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The last month or so has been an emotional rollercoaster for Chelsea fans, as they watched their team dismantle Aston Villa in the FA Cup on Wednesday evening after watching them get battered in the two Premier League games prior.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side have been incredibly inconsistent so far this season, and while their defence certainly needs a lot of work, their inability to put away chances is more of a pressing issue.

As things stand, only summer signing Cole Palmer has reached double figures for the Blues across all competitions this year, which is a pretty woeful state of affairs for one of the biggest teams in the country.

However, the fact that a player they sold for just £1m a couple of years ago has been having an even better season than the former Manchester City gem typifies the problems at the club.

Chelsea's sale of Giroud

The player in question is none other than France’s all-time top goalscorer and World Cup winner, Olivier Giroud.

The Blues signed the lethal frontman from cross-city rivals Arsenal in January 2018 for the relatively modest fee – at least by today’s standards – of around £18m, after his game time in N5 had been seriously reduced with the arrival of Alexandre Lacazette the summer prior.

During his stint in west London, Giroud made 119 appearances for the Pensioners, scoring 39 goals and providing 14 assists, meaning he was averaging 0.44 goal involvements per match – a respectable return for the price tag.

While he was never the most popular or most impressive player at the club, his time with Chelsea did coincide with their second Champions League triumph, and though he didn’t play in the final, his six goals on the way there certainly meant he played his part.

However, shortly in that same summer, it was announced that he had been sold to AC Milan for the paltry fee of £1m, and while it was probably seen as reasonable at the time given his age, his performances since suggest there should have been at least a zero after that one.

Giroud's Milan record

The former Arsenal man wasted no time settling in when he arrived at the San Siro and enjoyed a tremendous first season in Italy, where he played a crucial role in the Rossoneri winning their first Scudetto for 11 years.

The Italian giants needed a point from their final-day game against Sassuolo after Inter Milan won theirs, and the Frenchman scored a brace to help them collect all three.

In all, the “top-level” forward, as former manager Arsène Wenger described him, has scored 44 goals and provided 20 assists for Milan in the 112 games he’s played for them, meaning that he averages a goal involvement once every 1.75 games, a frankly remarkable statistic for a 37-year-old striker in one of Europe’s top five leagues.

What’s even more remarkable is that he isn’t slowing down and has been more productive than Chelsea’s best player this season, Palmer.

For example, the “exceptional” striker, as described by Gary Lineker, has scored 12 goals and provided nine assists in 27 appearances, meaning he’s averaging 0.77 goal involvements this season.

Giroud

Palmer

27

30

12

14

9

7

0.77

0.70

In contrast, Palmer’s 14 goals and seven assists in 30 appearances mean he is averaging slightly less, around 0.70 goal involvements per match.

Poch's next Dele Alli was as good as Palmer in Chelsea's win vs Villa

The 24-year-old has the ability to explode under Pochettino.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 8, 2024

Ultimately, the Blues have an extremely talented player on their hands in the Wythenshawe-born gem, but how much better off would they be this season with Giroud in the team?

An "exceptional" player has teased the possibility of signing for Tottenham and says a move to north London "could happen".

Spurs already planning for summer transfer window

Following a very productive and successful January, which was arguably their best winter window in recent memory, Spurs are believed to be planning for the summer already – and how best to strengthen Ange Postecoglou's squad.

Fabrizio Romano says Tottenham figure has nearly agreed to other club move

He’s set to join another club.

ByEmilio Galantini Feb 7, 2024

The Australian was backed pretty early on last month with quick-fire moves for both Timo Werner, who joined on loan from RB Leipzig with the option-to-buy, and defender Radu Dragusin in a £25 million deal from Genoa.

Spurs also sensationally hijacked Barcelona's deal for Swedish sensation Lucas Bergvall, with the teenager choosing N17 over a move to the illustrious Camp Nou.

