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Erik ten Hag believes Manchester United can beat any team as he claimed they could have won at Arsenal and Liverpool.

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• Ten Hag believes United can beat any team
• Deserved to win at Arsenal and Liverpool
• Man Utd beat Aston Villa 2-1 on Sunday

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After outclassing West Ham last week, United edged out Aston Villa 2-1 in a Premier League clash at the Villa Park on Sunday. Rasmus Hojlund handed his team the lead in the first half before Douglas Luiz brought the hosts back into the game. Scott McTominay then scored the winner in the 86th minute to seal crucial three points for the visitors.

  Ten Hag sounded extremely confident after his team's win as he claimed that the Red Devils, on their day, could beat any team be it a home or an away fixture. He went on to claim that his team could have won in their away fixtures against Liverpool and Arsenal.

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• WHAT ERIK TEN HAG SAID

  At the post-match press conference, the Dutch manager said, "I think we can beat any opponent. Away or home. Sometimes away, we have to believe more. We could have won in Arsenal. We actually deserved that win. We could've won in Liverpool. It's about belief and I think this team today believed they could win this today and that's why in the end we won the game."

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  Ten Hag's side travelled to Emirates Stadium on September 3 and lost 3-1 against the Gunners. The match went down to the wire as the scoreline remained 1-1 until the 96th minute when Declan Rice scored the second goal for his team. Gabriel Jesus then scored a late third goal to seal the fate of the game.

  On December 17, the Red Devils faced Liverpool at Anfield and had successfully managed to hold them to a goalless draw, although, Jurgen Klopp's side remained dominant throughout the match.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

  Manchester United, who are now six points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, will next take on Luton Town in a Premier League clash on Sunday.

In an age obsessed with speed, Ramesh Powar is charmingly headed the other way. Siddhartha Vaidyanathan met him

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan07-Sep-2007

It’s said that some cricketers belong to a different era. Ramesh Powar belongs to a different century.He is from an age when cricketers came in different shapes and sizes, wore outsized red sunglasses and delectable hair bands, and bowled slow, really slow. We’ve heard about the adrenalin rushes, speed barriers and shoulder-aches that the fastest bowlers experience. Now it’s time to celebrate the slowest among the slow.Over his last five games Powar has defied the modern notion that bowling in one-day cricket is about restriction. In a high-scoring series he has rarely darted the ball in at a flat trajectory, never beaten batsmen with speed. He has wound the clock back to the golden age of cricket, the Edwardian twilight preceding the first World War, and risked conceding runs for wicket-taking rewards. Expectedly he has got wickets (six in five games); surprisingly he has been economical (4.41). Only Andrew Flintoff, who has played two games fewer, has done better.A ten-minute chat with Saqlain Mushtaq, when the Indians played Sussex during the early part of the tour, made a big impact. Powar was fretting over not getting any of the Indian batsmen out in the nets. Saqlain’s advice was simple: “If you succeed in making these guys defend you, then you are bowling very well. Don’t think of getting a Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar or a Rahul Dravid out. Even if you are able to bother them in the nets, it’s good enough.”Powar has grown in confidence with every game since, so much so that he has not hesitated in slowing down his pace considerably. He usually operates in the 45-to-55 mph range. Occasionally, especially when he bowls the undercutter that goes straight, he gets slightly faster. More often, when he simply lobs up a moon-ball that goes straight, he gets slower. Once he dropped as low as 41mph. He admits it’s his slowest phase yet but, fascinatingly, thinks he can “easily get slower”.At Edgbaston, in the third game of the series, brought on in the 16th over, with Ian Bell and Alastair Cook at the crease, Powar slipped in a really slow one and nailed Cook on the top-edged sweep.”In the third game it struck me that if I bowl a little slower, they might sweep,” he said. “I knew they wouldn’t try to hit over the fence because they rely on batsmen like KP [Pietersen] and Bell to stay at the wicket. They couldn’t afford to take many chances. So I’ve been taking chances against Cook, Bell, [Paul] Collingwood and Pietersen.”It’s helped that Powar is usually operating with Piyush Chawla, the legspinner, who is comparatively faster. “It always helps with Piyush bowling at the other end, because the batsmen tend to always go after those bowling quicker. So, suddenly when the slower bowlers come on, it becomes difficult for them to work around it. And with my kind of pace, I don’t think they can do that easily.”Does he think he can slow it down further? “For left-handers I might go a lot slower because they play against the spin. For right-handers I think it’s fine. Because I’m an open-chested bowler, I can adjust my action easily. I deliver the ball behind my ear and lose pace since I am a side-arm bowler. And since I’ve been bowling like this for seven-eight years, I know how to lose pace with the same action. Sometimes you don’t tweak the wrist – just let it go. Sometimes you hold the ball in the palm, sometimes you hold it in two fingers rather than three. There are a lot of ways to lose pace and I’ve worked on different methods in the nets.”

