Journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed who Newcastle United’s “top” target this summer is, with personal terms already agreed with the player in question.

Newcastle transfer news

The Magpies have reportedly joined the race to sign Tammy Abraham in the summer transfer window, with the Englishman likely to leave Roma. He is currently on loan at fellow Serie A side AC Milan for the remainder of the season.

Newcastle also need to be focusing on signing at least one new centre-back at the end of the campaign, with Bournemouth teenager Dean Huijsen linked with a move to St James’ Park. Still just 19 years of age, the Dutchman has been superb at the heart of the Cherries’ defence all season, helping them mount a genuine top-four push in the Premier League.

Hugo Ekitike has emerged as another attacking option for the Magpies, with the 22-year-old scoring 12 times in the Bundesliga for Eintracht Frankfurt in 2024/25 to date, also chipping in with two goals and assists apiece in the Europa League.

Darwin Nunez missed a sitter for Liverpool against Aston Villa in midweek, but Newcastle have felt his wrath in the past, not least when he scored twice late on at St James’ last season. They have been mentioned as an option for the Reds striker, but in a swap deal with Alexander Isak, which could be disastrous.

Romano reveals Newcastle's "top" goalkeeper target

Taking to X on Friday, Romano said that Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford remains the “top” target for Newcastle this summer, with PIF already having a personal term agreement in place:

At this point, it would be a surprise if Trafford wasn’t a Magpies player next season, considering the level of interest there has been in him in recent months.

The 22-year-old is enjoying a fantastic campaign with Burnley, starting 32 matches in the Championship and being part of a team that has incredibly only conceded nine goals in the league all season long before this weekend’s action. He even saved two late penalties from Wilson Isidor in the 0-0 draw with Sunderland last month, with Scott Parker hailing him after the game:

“Two penalties and the game could have looked very different if not for James Trafford and the saves he’s made. Not many words can describe what he’s produced. I don’t think I’ve been involved in a game like that one at the end. Both were very good penalties and Traff has flown across his goal. Everything about him in terms of those big saves, we owe him one tonight.”

Newcastle join race to sign "amazing" striker who’s already scored at SJP

The Magpies are more than familiar with his ability…

ByTom Cunningham Feb 20, 2025

At just 22, Trafford feels like the natural heir to Nick Pope at Newcastle, and a possible future England No.1 if he reaches his potential, so the Magpies signing him this summer makes complete sense.

West Indies’ lower made the home side work for the win but Travis Head chipped out handy wickets

Tristan Lavalette04-Dec-2022

Nathan Lyon is mobbed by his team-mates after striking early on the final day•AFP/Getty Images

Nathan Lyon took six wickets to superbly lead a Pat Cummins-less attack as Australia were made to work against a gritty West Indies before recording a convincing 164-run victory in the first Test at Optus Stadium.Looming as the attack’s talisman in the absence of Cummins, who took to the field on day five but did not bowl after experiencing quadricep soreness, Lyon starred with 6 for 128 off 42.5 overs. He claimed the final two wickets in successive balls late in the second session as Australia claimed the series-opener.Lyon had earlier taken the key wicket of captain Kraigg Brathwaite in the first session to sink West Indies, who were playing their first Test in Australia since January 2016. He continued his strong record at Optus Stadium having now taken 22 wickets from three Tests.Australia seemed set to wrap up victory shortly after lunch but were made to work by Roston Chase and Alzarri Joseph, who combined for an enterprising 82-run eighth partnership.Related

