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Nottingham Forest: Third in the table, having won six of their past seven league games, Nottingham Forest host Premier League bottom-feeders Southampton on Sunday but their head coach insists they will not be taking the task lightly.
“I think they competed very well yesterday [against Manchester United],” said Forest head coach Nuno Espirito Santo. “We watched the game and we analysed. That shows credit to them in the position they are and being able to compete. You can see their intensity. We expect a very tough game on Sunday.
“It’s a totally different test for us. Different players, different team and different shape. Equally, it will be challenging and difficult. Nothing changes in our approach.”
Hull City: The Championship strugglers have signed former Morocco international Nordin Amrabat on a deal until the end of the season.
The 37-year-old winger, who played for Watford between 2016 and 2018, was most recently with Greek club AEK Athens, where he won a league and cup double in 2023. Amrabat has also played for PSV Eindhoven, Galatasaray, Malaga and Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr and has 64 international caps.
“I’m very happy and excited to be here,” he said. “It’s a big club with a big history. England is the best country in the world when it comes to football.”
Managed by Ruben Selles, who was appointed last month, Hull currently sit third from bottom of the Championship table and travel to play Millwall tomorrow.
Enzo Maresca: “Off the pitch it is a disaster”
In a moan reminiscent of Chandler Bing line from Friends about Ross’s wallet being too small for his fifties and his diamond shoes being too tight, Enzo Maresca has said that managing Chelsea during the January transfer window is a “disaster” because of the unsettling effect it is having on his squad. Jacob Steinberg reports …
Arsenal: Despite their fairly comfortable win over Tottenham, Arsenal’s shortcomings in front of goal were once again exposed at the Emirates on Wednesday night and while they are nowhere near as goal shy as Everton, they did miss several good chances to assert their almost total dominance.
With Bukayo Saka injured, Gabriel Jesus out for the season with a knee injury and Kai Havertz continuing to blow hot and cold, Mikel Arteta was asked if his club are any closer to bringing one in during the January window.
“At the moment we don’t have them, we are trying to find the solution,” he said. “We will have to see what we can do.”
The Arsenal manager had better news on Riccardo Calafiori, who has missed Arsenal’s last three games with a knee injury. “There a few decisions to make with the medical staff this afternoon, whether he can play in this game or the next one,” he said. Arsenal host Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium tomorrow.
Tottenham Hotspur: Ange Postecoglou takes his side to Goodison Park on Sunday hoping they’ll bounce back from their insipid midweek defeat at the hands of Arsenal. The Australian was extremely critical of his side’s performance and was asked if their noticable lack of intensity at the Emirates was a physical or mental issue.
“Bit of both,” he said. “First half we were way too passive in our approach – with and without the ball. We allowed Arsenal to dictate the game, set the tempo, we weren’t really able to make an impact like we wanted. Second half was better but ultimately it cost us.”
Asked if Spurs were busy in the transfer market, Ange had this to say. “I know the club is working hard as they can. January is not easy. I know work is being done behind the scenes to get some players in. It is tricky, as all clubs are finding. Traditionally it ramps up in final week. We are approaching that for all clubs.
“It is trickier in January because you trying to acquire players from clubs who might want to replace that player, so there’s a lot of logistics involved.”
Crystal Palace: Oliver Glasner has been chatting to the ladies and gentlemen of the Fourth Estate and told them he is surprised that Chelsea recalled Trevoh Chalobah from his loan spell at Palace.
“It was a little bit surprising that Trevor was called back by Chelsea, but it’s very good for us that Chadi Riad is back,” he said.
“We’ll do something [business in the transfer window] if it makes sense, if we think we can’t find the right player to achieve our goals then we won’t do anything.”
With Palace travelling across London to play West Ham tomorrow, Glasner revealed that Jefferson Lerma is unavailable because of illness. “Jeff Lerma is not available tomorrow – he is sick – but all the others who played at Leicester look quite good.
“It could’ve been that he’d be back today, but then he didn’t feel really well, so then we decided it makes no sense. He felt a lack of power, and then we said, okay, we have to wait. We had to take him off after 20 minutes at Leicester and then he felt unwell, and this is what happened.”