Powar’s Headingley dismissal of Ravi Bopara, one of England’s best batsmen against spin, underlined the value of pace variations. Two quick ones, at around the 55mph mark, were followed by a straight dolly, lobbed up at 42.4mph. Bopara, completely deceived, popped a simple return catch.”They had changed the ball just then,” Powar said. “It was a newish ball and I knew that tossing it up may help getting some bounce. Maybe he didn’t expect it to spin or bounce that much. There was not much spin but some extra bounce.”Powar anticipates the batsmen’s intentions much better these days. He has always been a shrewd bowler but thinks his gut feel pays off more often these days. Paul Collingwood’s case is worth mentioning. “Collingwood always played the chip shot against me [lobbing over midwicket]. So I decided not to bowl any offbreaks that will help that chip shot. In ten balls I will probably bowl seven straight balls to him. I’m guessing better right now.”The straight one which he utilises so effectively was mastered by watching a great legspinner on television. “I learned that delivery watching Shane Warne bowl. I used to try it earlier also but it used to spin a bit. That’s maybe because at the Wankhede anything spins. When I tried it here in England at the beginning of the tour, it was going straight really well. I don’t know whether the release has changed slightly but it is working. That’s all that matters.”Powar’s trade requires him to bide his time and wait for success. His philosophy in life – one that has seen its fair share of tribulation – is similar. “I’m not the kind who wants success every day,” he says sombrely. “I’ve seen life in and out. So success and failure in a game shouldn’t be taken too seriously.” It’s a perspective that has made Powar the cricketer he is. It’s also helping him become the bowler he wants to be.

Newcastle's admin posted a cruel dig with an edited image of Sunderland's Stadium of Light, with the words "Howay The Lands" written instead.

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• Newcastle admin trolls Sunderland
• Magpies beat The Black Cats 3-0 in FA Cup
• Shared an edited image of Stadium of Light's north stand

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Premier League side outclassed their rivals 3-0 in the Tyne-Wear derby on Saturday to progress to the fourth round of the FA Cup. After a heated battle between the two rival clubs, the Magpies admin posted an edited photo on X of the north stand at the Stadium of Light with the words "Howay The Lads" written on it, instead of the actual phrase "Ha'way".

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  WHAT WAS SAID

  The photoshopped image of the Stadium of Light stand shows a key difference in the same phrase used by the rival cities. Newcastle fans tend to use "Howay", a term roughly translating to "come on!", whereas those from Sunderland say "Ha'way". While just a small semantic difference, the significance is great for both clubs and their respective identities.

  It continues a week of banter between the rival clubs, as referenced by the caption "We've been made to feel right at home this week." This refers to the ongoing feud over Sunderland's controversial choice of bar decorations, which received widespread condemnation from the Black Cats fanbase.