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They swung mightily to ruin Lyon’s figures and power West Indies past 300 runs as Australia looked flat without Cummins.Australia perhaps started to think of the ghosts of their recent inability in bowling out opposition in the fourth innings. But the part-time spin of Travis Head, who had earlier dismissed Jason Holder, did the trick and he broke the pesky stand by bowling Joseph.Cummins did not bowl to increase doubt over his availability ahead of the day-night second Test starting on Thursday at Adelaide Oval. Like he did late on day four after starting the innings in the dressing room, Cummins was on the field but appeared to move gingerly at one point in a chase to the boundary.West Indies started day five at 192 for 3 and needing 306 runs for an unlikely victory with their hopes revolving around Brathwaite who batted through two sessions on day four.But the task perhaps predictably proved too difficult despite their best rearguard efforts. Kyle Mayers had a fortunate early escape after surviving an lbw shout from Lyon with replays later showing that he had inside edged to silly point.Lyon had the last laugh when Mayers edged a good length delivery to first slip. It was Lyon’s 443rd Test wicket to move him past fellow offspinner R Ashwin and into eighth spot on the all-time Test wicket-taking list.After aggressive batting late on day four, Brathwaite reverted to his trademark defensive approach in an effort to blunt Australia’s attack. Having effectively collared Lyon the previous day, particularly countering the bounce with superb sweeps, Brathwaite finally counterattacked with a belligerent boundary over long on.Kraigg Brathwaite walks off after his rearguard century•AFP

But Brathwaite’s brilliant knock soon ended when he was bowled by Lyon and West Indies’ faint chances of avoiding defeat went with him as he trudged off the ground to a loud ovation from the smattering of fans who took advantage of the day’s gold coin entry.After Brathwaite’s dismissal, Jason Holder attempted to stonewall but fell rashly to Head with Steven Smith taking a brilliant diving catch at slip and it was just a matter of time before Australia sealed victory.In the first Test match in Perth since December 2019, there was much hype over the surface heightened by 10mm of grass left on it. But despite occasional sharp bounce, the pitch lacked the expected fireworks with bowlers made to toil for wickets.After gritty batting across their two innings, defying pre-match expectations, West Indies’ rued sloppy bowling and poor fielding as their attack claimed just six wickets in 189.4 overs.They had no answer to Australia’s top-order, particularly Marnus Labuschagne who made 308 runs for the match to continue a personal run spree at Optus Stadium after he scored 143 and 50 against New Zealand three years ago.Smith also scored a double century in the first innings and Australia’s dominance was underlined by allrounder Cameron Green not getting a chance to bat in his first home Test.A beleaguered West Indies will need to rebound quickly after their 25-year Test drought in Australia continued. Adding to their woes, West Indies have fitness concerns with spearhead Kemar Roach forced off on day four after injuring his left thigh, while Mayers did not bowl in Australia’s second innings due to a strain in his right teres major muscle.Top batter Nkrumah Bonner was on day three substituted out of the match with concussion after being hit in the back of the helmet from a Green short delivery.After limited fanfare in the buildup, crowds were modest with about 40,000 fans attending during the match. There was anticipation on how local fans would react over the fallout of ex-coach Justin Langer’s recent inflammatory interview, but there wasn’t any visible sign of animosity towards the Australian team.Despite being pushed perhaps longer than expected, Australia ultimately made a strong start to the Test summer after a difficult recent period on-and-off the field.

Chelsea star Cole Palmer has jokingly hit back at a journalist after being branded an 'old man' in comparison to 16-year-old team-mate Reggie Walsh.

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Walsh is Chelsea's latest academy gemPalmer called 'old man' in comparisonJokingly claps back at journalistFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Walsh became Chelsea's youngest ever player to start a European match in their 1-0 Conference League semi-final second-leg win over Djurgardens on Thursday. After the match, a journalist poked fun at Palmer by saying he was practically an 'old man' at 23. The England international's response was quite surprising but done in jest.

AdvertisementAFPWHAT PALMER SAID

In response, Palmer said: "F*cking hell, what are you then compared to Reggie? Obviously, Reggie is young but he’s trained with us a few times. He’s a very good player. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do. I’m still young myself so I have to keep growing and growing."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

In the space of a few positive results, Chelsea's season – which was in danger of falling apart for a time – is looking much rosier again. They are in the Conference League final and could qualify for next season's Champions League. Palmer has seemingly rediscovered his mojo after a lengthy goal drought and youngsters such as Walsh are breaking into the first team.

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Palmer and Walsh will hope to continue to have a positive impact in Chelsea's team for the remainder of the season, starting with a trip to Newcastle United on Sunday.