“We have got a little small question about Ismaila Sarr. He’s suffering a little bit with tightness in his hamstring, but we will take the final decision tomorrow. But all the others are fine.”
Aston Villa: Unai Emery will be without Pau Torres, John McGinn, Diego Carlos and Roo Barkley for tomorrow’s trip to his old stomping ground of Arsenal, but took time during his pre-match press conference to sing the praises of Tyrone Mings, who is hitting his stride after more than a year out with a serious knee injury he suffered during the opening game of last season.
“[He’s been] fantastic – how he is progressively helping the team, his attitude and commitment to the club,” said Emery of the 31-year-old England international. “When he came in for Pau Torres it was his moment and now he is helping the team. Now he has played a lot of matches in a row, we have to be careful.
“I’m very happy with his attitude, commitment, he is a leader for other players – he is very important for the direction of the squad with the message we want for the players about being demanding in our new way here at Aston Villa.”
Wolves: The club’s head coach Vitor Pereira has revealed that Mario Lemina has apologised to him and his teammates after asking to be left out of the Wolves squad that lost at Newcastle on Wednesday night.
The 31-year-old was stripped of the Wolves captaincy following a post-match scufdfle with West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen last month and is believed to have told the Wolves hierarchy that he wanted to leave the club. Yesterday it was reported that Saudi club Al-Shabab had approached Wolves with a view to signing the Gabon international but were not prepared to pay a transfer fee. Wolves are believed to want £5m for their midfielder.
“What I learn in my life, if we speak every time truly then we don’t have problems,” said Pereira. “Because what happens? Last time I came to the press conference I thought he was in for the [Newcastle] game, then he asked me to be out of the game because mentally he wasn’t in conditions [to play].
“Today he came to me, he asked to apologise to me and the team. He said he is ready to do his best for the team until we have a solution and decision. This is the way he must behave. We are professional, the club play the salaries which mean I should come here with energy to help until the last day.”
Wolves currently sit one place above the relegation zone but could find themselves back in the bottom three by the time they travel to Stamford Bridge to play Chelsea on Monday night.
West Ham: Channeling his inner John Lennon, Graham Potter says that all West Ham playmaker Lucas Paqueta needs is love to sustain his recent improved form for the Hammers. The Brazil international has scored twice in as many games since Potter was announced as Julen Lopetegui’s replacement as the club’s head coach.
“I think he’s the type of player who needs to feel how important he is to the team,” said Potter, ahead of tomorrow’s match against Crystal Palace. “He has to have that responsibility himself because he is important for us, and how he acts and conducts himself is really important for the team.
“I can only comment on what I’ve seen and I think he’s been fantastic in his last two games. His work rate and what he does for the team, has been of a really high level. As a result of that he’s got his reward, which is the goals – two in two is obviously great.
“I think he’s the type of player that you don’t have to pin down to one specific role. He can do lots of different things because he’s that talented and has that quality.”
West Ham’s midweek win over Fulham pulled them 10 points clear of the relegation zone, while Paqueta’s hearing over match fixing allegations is reported to have been postponed until the summer, which means he will be available to play for West Ham for the remainer of the season. The Brazilian denies all four charges levelled against him and has said he “will fight with every breath to clear my name”.
Ipswich Town: Ahead of his side’s match against Manchester City at Portman Road on Sunday, Kieran McKenna has said have not necessarily completed their dealings in the January window despite signing Jaden Philogene from Aston Villa for a fee in the region of £20m.
“We’ll try to [sign more players], if we can find quality that can improve us,” he said. “I think our depth is pretty good now. If we can get everybody back fit, our depth is fine.
“But if we can add quality that can help the starting XI or quality that can help from the bench, then we’ll certainly aim to try and do so – but only if the right players are available that can really push us on.”
Good afternoon, everybody. While Erling Haaland’s long-term deal has captured the headlines today, it would be a gross derelicion of journalistic duty not to mention the considerable shorter one penned by Grant Hanley.
The 33-year-old Scotland defender has left Norwich to join League One leaders Birmingham on a contract until the end of the season. “I knew January was going to be a chance for me to move somewhere and get more minutes on the pitch,” he said, referencing the three Championship appearances he has been restricted to at Notwich this season.