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  Magpies star Bruno Guimaraes also took a dig at their rivals by sharing an image on his Instagram which had him playing a video game where his club took a 3-0 lead over The Black Cats within the first 26 minutes. He shared a screenshot of his story on his X account with the caption, "I knew it a long time ago."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  'Ha' Way The Lands' is a famous Sunderland fans' chant which is often sung by the club loyalists at the Stadium of Light while cheering for their players on the pitch. The lyrics of the song are as follows, "Haaaaaway the lads, Haway the lads, Haway the lads haway! Haway the lads, Haway the lads, Haway the lads haway!"

Mario Balotelli is reportedly attracting interest from three Serie A clubs ahead of a possible return to Italy this month.

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• Balotelli linked with Serie A trio
• Udinese, Salernitana and Empoli interested
• Currently playing for Adana Demirspor in Turkey

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Balotelli claimed in November that he was still the "strongest" Italian striker in a bid to force a recall to the national team, and he has now been linked with a potential return to Serie A. Udinese, Salernitana and Empoli have all been credited with an interest in the 33-year-old by , whose contract in Turkey expires this summer.

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  Balotelli has seen his minutes limited by knee surgery this season, as he has made just five league appearances. The former Manchester City and Inter striker has scored three goals in that time and the report claims that Balotelli would like to return to Serie A in order to put himself in contention for Italy's Euro 2024 squad.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Balotelli has endured a nomadic career in recent years. Since leaving Manchester City in 2013, he has played for AC Milan, Liverpool, Nice, Marseille, Brescia, Monza, Adana Demirspor and Sion. He has won 36 caps for Italy to date, scoring 14 goals.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BALOTELLI?

  Balotelli will hope to complete a move while the January transfer window is still open if he really has ambitions of playing at the European Championships. It remains to be seen if his injury status will affect his availability.

Leah Williamson has been lauded for her return from an ACL injury as Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall hailed the "incredibly hard" work behind the scenes.

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• Williamson back in domestic action
• Appeared as a substitute against Reading
• Eidevall impressed with commitment behind the scenes

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The England skipper returned to the Arsenal squad for their Women's League Cup clash against Reading on Wednesday after remaining sidelined with an anterior cruciate ligament injury since April 2023. She showed little rust upon her return and even registered an assist, setting up Beth Mead for the fifth goal as the Gunners thrashed Reading 6-0.

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• WHAT EIDEVALL SAID

  Eidevall lavished praise on Williamson for her intense perseverance and dedication during the recovery period and said: "She works incredibly hard. I don't think anyone who hasn't had an ACL injury can understand all the work that goes behind that to be able to return, so I’m really happy for her as an individual and really happy for the team to get such a great player back. It was great to see both her and Kim Little able to return to play today."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Although the focus remained firmly on Williamson's return to action, Stina Blackstenius made the most of a rare opportunity with an incredible hattrick that inspired Arsenal to the quarter-finals.

  Eidevall was fascinated with her performance and added: "I mean, every player wants to start games and every player wants to play most of the games, but the best way to get your way into the starting 11 is the actions you do when you're playing and Stina was one of the players today that that did really really well and that was very pleasing to see."

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• WHAT NEXT?

  Eidevall would be keen to hand Williamson a start when Arsenal take on Liverpool on Sunday in the WSL. She looked sharp enough upon her return to competitive action and the Gunners would hope that the 26-year-old gets back to her usual form in the decisive second phase of the season.

Barcelona star, Ilkay Gundogan, has been blasted for his underwhelming performances with Germany by DFB vice president Ralph-Uwe Schaffert.

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• Gundogan's form with Germany under the scanner
• Schaffert believes midfielder is a shadow of his Barcelona self
• Urged for more fighting spirit from the German team in general

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Gundogan, who arrived at Barcelona in the summer, has been an integral figure for the Blaugrana, participating in all 24 matches played in La Liga and the Champions League under manager Xavi. However, his form for Germany has led Schaffert to criticise his contrasting performances between his club and national team. The FA official believes that Gundogan plays exceptionally well for Barcelona but his form dips significantly when he turns up for Die Mannschaft.