Tottenham Hotspur are revelling over a Spurs teenager’s quality behind-the-scenes, with the player currently waiting to make his full debut under Ange Postecoglou.

Tottenham prepare for Liverpool in Carabao Cup second leg at Anfield

Lucas Bergvall’s late first leg Carabao Cup semi-final winner handed injury-ridden Spurs a crucial advantage heading into their second leg at Anfield on Thursday evening, but it is a tough ask for Postecoglou’s side to come away from Merseyside unscathed.

What Harry Kane told Mathys Tel which convinced him to join Tottenham

Spurs made a dramatic late window swoop for the Frenchman.

1

By
Emilio Galantini

Feb 5, 2025

Arne Slot’s Premier League frontrunners are England’s standout side right now, and they haven’t got the array of player selection dilemmas currently facing Tottenham amid their ongoing injury crisis.

Postecoglou, though, has benefited from the late January window arrivals of Kevin Danso from RC Lens and, most notably, Bayern Munich sensation Mathys Tel on a season-long loan.

Tottenham’s next five Premier League fixtures	Date
Man United (home)	February 16th
Ipswich Town (home)	February 22nd
Man City (home)	February 26th
Bournemouth (home)	March 9th
Fulham (away)	March 16th

Radu Dragusin is out for a lengthy period after suffering a serious ACL injury, while both Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero are working their way back to full fitness, so Danso’s addition is pivotal.

Postecoglou relied on youngsters to get Spurs through their first leg against Liverpool, with Bergvall putting in an impressive display, Antonin Kinsky dazzling on his debut in goal and Archie Gray performing excellently as a makeshift centre-back.

“I haven’t lost sight of the fact that we’ve got two 18-year-olds, one who’s playing at centre back (Archie Gray), it’s not even his position,” said Postecoglou after Tottenham’s first leg win over Liverpool.

“I just don’t think people really understand the level of performance that these young guys are giving us at the moment. We had a goalkeeper (Antonin Kinsky) on debut. Djed (Spence) is playing left-back, unbelievably well. Lucas is just growing all the time. He’s got that ability as a footballer to create space for himself.

“He’s got the quality, but he works awfully hard for the team as well. Like I said, we’ve been dealing with some adversity for sure, but we’ve had some growth in that, I’ve got no doubt about that. That’s been masked by poor results and poor form, for sure. I’ve got no doubt that when we get our players back, the foundations are really strong, with a group of players we can really grow with.”

Tottenham privately hailing "generational talent" Mathys Tel

Now, with another young starlet set to play a crucial role under Postecoglou in Tel, journalist Graeme Bailey has revealed that those within the club are privately hailing the 19-year-old.

Tel performed a major U-turn over joining Tottenham, originally rejecting their advances before Postecoglou and Harry Kane swayed him into changing his mind, and now the French starlet is set to bolster Spurs’ ranks as they look to finish the campaign strongly.

According to Bailey, Tottenham are convinced they’ve got a “generational talent” in Tel, who’s awaiting to make his debut for the club, as supporters anticipate what he’ll bring to the table.

“Tottenham are already celebrating behind the scenes in regards to the signing of Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich,” said Bailey, via X. “Spurs believe Tel to be a ‘generational talent’.”

The versatile forward racked up 10 goals and bagged a further six assists in all competitions for Bayern last term, and if he can replicate those numbers in England, Spurs would surely be tempted to trigger the rumoured £50 million buy-option clause in his loan deal.

MatériaMais Notícias

Nesta terça-feira (28) é celebrado o Dia Internacional do Orgulho LGBTQIAP+. Durante o dia, diversos clubes e entidades se manifestaram com mensagens e ações nas redes sociais chamando a atenção para o problema no futebol, esporte que historicamente sofre com a homofobia.

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>NBA: confira as dez melhores contratações na agência livre

Um dos pioneiros nas lutas sociais, o Vasco se destacou com uma série de ações inéditas que marcaram a celebração. Na última sexta-feira, durante partida do cruz-maltino contra o Operário, a equipe carioca realizou diversas ativações em prol da causa. Nas arquibancadas, uma faixa com “Respeito, Igualdade e Diversidade” foi colocada em São Januário enquanto, na entrada em campo, além do show pirotécnico com as cores do arco-íris, bandeiras do movimento estavam presentes no gramado.