Timo Werner

Arrival (loan)

Lucas Bergvall

Arrival (buy-to-loan-back)

Radu Dragusin

Arrival (permanent)

Djed Spence

Exit (loan)

Ashley Phillips

Exit (loan)

Sergio Reguilon

Exit (loan)

Japhet Tanganga

Exit (loan)

Ivan Perisic

Exit (loan)

Eric Dier

Exit (loan)

Alejo Veliz

Exit (loan)

Tottenham's growing appeal as a club, you could say, is helped by both Postecoglou turning the tide since Antonio Conte's tenure and chairman Daniel Levy spearheading the construction of state-of-the-art facilities.

The Lilywhites are believed to already be doing homework for later this year in terms of luring new players to north London, with Barcelona star Raphinha among the options being considered by technical director Johan Lange and the recruitment team (Paul O'Keefe).

Spurs' January window offers real encouragement that they can tempt both Europe's best stars and rising talents of the future, with FC Copenhagen prodigy Roony Bardghji being linked in recent months.

The 18-year-old first grabbed headlines with his scintillating display in Copenhagen's historic 4-3 win over Man United in the Champions League earlier this season. Bardghji got on the scoresheet and scored their dramatic late winner that evening, turning more heads which were already thought to be taking note of his exploits in Denmark.

Bardghji hints at Tottenham transfer and teases move "could happen"

Commenting on his links to Spurs, coming amid Bergvall and Dejan Kulusevski's Swedish connection, Bardghji has said a move to Tottenham "could happen" – teasing a possible transfer.

"It's fun to think about. You never know, it could happen. Hard to say now," said the winger to Sport Bladet when asked about following Bergvall to Postecoglou's side.

Bardghji is very highly rated despite his limited league appearances for Copenhagen, with those around the Scandinavian heaping praise on his "exceptional" technique.

"He has an understanding of the game, as well as good balance and coordination," said his coach at under-17 level for Sweden, Roger Franzen (via The Mail).

"He has exceptional technique with the ball at his feet. It's incredibly difficult to take the ball off him. He is good one-on-one and has a good shot. He can shoot with both feet, even if he is basically left-footed, he can finish with the right as well."

MatériaMais Notícias

da cassino： A equipe do São Bernardo Futebol Clube, entrou em campo na última quarta-feira, quando enfrentou o Atibaia, em partida válida pela terceira rodada do Campeonato Paulista Série A2. No entanto, as equipes não saíram do zero, e assim, o Bernô, com três pontos, segue sem vencer na competição.

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da wazamba： + Fábio Moreno volta a falar sobre a dificuldade da Ponte em contratar reforços

Visando a quarta rodada da Série A2, o atacante Marcelinho, que entrou no decorrer da partida contra o Atibaia, projetou a reação diante do rival EC São Bernardo, em jogo que será realizado no próximo domingo (14), no estádio Brinco de Ouro, na cidade de Campinas.

– A expectativa é uma das melhores iremos enfrentar nosso rival, acredito que será um bom jogo, será oportunidade de conquistarmos a primeira vitória na competição, sabemos da qualidade do rival, porém acredito que temos tudo para triunfar – disse o atacante.

– Estamos jogando muito bem, estamos no caminho certo, o trabalho de nosso treinador está sendo assimilado por todos, então a vitória está próxima

O atacante de apenas, 22 anos, foi revelado pelo União Rondonópolis-MT, e é um dos principais jogadores do Bernô. Além de se destacar nas cobranças de faltas em treinamentos,Marcelinho tem sido sondado por equipes que irão disputar o Campeonato Brasileiro das Séries C e B. De acordo com o agente do jogador, Ramos, da Razon Sports, Marcelinho pode até não terminar a Série A2.

– Todos sabem da qualidade do Marcelinho, ele vem se destacando não somente neste início de temporada, mas antes o jogador vinha tendo bom aproveitamento, então isso é normal ter consultas pelo mesmo, porém o foco agora é o jogo de domingo para que depois possamos ver cada situação -comentou Ramos.

O clássico envolvendo as duas equipes de São Bernardo, será o último antes da paralisação do futebol paulista. Segundo informou o Governo do estado de São Paulo, a competição paulista será paralisada entre os dias 15 a 30 de março. Essa medida visa conter o avanço do novo coronavírus.