“Obviously the team are in a fantastic position in the league and still in a couple of cup competitions as well so there are a lot of games to be played. Chris Davies [Birmingham’s manager] explained where this club is trying to go, so it was a no-brainer for me to want to be part of a club like this.”
That’s all from me. I’m going to hand over now to Barry Glendenning. Enjoy!
With that new nine-and-a-half-year Manchester City contract, Erling Haaland looks certain to break Alan Shearer’s Premier League goals record of 260, assuming that the striker stays injury free and City remain in the Premier League …
While Haaland is a long way off on 79, his scoring rate and the length of his new deal put him in position to chase the landmark. But because football didn’t start in 1992, Haaland has still got some going to reach Jimmy Greaves’ English top-flight football record of 357 goals. If Haaland is to surpass Greaves by the time his new contract ends in 2034, the Norwegian needs to score over 29 goals per season. That is some going, even for Haaland.
Diego Carlos is offski, according to Aston Villa manager Unai Emery. Brazilian defender Carlos, who joined from Sevilla in 2022, has been linked with a move to Turkish club Fenerbahce and a deal could go through before the end of the January window.
The 31-year-old has not played in the last three games because of a “small injury” and will not be involved as Villa head to face Arsenal on Saturday. Asked if he will still be at Villa Park at the end of the month, Emery said: “I don’t know. The medical report this morning was that he was not feeling good and he is not going to train for tomorrow.
“I know they are more or less in conversation about the possibility to leave but I don’t know. In case someone is leaving we will have to sign another player to replace him, each player can leave.” PA Media
Cole Palmer is a doubt for Chelsea v Wolves
Chelsea’s leading scorer Cole Palmer is a doubt for Monday’s Premier League clash at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers, manager Enzo Maresca has said.
Palmer, who has struck 14 times in the league this season, fell awkwardly after a challenge during Tuesday’s 2-2 draw with Bournemouth, although the England international played the rest of the match.
“They kicked him so he didn’t train today, we don’t know if he will train tomorrow,” Maresca told reporters. Cole, Levi [Colwill], Roméo [Lavia] were not in the session today. We have three or four players who are a doubt for Monday’s game because in the last game they picked up some problems. We rely on Cole because he is a big player. We prefer to play with Cole but in case he has an injury or a problem, then we will find a solution.” Reuters
Settle down with a cuppa, ignore those chores or those pesky tasks at work and do this quiz.
Remember kids, it’s the hope that kills you.
This is a nice piece, from Ben Fisher. Malen is good value for £20m, given his experience and age profile (25).
Here Pep Guardiola’s reaction to that Erling Haaland news, which includes some quotes from the striker himself.
In the end, speaking with the people I spoke with, the hunger and the support that I have been getting for the last couple of years from the board, from the bosses and from Pep, it was an easy decision. I am delighted For two-and-a-half years as a City player I have been winning loads of trophies, playing loads of good football, having so many great moments together with the whole club and with the fans,” he added. “I still remember the rainy parade [after the 2023 treble] which was maybe the biggest and best moment because it was a typical Manchester parade. It has been amazing and like a dream in this two-and a-half years.
We all (should) know who Kelly Cates is by now, but this is still a useful deep dive into the new Match of the Day presenter.
Absolutely magnificent to see Enzo Maresca, Chelsea’s Italian manager, call Trevoh Chalobah ‘Trev’. The defender loan at Crystal Palace ended early after Chelsea activating a recall clause. The move has come in response to Maresca losing Benoît Badiashile and Wesley Fofana to hamstring injuries.
In other loanee news, it was interesting in Maresca’s press conference that he had absolutely no idea that Armando Broja had been injured at Everton, which won’t make the Albanian international feel any better about returning to Cobham.
Randal Kolo Muani joined PSG from Eintracht Frankfurt for €80m in 2023. Now he’s off on loan to Juventus, with Thiago Motta speaking on the deal for the Frenchman. “Happy with his arrival,” said the Brazilian-born manager. “Awaiting paperwork; he could join the group tomorrow.”
Tottenham were interested in the 26-year-old but Ange Postecoglou has just said that Spurs were never seriously in the running.