– A missão do Vasco é liderar toda campanha que batalhe por uma sociedade melhor, é um conceito que o clube carrega desde a sua fundação. Na temporada passada, fomos o primeiro clube a atuar em uma partida oficial com um uniforme personalizado. Em 2022, decidimos ir além, contando com o apoio das torcidas organizadas, outro feito histórico, fizemos uma linda festa em nosso estádio. Mas vale ressaltar que não iremos parar por aí, é um projeto com ações e conceitos duradouros – afirma Vitor Roma, Vice-Presidente de Marketing e Novos Negócios do Vasco.

Além disso, o uniforme contou com um detalhe especial. Em parceria com a Kappa, o Vasco atuou com uma logomarca diferente. Os tradicionais símbolos da fornecedora, na lateral do uniforme, foram modificados, ficando com dois homens ou duas mulheres lado a lado. No segundo tempo, a camisa do meia Nenê, um dos principais jogadores da equipe, também trouxe o símbolo da empresa com as cores que representam a causa. Batizada de #LovelsLove, o uniforme está disponível nas lojas oficiais.

Ainda no âmbito dos uniformes, o Grêmio atuará com um patch especial na partida contra o Londrina, que será realizada na Arena, às 19h (de Brasília). Em ação especial, o clube gaúcho irá estampar a frase “Clube de Todos”. O selo também estará disponível para a comercialização do público geral.

No clássico contra o Botafogo, no último domingo (26), o Fluminense realizou uma iniciativa similar.

Dentre as manifestações sobre o tema, a entrevista de Richarlyson, jogador com carreira consolidada no futebol brasileiro, também chamou atenção. Durante a conversa para o Podcast ‘Nos Armários dos Vestiários’, programa que se aprofundará em histórias mudadas pelo preconceito no futebol, o profissional falou pela primeira vez sobre a bissexualidade e enfatizou que a sociedade não está pronta para tratar o assunto com naturalidade.

= Dar visibilidade para o tema é ajudar a acabar com a intolerância e com o preconceito. O futebol tem um papel social fundamental, muito além das quatro linhas. A entrevista do Richarlyson foi extremamente importante para encorajar mais pessoas a falarem sobre o assunto – enfatiza Bruno Maia, CEO da Feel The Match, organização responsável pela produção do material.

Usman Khawaja believes the stability in Australia’s Test squad puts them in a strong position to challenge India next month as they look to win a series in the country for the first time since 2004.Australia will announce their squad on Wednesday and the fact only a handful of positions are really up for debate, especially in the batting, reinforces Khawaja’s view.Since the final Test of last year’s Ashes, when Khawaja was promoted to open in place of Marcus Harris after his stunning twin hundreds on his comeback against England, Australia have only made one change to their top seven in 11 Tests and that was an enforced one due to Cameron Green’s broken finger which led to a recall for Matt Renshaw in Sydney.Related

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The bowling has seen a little more switching around with Mitchell Swepson playing in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, a few injuries and absences among quick bowlers and latterly Ashton Agar’s call-up at the SCG.Khawaja is also part of a senior trio of batters alongside Steven Smith and David Warner who have extensive experience in the subcontinent, albeit Warner’s relatively lean record in India could yet be a problem for Australia.”We’ve played a lot of games in the subcontinent,” Khawaja said at the premier for season two of documentary in Sydney. “Every single player, particularly the batting, has played in the subcontinent numerous times and you take a lot from those experiences.”Think the stability of this team is a big one, too. Every time I’ve gone to subcontinent I’ve felt like there’s been a lot of chopping and changing, talked about horses for courses back in the day, it’s very hard to win cricket games when that’s happening in my opinion. The stability there has been for this team, at least the last year and a half, think that will put us in good stead.”The experience of Usman Khawaja and Steven Smith will be vital for Australia•Getty Images