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• WHAT SCHAFFERT SAID ABOUT GUNDOGAN

  Speaking to Schaffert said: "Gundogan strangely plays outstandingly for the club and then plays in such a way for the national team that one can come to think: Has he sent his twin brother, with less talent? I don't understand it."

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  The German team has been going through a lean patch of form since the 2022 World Cup where they were ousted in the group stages. The DFB replaced Hansi Flick with Julian Nagelsmann at the helm of affairs but their fortunes have not turned around as they remain winless in their last three international fixtures including defeats to Turkey and Austria.

  The recent results led Schaffert to express doubts about Germany's prospects in the upcoming European Championship, citing a significant disparity between potential, aspirations, expectations, and reality. He attributed the team's struggles not solely to the coach but pointed to a broader issue of attitude and commitment among the players.

  "I have many doubts regarding next year's European Championship," he said. "In terms of potential, we can go far. But aspirations, expectations and reality are so far apart at the moment that it is absolutely inexplicable to me. I don't think it is due to the coach. I have the feeling that quite a few of the players who are currently on the pitch believe that they can go out on the field with maybe 85% of their possible commitment, and then you have to discover that this is no longer enough against Turkey and Austria.

  "I don't even want to imagine what will happen if we play against France or England with this attitude. Maybe we will no longer need only those who are very talented, but also those who are willing to roll up their sleeves. The best example of how to do this was given by our under-17 when they won the World Cup."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Gundogan will get an opportunity to prove his critics wrong when Germany face France and the Netherlands in two friendlies during the next international break in March. In the short term, he will return to action with Barcelona on January 4 against Las Palmas.

Barcelona are reportedly exploring a potential free transfer for former Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea ahead of the summer window.

• De Gea still without a club
• Barcelona considering free transfer signing
• Want stopper as back-up to Marc-Andre ter Stegen

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  De Gea remains a free agent following his summer exit from Manchester United. The goalkeeper has spent a frustrating season on the sidelines after failing to find a new club over the last nine months, but has now attracted interest from Barcelona, according to Mundo Deportivo. The cash-strapped Catalans are exploring a potential "strategic" free transfer in a bid to boost their goalkeeping options.

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  Marc-Andre ter Stegen is Barcelona's current first choice goalkeeper and any move for De Gea would see the goalkeeper arrive as a back-up option to the German. De Gea is thought to be keen to return to Spain but whether he would be willing to accept a secondary role remains to be seen. La Masia graduate Inaki Pena has deputised for Ter Stegen this summer but struggled at times while the Germany international was out earlier this season with a back injury. Pena be tempted to move on in the summer in search of more regular game time.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Ter Stegen matched the record for clean sheets in La Liga last season. The goalkeeper notched 26 clean sheets in 38 games to help Barcelona win the title.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR DE GEA

  De Gea has offered few clues on his future, which is looking increasingly uncertain the longer he spends out of the game. The Spaniard is an experienced stopper who has been linked with several clubs, including Nottingham Forest and Saudi side Al-Shabab, since his Old Trafford exit but it's still impossible to know where, or even if, he will play top-level football again next season.

Everton midfielder Dele Alli has taken to his personal social media accounts to issue an update on his fitness, confirming a fresh injury blow.

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• Dele Alli had been nearing a return
• Suffers fresh setback
• Offers update on his injury status on Instagram

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 27-year-old revealed he has suffered another injury setback on his road to recovery, having been sidelined with a long-term groin injury since February.

  Dele had previously been on course to return to full training after recently getting back on the grass, but will now be spending some more time on the physio bed following the fresh concern.

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• WHAT DELE SAID

  Speaking on his personal Instagram account, Dele wrote: "As the year comes to an end, I just wanted to say thank you for the incredible support I’ve received over the last 12 months. This year has a been a little different for me. I’ve learned and experienced a lot, had ups and downs, but throughout it all you’ve always shown me so much love. Unfortunately the year isn’t ending as I would have hoped, I had been close to returning to full training but frustratingly I’ve had another set back with my injury.