“We were interested and are looking at a number of players, but we never got to the point where we thought [Kolo Muani] was coming to us”.
This is a fascinating exclusive story from Matt Hughes.
The Football Association is set to block a proposal to allow the English Football League’s Welsh clubs from competing in a new Welsh League Cup next season in what would represent a major blow to Wrexham’s European ambitions.
The EFL is understood to have raised objections to a request from the the FA of Wales for Wrexham, Cardiff, Swansea and Newport to take part in an expanded League Cup, which they hope will generate £3m a year in additional revenue. Getting bigger Welsh clubs into European competition could also improve Wales’ Uefa coefficient.
Uefa has given its approval and confirmed that the winners would be granted a place in the qualifying rounds of the Europa Conference League, with the proviso that EFL-based clubs cannot also qualify via English competitions. The final decision rests with England’s FA, however, which is consulting with both the EFL and the Premier League over the matter. The issue will be discussed at a meeting of the FA’s Professional Game Board next week but sources involved have told the Guardian they are minded to reject the proposal.
Mikel Arteta has praised Renée Slegers after the Arsenal women interim manager earned the role permanently on Friday, signing a contract to the end of the 2025-26 season.
She’s done a phenomenal job. I’m very happy for her and for the club. Promoting someone that was already with us is a very strong signal.
Belgium sack Domenico Tedesco, with Thierry Henry tipped for job
Thierry Henry is among the early favourites to take over as Belgium manager after the sacking of Domenico Tedesco. The Italian-German manager has been let go after a disappointing run of results, including a last-16 exit at last year’s European Championship and a poor Nations League showing.
Tedesco won just two of his last 10 matches and fell out with Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who said last summer he would not play under 39-year-old again. Now the Royal Belgian Football Association are looking to recruit a replacement, with Arsenal and France great Henry among those tipped to be in contention.
Henry previously worked as Belgium’s assistant coach under Roberto Martínez and his most recent coaching role saw him take the French men’s Olympic team to silver at the 2024 Olympics.
A statement from chief executive Peter Willems read: “Following a detailed evaluation, the RBFA sports committee today decided to end its collaboration with national coach Domenico Tedesco. The search for a successor is now underway. Unfortunately, the Red Devils did not perform as we hoped at Euro 2024, just as they did in the next Nations League campaign.
“Domenico made an excellent start as national coach and proved that there are still great things possible, even after the send-off of the previous generation. He has integrated a number of young players into the team, and his successor can build on this.”
Tedesco predicted big things for the team he has left behind, adding: “A beautiful journey is now unfortunately coming to an end. This team is still at the beginning of its development and will cause a sensation in the coming years. I wish the players, the great employees of the federation and the fans all the best from the bottom of my heart.” PA Media
Another former Manchester United manager, albeit on an interim basis, Ruud van Nistelrooy has gazed into his crystal ball and predicted Leicester’s survival fate will go down to the last game. Not that he has got a lot right recently, the Foxes have lost their last six and are back in the relegation zone.
We want to be out of the situation come May, we also know we’re in a position with three or four teams that are close together and they are also dropping points,” he said. “That makes the situation possible, but it is up to us to start collecting points. Performances are something you can build on but we are all fed up of that.
From the first day I joined I spoke about it going right to the last day this battle. You have hopes we could surprise and get more results to get us out of the situation early, so in that sense it is disappointing that didn’t happen. There is an amount of patience required, for a six-week start of a collaboration between me and the players, the club, and believe that in this path good performances will turn into points.
Leicester will try and end their horror run against Fulham on Saturday.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær confirms talks with Beskitas over manager role
Ole Gunnar Solskjær had arrived in Istanbul as talks continue over him taking charge at Turkish club Besiktas. Solskjær has not held a coaching role since leaving Old Trafford in 2021, but is now negotiating with the Super Lig side, who have been without a head coach since letting Giovanni van Bronckhorst go last month. The Norwegian arrived in Istanbul on Friday to put the finishing touches to an 18-month deal.
“I am very happy to be here. It is great to have so many people here for this great club,” Solskjær said after being greeted by members of the Besiktas board on his arrival at Ataturk Airport. “We have had our first meetings. I am looking forward to starting my job. It is great to be in this great city.”