Khawaja: Continuity of selection breeds confidence

The tour will also be a significant one for Travis Head who has become a formidable force on home soil but struggled on the two overseas tours last year with 91 runs in seven innings. However, Khawaja believes the environment within the current squad, where players are backed to perform over a long period, gives them the best chance to succeed.”I’ve been calling for it for a long time,” he said. “Test cricket is hard enough, it’s even harder when it feels like you only have three games to prove yourself. A lot of the young guys you were coming in during the last 10 years probably did feel that way in a lot of respects. Andrew McDonald and Pat are very good at that.”However, some selection decisions could be dictated by conditions and Australia may use various different balances to their side throughout, with a lot centering on how soon Green is available. Smith, who has been on two Test tours of India, scoring three centuries with an average of 60.00, knows that firm plans can’t really be made until they get there.”You can’t go in with too many preconceived ideas,” he said. “You have to play what is in front of you. It depends what wickets they serve up to what combinations we play and how you play on those wickets as well. Been there a few times, they have been challenging tours. We got pretty close last time we were there, we weren’t too far away. Hopefully a few of us who were there have got some learnings for this time and hopefully we can impart some knowledge on the young guys and have a really successful tour.”After the final Test against South Africa, Pat Cummins said he expected the squad would provide plenty of options. “I think our squad will have basically all possibilities. It’s a big series, so we want everything at our disposal.”Possible Australia squad for India tour David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (capt), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland, Ashton Agar, Lance Morris, Mitchell Swepson, Matt Renshaw, Peter Handscomb, Todd Murphy

The debutant hit a classy hundred, and Shakib held India off late in the day, but the visitors needed only four more wickets by stumps

Himanshu Agrawal17-Dec-20222:21

Jaffer: Axar’s pace makes it difficult for batters when the ball starts to turn

Axar Patel helped India inch closer towards clinching the first Test in Chattogram, striking twice with the second new ball on the fourth evening to get rid of Mushfiqur Rahim and Nurul Hasan in the space of six deliveries. Debutant Zakir Hasan, who led Bangladesh’s defiance on the day, had fallen for a fighting 100 prior to that, when he inside-edged on to his pad – the ball popped up to Virat Kohli at slip, with R Ashwin finally adding to his wickets’ column.Shakib Al Hasan provided entertainment late in the day to end unbeaten on 40, having swung his bat to loft, swipe and slash the spinners, but by stumps Bangladesh still needed 241 while India needed four wickets.The evening session had begun with Bangladesh three down, and Zakir and Mushfiqur at the crease. The left-right combination didn’t mind attacking the spinners, piling up 31 runs – including four fours and a six – off the first seven overs after resumption, with Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar in operation.That phase featured a confident straight loft by Zakir to dispatch Kuldeep for six, and a sweep behind the wicket off Axar to get to his century off 219 balls. His patience, concentration and application on a pitch with turn and bounce – and against a highly skilful attack in his very first Test – stood out.India kept attacking with a bunch of close-in fielders surrounding the batters each time the spinners bowled. In the 80th over, they were a tad unlucky as Shakib was hit in front by Axar and India lost their review, with replays showing a faint inside edge. To add to that, Shakib deposited Axar for four and six off the next two balls.The new ball wasn’t taken until the 85th over and right away the fresh, hard ball started playing tricks. Mushfiqur was rapped on the glove when Axar got some extra bounce from a full delivery, which brought the physio onto the park.Zakir Hasan was solid through the first session•Associated Press