Amanda-Jade Wellington bowled a superb Super Over and Sophie Devine’s outstanding tournament continued in a thrilling victory for the Adelaide Strikers over the Sydney Thunder in Hobart. Devine top-scored in the main contest with 88 off 56 balls, taking her top of the run-scoring table, before striking the first ball of the Super Over chase to the boundary to ensure chasing seven to win was not an issue. Wellington, who took 3 for 17, had done superbly to keep the Thunder to six in their over after Sarah Coyte had trapped Nida Dar lbw with the final ball of the initial contest following two last-over boundaries from Rachel Trenaman which left the Thunder needing four off three. The Thunder had been well on track in the chase after an opening stand of 59 in 5.2 overs by Rachel Priest and Naomi Stalenberg but the game changed in the hands of Wellington who remove Priest, Alex Blackwell and Phoebe Litchfield.A masterclass from Australia captain Meg Lanning helped the Perth Scorchers sweep the Sydney Sixers in back-to-back matches at Lilac Hill and all but secure a semi-final berth. Chasing 165, Lanning ripped the game away from the Sixers scoring 81 from 50 balls and shared a 104-run opening stand with Amy Jones in less than 13 overs. She fell with 19 still needed from 15 balls, but Nat Sciver continued her good form making 39 not out from 22 balls to guide the side home with four balls to spare and eight wickets in hand. Earlier, Sciver made the big breakthrough with the ball removing Alyssa Healy with the first ball of the match. Healy top-edged a pull shot back to Sciver who claimed her for the second time in two days. Erin Burns and Ash Gardner both made half-centuries, with Burns batting through the innings to finish on 60 not out. But Dane van Niekerk was the only Sixers batter to strike above 133 in their total of 6 for 164 and there semi-final prospects are in the balance.November 23Sarah Coyte held her nerve in the face of a thrilling onslaught from Chloe Tryon as the Adelaide Strikers clung on for a two-run win against the Hobart Hurricanes to book a place in the semi-finals. The Hurricanes were well behind the rate when Tryon entered in the 14th over but she showed her striking power. She took 20 off the 18th over from Suzie Bates to leave 20 needed off 12 balls, then a six off the last ball of the penultimate over from Amanda-Jade Wellington left 11 needed for the last. That became six off four when Tryon found the boundary again, but Coyte then got the deliveries full and two singles were turned down only for Tryon to run off the penultimate ball leaving Tayla Vlaeminck needing four for a Super Over which proved beyond her. The Strikers’ total looked set to be much higher after an opening stand of 85 between Bates and Sophie Devine, who was dismissed for the first time in 207 deliveries, but they struggled for boundaries in the latter part of the innings. Bates’ 65 off 54 earned her the player of the match.Melbourne Renegades‘ finals hopes took a major blow after the Melbourne Stars claimed just their second win of the season thanks to 62 from Lizelle Lee in a superbly timed run chase in Ballarat. Following the early loss of skipper Elyse Villani, Lee and Mignon du Preez put on 90 to take control of the chase. The pair struck eight fours and four sixes, with du Preez making 41, but their demise in the 14th and 16th over respectively threatened to derail the chase. With 42 still needed from 27 balls, Erin Osborne (34 not out off 15) and Annabel Sutherland (16 off 16) guided the Stars home with four balls to spare. Earlier, former Stars batter Anna Lanning stood tall in her first WBBL game of the season for the Renegades. A late inclusion for the absent Sophie Molineux, Lanning made 73 from 49 balls with eight four and two sixes to help set up the Renegades total of 3 for 165. Jess Duffin made 35 not out from 17 balls in a late flourish after Tammy Beaumont fell for 39 with a couple of overs remaining.The Sydney Sixers fell to back-to-back defeats as the Perth Scorchers jumped ahead of them in the table with a crushing 52-run win to further shake up the battle for semi-final spots. Nat Sciver played a starring role with a half-century to lift the Scorchers to 5 for 152 then claimed the vital wicket of Alyssa Healy in the first over the Sixers’ chase. Without the injured Ellyse Perry at the top of the order the Sixers stumbled to 5 for 35 in the ninth over from where there was no way back. Heather Graham, who had contributed a useful 25 off 14 balls, nipped in with 2 for 17. The teams face each other again in a rematch on Sunday.November 22Amelia Kerr played a key all-round role in the Brisbane Heat’s victory•Getty Images