Besiktas are currently struggling in sixth place. Another former Manchester United manager, José Mourinho, is currently in charge of Fenerbahce, who sit second in the table behind leaders Galatasaray.
Saturday’s home match against Samsunspor is likely to come too soon for Solskjær, leaving interim coach Serdar Topraktepe in the dugout. The 51-year-old, though, could take charge of the Europa League clash against Athletic Bilbao in midweek.
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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is next up in front of the microphones:
When the players come, it’s not because I decide. It’s because of the club. The club decides to change the players, or the manager. The trust has always been there [between me and the board]. That’s for sure.
Erling Haaland is making me a better manager. I think this [10-year] deal provides stability to the club. A lot can change but Haaland feels that he wants to give his best years to the club.
Hello everyone! Let’s kick off with some Eddie Howe quotes. The Newcastle manager has been talking before the visit of Bournemouth and was asked about Miguel Almirón, who could return to the MLS this month as the north-east club negotiate spending restrictions which forced them to sell Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh this summer.
No-one wants to lose any players from our current squad, especially in positions where we are a little bit fragile. Why would we want to leave ourselves in that position? But when you’re armed with all the [financial] facts, sometimes you have to take that short-term pain.
There’s not a pot of money there waiting to be spent, it’s all about 30 June and making sure you comply by that date. Obviously if you spend money, then you have to recoup it at a later date.
Howe seems frustrated that his outgoings have to match his incomings. Hmmmm. PSR has got a lot of flack from various people in recent years, but I think there’s some evidence that it is quite effective at the moment?
And with those striking stats, I’ll hand over to Michael Butler to bring you more hard-hitting updates and build-up.
Some Opta stats to chew over during lunchtime…
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Brentford v Liverpool
Mo Salah has been involved in eight goals in his last three Premier League appearances in London (4 goals, 4 assists) -
Ipswich v Man City
Erling Haaland has scored six goals in his last four Premier League appearances against newly promoted teams -
Nottingham Forest v Southampton
Chris Wood has scored eight goals in his last seven Premier League appearances against newly promoted sides
For those who want to be across every bit of transfer window news, keep refreshing these two pages. All the movements featuring Théo Pellenard, Thibault De Smet, Charlotte Wardlaw and more!
Paul Cargill emails in. “Is it just a coincidence that Haaland’s contract now runs for 115 months?” Oof! *taps caculator.
Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna says Town hope to do more deals in the January transfer window.
McKenna boosted his forward options by signing Jaden Philogene from Aston Villa earlier this week – the fee believed to be around £20million – but he wants more firepower. That seems perfectly reasonable given that Ipswich have averaged less than a goal per game this season, their meagre tally of 20 making them the third lowest scorers in the division behind Everton (15) and Southampton (13).
Talking about more incomings, McKenna said: “We’ll try to, if we can find quality that can improve us. I think our depth is pretty good now. If we can get everybody back fit, our depth is fine.
“But if we can add quality that can help the starting XI or quality that can help from the bench, then we’ll certainly aim to try and do so – but only if the right players are available that can really push us on.”
Some more from Arne Slot’s press conference this morning. Here are the calm and smiling Dutchman’s thoughts on the title race as Liverpool hope to extend their four-point lead over Arsenal. The Reds travel to Brentford for a 3pm kick-off, with the Gunners hosting Aston Villa at 5.30pm.
“I don’t think we are as much as the media thinking about the league table every second of the day. We are trying to get the best out of the players, and with ‘we’ I mean my staff and the players trying to get the best out of themselves every single day.
“These players know how long the season still is and how many games they have to be in the best possible form to win something in the end of the season, which is not something that happens every single season. We are not so focused on the league as other people are.
“But we are focused on getting a good training session today and getting a good game tomorrow. And as a result of that, we are hoping for a result. But the only way to get a result is to work on a daily basis in the best possible way.”
Slot was also asked if it was an advantage that Liverpool play first.
“No, I don’t look at it that way. I didn’t even know that they were playing later than us. I only look at the opponent that we have to face and that’s a tough one. [Brentford] was my first Premier League game [at Anfield] and then I already thought, ‘If this is going to be the resistance we get every week then this is a more difficult league than the Eredivisie.’ Which I knew before I came but it was proven that day as well.