The next over, India changed up the pace, bringing on Umesh Yadav, and again Bangladesh had a touch of luck go their way. Pant dropped Mushfiqur second ball, when an outside edge flew to his right. Five balls later, Axar turned one past his outside edge to leave the stumps splattered and India finally had their wicket.New batter Nurul edged the first ball he faced for three, but two deliveries later was stumped by Pant, pushing at a ball turning past his outside edge. Now, India smelled victory.But Shakib and Mehidy Hasan Miraz batted out the next 14 overs to see out the day, add 34 runs and frustrate India. They’d had their fair share of frustration earlier in the day, as well.Najmul Hossain Shanto and Zakir had added 124 – Bangladesh’s first century opening stand in Tests against India – to start the improbable chase of 513, as the visiting bowlers looked clueless on a pitch that seemed to have eased up a bit on the fourth morning. Shanto, who already had two first-ball ducks in three innings against India on this tour, made a solid 67, before Umesh had him caught behind by Pant, who grabbed the chance on the relay after Kohli at first slip had failed to latch on.Yasir Ali came in at No. 3, and Axar got his first wicket soon after when he darted in a good-length ball from around the wicket, pitched it on middle and off, and turned it away to crash into off stump. The quick strikes meant there was some repair work to do, but Litton Das gave it away; looking to keep the scoreboard ticking along but tied down by Kuldeep’s tight lines, he lofted and was caught by a deep-ish mid-on.Despite all that, nothing seemed to disturb Zakir, who kept grinding and grafting until Ashwin struck for the first time in the match. After a wicketless first session, India hit back three times in the afternoon and then got closer to a 1-0 lead in the evening. Bangladesh take with them the positives of Zakir’s calmness under pressure and Shanto’s return to form from the fourth day’s play.

Chelsea have now joined the race to sign a “sensational” striker, who is likely to leave his current club this summer, and a £37m offer is expected to be made, according to a report.

Chelsea pursuing a striker

A number of the Premier League’s biggest clubs have set their sights on signing new strikers this summer, with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United keen, and the Blues are no exception, having identified a number of potential targets.

There is a feeling the west Londoners could now have an advantage over Arsenal in the race to sign Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, as they are now expected to enter talks, while the Gunners are concerned they won’t be able to get a deal done.

Benjamin Sesko and Victor Osimhen have also been linked with moves to Stamford Bridge, with Enzo Maresca not short on options ahead of the summer transfer window, but another target has now entered the frame.

Chelsea now in talks for another 16 y/o sensation after Evangelista signing

The Blues are raiding Brazil.

ByBarney Lane Mar 3, 2025

According to a report from Spain, Chelsea, and by extension Todd Boehly, have entered the race to sign Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman, amid a falling out with manager Gian Piero Gasperini, with the forward now in line for a return to the Premier League.

Offers of around €45m (£37m) are set to be made by a number of top English clubs, with the Blues expected to make a move, alongside Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, who are also keen.

Maresca’s side are said to view Lookman as a key player as part of their rebuilding process, and he is now a priority target for the summer, but the fierce competition could make it a difficult move to orchestrate.

The one thing that is clear is the forward now wants to leave the Italian club, and the Premier League is the most likely destination.

"Sensational" Lookman could upgrade Chelsea's attack

The Nigeria international is capable of playing on both wings, as well as centre-forward, and he has been in prolific form in front of goal this season, scoring 17 goals in all competitions, including five in the Champions League.

Not only is the London-born forward proven in Europe’s elite competition, but he also put in an unbelievable performance in last season’s Europa League final, bagging a hat-trick to secure the trophy for Atalanta.

Although the former Everton man hasn’t set the world alight in the Premier League in the past, failing to score for the Toffees in the 2018-19 campaign, he has developed his game considerably over the past few years.

The “sensational” 27-year-old is showing signs he is now in his prime, and he could be a fantastic signing for Chelsea this summer, particularly considering Maresca is short on forward options who guarantee goals.

Nicolas Jackson has led the line for the Blues most regularly this season, but the Senegalese striker has failed to score since December 15th, and a top-level replacement could be needed if the Blues are to start competing for the top honours again.

Crystal Palace star Dean Henderson got involved in a fiery confrontation with Pep Guardiola after his penalty heroics against Manchester City.

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• Henderson saved penalty in Palace victory
• Was later booked for time-wasting
• Guardiola snubbed him for a handshake

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Eagles stunned Guardiola by beating City 1-0 at Wembley Stadium, which delivered the first major silverware in Palace’s 164-year existence. Henderson was instrumental in the triumph, producing a series of stunning stops, including a vital penalty save that etched his name into FA Cup history.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Following the final whistle, tensions briefly flared on the pitch as Henderson approached Guardiola to offer a handshake. The City manager refused the gesture and instead responded with a pointed finger-wag and a few sharp words. The incident, captured by television cameras, underscored the frustration bubbling beneath the surface for the City bench after missing out on yet another silverware in what has been a disappointing campaign.

