Premier League on Friday night.

Southampton’s Joe Lumley came in for Alex McCarthy, who dropped to the bench after a poor performance against Liverpool last week. First-choice goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale remains out with a broken finger.

Kaoru Mitoma was presented a fantastic opportunity to score when Yukinari Sugawara lost possession on the edge of his box.

The Japanese winger took on the shot early with Lumley out of position and hit the side netting.

Georginio Rutter struck the post with a wicked left-footed strike in the 16th minute.

Brighton took the lead in the 29th minute when Mitoma got on the end of Tariq Lamptey’s deadly cross at the back post.

Flynn Downes latched onto a loose ball in the box to smash home a Southampton equaliser just before the hour mark, netting his first Premier League goal.

Cameron Archer thought he gave the Saints a surprise lead in the 67th minute but Adam Armstrong was offside and deemed to have interfered with play from Ryan Fraser’s cross.

Young winger Tyler Dibling showed his incredible ability under pressure to break through the Brighton midfield before finding Fraser. What a talent.

Saints ‘keeper Ramsdale was not happy, posting on X at the time of the disallowed goal: ‘You can not be serious’.

The Premier League confirmed that it was Armstrong who was offside for Archer’s goal.

They posted on X: ‘The referee’s call of no goal was checked and confirmed by the VAR as Armstrong was in an offside position and deemed to be impacting Verbruggen’s ability to play the ball.’

Reaction coming soon…