“They’ve had a very good season until now, had a 2-2 against [Manchester] City – great game, both teams creating a lot of chances – and their manager has done a fantastic job for so many years now. You can see that it is a team that has worked together with their manager for a long time. That’s my only focus and not on when do Arsenal play or when do Chelsea play or when do all the others play. We only focus on ourselves and the team we have to face.”
A bit more detail on the Erling Haaland contract via PA Media.
Haaland’s deal means he has the longest current contract of any player in the top five European leagues, according to Transfermarkt.
Excluding ‘lifetime’ deals offered to Real Madrid duo Raul and Iker Casillas and Barcelona star Andres Iniesta, the next longest in football history with a defined end date was the 10-year deal awarded to Brazilian winger Denilson when he signed for Real Betis in 1998 for what was then a world record £21.5m.
Deals of 10 years-plus are more common in American sports, with Juan Soto signing a 15-year deal with the New York Mets last month.
It has been reported Haaland’s deal increases his basic wage to £500,000 a week and removes a release clause contained in the original contract.
Luton finished just one place below Nottingham Forest in the Premier League last season, unfortunately that being 18th (relegated) to 17th (survived). But while Forest have kicked on in magnificent style, it’s all gone horribly wrong for the Hatters. Simon Burnton investigates.
Can anyone catch Chelsea in the WSL? That’s the big question as the competition returns after a 32-day mid-season winter break with Liverpool hosting Brighton tonight.
Suzanne Wrack sets the scene for the much-anticipated resumption and I’ll give this one a good read having secured myself a ticket for Sunday evening’s Manchester derby at the Etihad.
Jota doubt for Liverpool’s trip to Brentford
Having made a very instant impression with the equaliser against Nottingham Forest on Tuesday, Diogo Jota could be out of Liverpool’s trip to Brentford on Saturday. That’ll cause groans around Anfield with the Portuguese striker again showing that he remains the most reliable finisher in the club with his strike in the 1-1 draw at the City Ground.
Jota reported some discomfort after the game and trained separately from the main squad on Thursday, Liverpool boss Arne Slot has just revealed in today’s press conference.
“There’s no doubt about the fact that Jota is an important player for us. He was not in training yesterday so we have to see today where he is,” said the Dutchman. “It’s not sure that he will be available for tomorrow. We have to wait and see, He felt a little niggle during the half-hour he was in, he could finish the game but he afterwards he complained a bit about it.”
The Portugal frontman has started just two matches since October, having been sidelined with a chest injury for almost eight weeks. Jota has a chequered injury record, having missed 66 matches over the last two and a half seasons, but Slot said the striker was not receiving any special treatment in relation to that.
“Every single player has an individual programme. I’ve said before that 80 to 90 per cent of the things are the same for players. But every individual has things he wants to improve or to prevent him from maybe getting a certain injury he may have had in the past.
“Of course, there is an eye on him (Jota) doing some individual work to prevent him from getting injured, but that’s not only with him. With all the others it’s the same. There is a special programme for him as there is for every single player.”
In better Liverpool forward news, Luis Diaz is expected to be fit after illness forced him to miss Thursday’s training session.
Ole direksiyonda! Turkish speakers can either smirk or correct me. So, it seems that former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is in talks to take over at Turkish club Besiktas.
(From PA Media)
Solskjaer has not held a coaching role since leaving Old Trafford in 2021 but is now negotiating with the Super Lig outfit, who have been without a head coach since letting Giovanni van Bronckhorst go last month.
The Norwegian has reportedly been in Istanbul to put the finishing touches to an 18-month deal, with the club confirming the move was in progress in a brief statement. “Negotiations have started with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for the position of coach of our football team,” it read.
Solskjaer has managed Molde in his home country on two separate occasions and also led Cardiff for a brief spell in 2014. Should he take over at Besiktas, the 21-time league champions currently struggling in sixth place, he will come up against his predecessor as Red Devils boss. Jose Mourinho is currently in charge of Fenerbahce, who sit second in the table behind leaders Galatasaray.