  "I’ll be out again for short while but my outlook and mentality is nothing but positive. I’ll be attacking my physiotherapy and giving it everything to be back on the pitch as soon as possible. I hope you’ve had the year you wanted, and wishing you all nothing but the best for 2024. Happy New Year, see you guys soon. Dele."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Everton boss Sean Dyche had offered a positive update on the fitness of Dele earlier in December, as the former Tottenham star remains eager to reignite his professional career at Goodison Park. Dyche added: "He still has a bit to go because he has been out for a long time, he needs a game programme, but to get him back on with us would be really pleasing for him because he has been so unlucky."

  Dele's bad luck continues with his latest fitness update, but supporters will be encouraged to hear that he is staying positive after a year that saw him make headlines for a brave interview with Gary Neville on . The England international opened up on being abused as a child and his struggles with addiction while also offering an explanation for his rapid decline in recent years, and was widely praised for his honesty.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR DELE?

  Dele will now continue his rehabilitation from injury with the aim of returning to match fitness at some point in the new year. Everton will be hoping to get him up to speed as fast as possible with a view to joining their push for a top-half Premier League finish. Dyche's men have crucial games against Spurs, Manchester City and Crystal Palace to come in January, having been beaten last time out at Wolves.

Trent Alexander-Arnold settled the Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi GOAT debate, but the Liverpool defender snubbed his own team-mate Mohamed Salah.

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• TAA picks the best player in the world
• Defender chooses Salah over Kane
• Had to choose between the two GOATS in the final

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Participating in a 'football bracket' challenge for JD Sports on TikTok, Alexander-Arnold engaged in a knockout tournament format, pitting 16 footballing icons against each other. In the final, he unequivocally chose Messi over Ronaldo, indicating his belief that the Argentine maestro reigns supreme in the realm of football greatness.

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• WATCH THE CLIP

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While Egyptian sensation Salah had an impressive run in Alexander-Arnold's imaginary tournament, defeating Bayern Munich's Harry Kane in the round of 16, he ultimately fell short in the semi-finals against Portuguese forward Ronaldo. Whereas, in the other bracket, Messi knocked out former Real Madrid star Karim Benzema to set up a finale with Ronaldo.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Alexander-Arnold is currently nursing an injury which will keep him out of the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea on Sunday. While Conor Bradley has admirably stepped in to fill the void, his leadership and versatility will be sorely missed by the Reds faithful.

Chelsea star Lauren James has been named the Women's Super League's Player of the Month for January after scoring five goals in just two games.

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• Chelsea star James named Player of the Month
• Scored five goals in two WSL games in January
• Beats Fox, Shaw and more to award

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  There wasn't much league action in January as cup competitions came to the fore but James made the most of her two WSL outings, scoring a hat-trick against former club Manchester United before following it up with a brace in victory over Brighton. Those performances saw her beat out tough competition for this accolade, winning it ahead of Arsenal's Emily Fox, the Manchester City duo of Bunny Shaw and Laia Aleixandri, Leicester's Janice Cayman and West Ham forward Viviane Asseyi.

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  James' goals haven't just resulted in individual glory either, with this her second Player of the Month award of the season after she also picked it up in November. The England star's performances have also helped Chelsea maintain their position at the top of the WSL table, with the reigning champions now three points clear of Man City and six ahead of Arsenal with just nine games to go. The Blues are chasing a fifth successive league triumph.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  There could be another significant individual award coming James' way this season as she is one of the front-runners in the race for the WSL's Golden Boot. The 22-year-old has 12 goals in 12 appearances this season, just one fewer than Man City striker Shaw.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR JAMES AND CHELSEA?

  The FA Cup is the focus for James and Chelsea this weekend, as they take on second-tier Crystal Palace in the fifth round of the competition on Sunday. The Blues, the dominant side in English women's football, are looking to lift the trophy for a fourth successive season.