• WHAT HENDERSON & GUARDIOLA SAID

  Speaking to after the game, Henderson said: "I just went to shake his hand, but obviously I think he was disappointed with the time-wasting. I said: 'You got your ten minutes,' so no hard feelings."

  Meanwhile, Guardiola said: "He defended his position, we defended our position. It's time-wasting. I understand in the last minutes, but since the one or two minutes? He's British, in English football, you have to play.

  "I'm sorry. Everyone can do whatever they want. We have to score goals. We didn't lose because Henderson was time-wasting. In the last minutes, I understand [time-wasting]. They gave us nine or 10 minutes extra time, but it's a question of rhythm. All the fans are there to let the 22 players play, play, play, play. So, when you see Barcelona now, they're losing, attack, attack, attack, attack, and the other team attack, attack. The show is beautiful.

  "But I understand his position. It's a question of the referee, not a question of mine.

  "Because we don't have the rhythm that you need again, again, again. I understand when it's 92 minutes, 86, 87, you know. But I don't feel it.
  "

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Henderson’s night wasn’t without controversy. Early in the match, the goalkeeper appeared to have handled the ball outside the penalty area while attempting to prevent Erling Haaland from latching onto a through pass. The incident triggered a VAR review, sparking fears of a potential red card. Ultimately, officials concluded that the infringement did not deny an obvious goal-scoring chance, allowing Henderson to stay on the pitch, a decision that City fans and Guardiola may still be fuming about.

  "I didn't know it was for me in all honesty," Henderson said. "I knew the ball had come into the box so I wasn't sure what they were doing it for. Then I asked Chilly [Ben Chilwell] down the side what they were doing it for, he said for me, but who cares? Doesn't matter."

With Philippe Clement sacked as Rangers manager and Barry Ferguson in place until the summer, renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano has dropped a fresh update on links Steven Gerrard.

Clement sacked and replaced by former captain Ferguson

The Belgian has been under a huge amount of pressure at Ibrox for some time now, and Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at home to St Mirren was a shocking result for Rangers and the final straw for Clement, who has now officially been relieved of his duties after 16 months in charge.

The club released a statement on Sunday evening: “The club would like to put on record their sincere thanks to Philippe for his hard work and dedication during his spell in charge. A further update from the club will follow in due course.”

The Gers’ season is still alive, not least because they are still in the Europa League, and it’s now a case of riding on the emotion of former captain Ferguson to continue what could still become a memorable campaign akin to their trip to the final in 2022.

Unfortunately, Rangers have gone backwards this season in the league, with the gap between themselves and Celtic seemingly growing, highlighting the importance of bringing in the right boss this summer once Ferguson has steadied the ship.

Romano drops Gerrard to Rangers update

Writing for Give Me Sport, Romano reacted to the rumours floating around about Gerrard returning to Rangers: “At the moment nothing has been decided, so let’s keep all options open. The club is assessing options,” his report said. “Nothing direct yet with Gerrard or his camp.”

Opinion may be split on Gerrard returning to Rangers, with the Liverpool legend certainly doing lots right during his first stint at Ibrox, not least winning the Scottish Premiership title in 2020/21. He is the only manager to have achieved that feat for the Gers since the 2010/11 season, showing what an achievement it was, so it is easy to see why some supporters would like the idea of him coming back.

Stats

Total

Matches

107

Wins

76

Draws

21

Defeats

10

Points

249

Points per game

2.33

That said, there may be others who are unhappy that Gerrard decided to leave Rangers for Aston Villa back in 2021, perhaps feeling that he only ever saw them as a stepping stone in his managerial career.

Not only that, but second spells in charge can often be less successful for managers, and a chunk of the fanbase may like the idea of seeing a fresh face in the dugout.

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It’s also worth stressing that Gerrard ultimately struggled at Villa, eventually being replaced by Unai Emery, who has taken them on to far better things, so the jury is still out on him a little, despite the good job he did at Rangers.