Saturday’s home match against Samsunspor is likely to come too soon for Solskjaer, leaving interim coach Serdar Topraktepe in the dugout, but the 51-year-old could take charge of the Europa League clash against Athletic Bilbao in midweek.
As Max Rushden points out in his column below, Tottenham are 18th in the Premier League form table since a joyous 4-0 November win over Manchester City at the Etihad. But despite that meagre haul of only five points from a possible 27, Max says Spurs should just flamin’ stick with the bloke.
Some reader reaction to Erling Haaland signing a mammoth new nine-and-a-half deal at Manchester City. Fair to say reaction is, erm, mixed.
Graeme Neill: “You can’t argue with his frankly incredible goalscoring record but let’s face it, he’s no fun to watch. It’s just relentless grinding ability rather than flair or the ability to surprise you. Give me a mercurial number 10 any day.”
Ed Freeman: “He’s not going to stay til ‘34 though is he? I give him another year and a half. This way the club guarantees a good price when he does go to Madrid or Saudi, though. Good bit of business, I’d say.”
Vivek Rajendra: “How should one read into the announcement and details of this absurd contract? Is this City signalling that they are confident of beating the 115 charges? Or are they somehow trying to convince themselves they will conjure up an escape by simply pretending it is business as usual? Should it also be read in context with their trolley dash(?) for Khusanov and Marmoush assuming a potential transfer ban?”
Let’s focus in on those fixtures with our regular double digit-based Friday column.
Brentford v Liverpool should be a cracker for TV viewers on Saturday. Except it’s a 3pm kick-off which, fun fact, is Liverpool’s first away game in that slot all season.
It’s a 5-4-1 formation for the latest round of Premier League fixtures. Here is Matchweek 22 of a season that is moving fast. Just 17 games to go – although Liverpool and Everton have 18.
Saturday
12.30 Newcastle v Bournemouth
15.00 Brentford v Liverpool
15.00 Leicester v Fulham
15.00 West Ham v Crystal Palace
17.30 Arsenal v Aston Villa
Sunday
14.00 Everton v Spurs
14.00 Man Utd v Brighton
14.00 Nottingham Forest v Southampton
16.30 Ipswich v Man City
Monday
20.00 Chelsea v Wolves
Today’s Rumour Mill allows us a segue involving Brighton. Read today’s whispers here…
Brighton were the other winners last night as they ended an eight-game streak without a Premier League victory (eight of those were draws, mind) with a 2-0 success at Ipswich to take them up to ninth. Nick Ames was at Portman Road.
Haaland has 11 Man City hat-tricks to his name so far but none yet in 2025. One man who has is Amad Diallo, who rescued Manchester United with a late, late treble to haul them back from an embarrassment against bottom club Southampton and secure a 3-1 win last night.
Man Utd 3-1 Southampton: Jamie Jackson’s match report
Reaction from Old Trafford: Diallo and Ruben Amorim quotes
That’s quite a start to the morning blog, isn’t it. I know it’s not the main focus but that Man City shirt font remains troublesome.
Preamble
Good morning. Let’s start at Manchester City, where Erling Haaland has put pen to paper on a new contract that ties him to the club until … 2034. Yes. Here’s are the details from Jamie Jackson.
Erling Haaland has signed a record new nine-and-a-half-year deal with Manchester City that ties him to the champions until 2034, with the centre-forward stating he is “super-happy and proud”.
The Norwegian, who was previously contracted until 2027, has proved a phenomenon at City, scoring 111 goals in only 125 games since signing from Borussia Dortmund in summer 2022. He got 52 goals in his first season, as City claimed the treble in 2022-23.
The length of contract is a record for a player in domestic competition and his salary is thought to be a basic of about £500,000 a week.
The morning’s other big news is the appointment of 35-year-old Renee Slegers as Arsenal’s new permanent head coach. Here’s Suzanne Wrack with the report on that before WSL gets back underway after a winter break.
Arsenal have named the interim head coach Renée Slegers as the permanent successor to Jonas Eidevall after an impressive temporary spell in charge.
The 35-year-old has signed a contract to the end of the 2025-26 season after three months as interim.
“Renée was the standout candidate of a thorough recruitment process,” said Arsenal’s director of women’s football, Clare Wheatley.