Sports

Arne Slot has responded to Wayne Rooney’s claim that the Liverpool head coach does not have the “aura” to manage the club by pointing to his Premier League title success last season. Rooney questioned Slot’s suitability for the job, telling The Overlap: “I have met him a few times. He was a nice fella but I just don’t think, for Liverpool, he’s got that aura about him. Maybe this is because you have just come off the back of Jürgen Klopp and it’s going to be difficult for anyone to have that, but I just don’t think there’s that aura…

A Strike Partner For Haaland? Finding opportunities to rest Erling Haaland has not always been easy for Pep Guardiola. A knock helped rule him out against League Two Salford City for what turned out to be a laborious 2-0 win, giving the Norwegian the chance of a free weekend. In the recent Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against tomorrow's (Saturday) opponents, Newcastle, Haaland started on the bench and watched as City made light work of a confused visiting defence. Guardiola knows how to cause damage against Eddie Howe’s side and reinstating Haaland to the lineup can only be an advantage…

By Ed Aarons *Draw With Bottom-Side Wolves *Saka, Arteta Speak It was left to Bukayo Saka to sum up the mood in Arsenal’s dressing room. “Very flat,” admitted the England forward after watching his side surrender a 2-0 lead at Wolves on Wednesday night. A couple of hours earlier, Saka’s first goal in 15 games in all competitions – his longest drought since breaking into the first team as a fresh-faced teenager in 2018 – looked to have set up an easy victory over the Premier League’s bottom side to restore Arsenal’s seven-point cushion over Manchester City. Made captain for…

By Sid Lowe, at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, and Ed Aarons, at the Gtech Community Stadium You must always have faith, Diego Simeone had said and so it was. A biblical storm blew through the Metropolitano on Thursday night, leaving Barcelona torn to pieces and Atlético Madrid closer to a first Copa del Rey final in 13 years than even he could ever have believed. Forty-five extraordinary minutes gave them a 4-0 lead to take to the second leg at Camp Nou in three weeks’ time. An own goal from Eric García and three more, from Ademola Lookman, Antoine Griezmann…

More flak came for billionaire part-owner of Manchester United and UK's 7th richest man, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, as English Football Association will look at whether he brought the game into disrepute through his claims that the UK has been “colonised” by immigrants. The billionaire based in Monaco caused widespread anger with his comments and has been called on by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to apologise. His remarks have not gone unnoticed within the FA, which will examine further before deciding whether he has broken any rules. It is too early to say whether any formal investigation will follow. In…

By Jamie Jackson, at the Ettihad, and Louise Taylor, at the Stadium of Light Manchester City’s week is ­moving along sweetly, this win on Wednesday night closing the gap to three points to Arsenal, who travel to Brentford today. On ­Sunday, they defeated Liverpool at Anfield, on Wednesday they downed ­Fulham at home to reel off a 20th consecutive victory against them. The rosiest moment for the title challengers was Erling Haaland’s 39th‑minute strike, a first in the competition from open play in nine games, though more con­cerning was his removal at the break, when City led 3-0. “Niggles,” Pep…

*Dembele, PSG In Five-Star Stroll Over Marseille *Madrid Down Toothless Valencia Before joining his triumphant players to celebrate in front of Manchester City’s delirious away support, Pep Guardiola looked to the heavens above Anfield and blew a kiss. This stadium has tormented the City manager more often than most over the past decade but, should the title race twist as dramatically as this victory, his 11th and possibly final visit to Liverpool will be cherished as the turning point. Was Guardiola’s kiss one of thanks for Gianluigi Donnarumma, the goalkeeper who deflated Liverpool in the Champions League last season with…

By Ben Fisher, at Molineux & Jonathan Wilson, at the Emirates Stadium A few minutes after the final whistle, victory boxed off, most of Chelsea’s players had headed for the tunnel but Cole Palmer was wandering around the halfway line in search of lost property. Enveloped by his space-grey puffer coat, making a circle with his hands, bemused staff and teammates soon caught his drift: Palmer wanted evidence of his handiwork, a 25-minute first-half hat-trick that put this game beyond Wolves, even if Liam Rosenior’s side eased off in the second. After retrieving the match ball from a pitchside attendant,…

Kylian Mbappé is the highest-paid player at Real Madrid. In terms of impact, that status is hardly surprising, even if Vinícius Jr. disagrees and has reportedly put his contract renewal on hold because he wants to be paid on the same level as the French star. The former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward earns a staggering €31 million gross per year. He arrived at the Santiago Bernabéu on a free transfer, a factor that allowed him to negotiate a far more lucrative deal. His mother, Fayza Lamari, also benefits significantly from the arrangement: acting as his agent, she reportedly earns €4.5…

Arsenal Will Need Home Fans Again The euphoria after Arsenal’s victory over Chelsea that booked their place at Wembley in next month’s Carabao Cup final showed how desperate their supporters are for success, and Mikel Arteta felt they deserved praise for sticking with his side during a nervous second half at the Emirates. “They brought so much energy and belief to the team in different moments,” he said. “It wasn’t easy because it was a late kick-off, windy, rainy, cold and they responded. The energy was very good from the beginning. I sensed it was different and they are on…