Defending champions the Brisbane Heat secured their semi-final spot with a seven-run victory over the Hobart Hurricanes. Grace Harris played the key innings with the bat as her 43 off 27 balls put the Heat’s innings back on course after they slipped to 4 for 58 in the 10th over. Amelia Kerr, who contributed an important 21 off 16, then struck vital blows with the ball to halt a promising start to the chase from the Hurricanes who had reached 0 for 52 in the powerplay. Kerr had Erin Fazackerley caught behind, with a juggle, first ball and then added Nicola Carey as Beth Mooney, who had a superb evening with the gloves, pulled off another excellent catch. Chloe Tryon threatened a late heist when she struck three boundaries in the penultimate over but Delissa Kimmince bowled with the third ball of the last as she comfortably defended 16.

Patel has been employed on a consultancy basis over past 18 months

Matt Roller12-Feb-2021

‘I’ve really enjoyed my time here and I’d love to continue, but the reality is that I don’t make those decisions. I’ll put my best foot forward and make sure that I keep growing these guys as much as I can’ – Jeetan Patel•Getty Images

Jeetan Patel has confirmed his desire to become England’s spin-bowling coach on a full-time basis.Patel has worked extensively with England over the past 18 months as a consultant coach, spending time with the squad during the tours of New Zealand and South Africa in the 2019-20 winter and in Sri Lanka and India over the past six weeks.England tried to use him again during their Test series against Pakistan last summer, but were thwarted by a visa issue, since Patel was in the UK as a player (in his final season at Warwickshire) rather than as a coach. As a result, England’s spinners were left to work with Warwickshire’s seam-bowling coach Graeme Welch during that series, having been helped by Gloucestershire head coach Richard Dawson during West Indies’ tour.The ECB advertised for three vacant roles – pace-bowling coach, spin-bowling coach and batting coach – in December, with interviews being held in recent weeks after applications closed last month. Speaking in a press conference on Friday, Patel confirmed he had applied for the full-time role, and appears to be the favourite for the job.”The ECB are still in the process of trying to hire three roles,” Patel said. “They’re still in the background for them. There’s a lot going on so I’m not sure when that process will end, but right now it’s on a consultancy basis and I love it. I’ve been very lucky to see this team win Test series, win games of cricket out of nowhere in some cases, to watch Joe Root score the runs he has, to see the young spinners come through and take five-fors, and also to see the group in some wonderful Test matches in South Africa through to Sri Lanka recently.”I’ve really enjoyed my time here and I’d love to continue, but the reality is that I don’t make those decisions. I’ll put my best foot forward and make sure that I keep growing these guys as much as I can. I’d love it to be full-time.”While his international record was modest, Patel is a highly respected figure within English cricket as an authority on spin bowling. He took 473 first-class wickets for Warwickshire between 2009 and 2019 at an average of 26.11, making him county cricket’s most prolific spinner, and said that he was keen to help young English spinners and make the domestic game more conducive to their development.Related

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Leach shrugs off Pant mauling to rise to fourth-innings challenge

ECB step up coaching recruitments for England men's squads

Patel's England coaching stint stopped by visa rules

Patel: 'One message to young spinners? Bowl and bowl and bowl'

“Spin is really important around the world,” he said. “I haven’t officially been given any role yet but I’m always looking at how we can improve the game. I’ve spent a lot of time in England and my heart is there as well, so I’d love to see the spin game in England develop, whether that’s through pitches, smartness of spinners themselves, captaincy, or the way we play spin.”As well as helping England’s three main spinners – Moeen Ali, Dom Bess and Jack Leach – on this tour, Patel has been tasked with assisting their part-time options – Dan Lawrence and Joe Root – and managing the development of Mason Crane, Matt Parkinson and Amar Virdi, who have travelled as reserves along with the rest of the squad.”It’s been a lot of work,” Patel said. “It’s not often any team carries eight spinners on tour, but they’ve all been fantastic. Virds is definitely making big improvements, and he comes off the back of being able to spin the ball big, and we want to use that skill. These opportunities for him are fantastic.”Parkinson for me has gone to the next level with his bowling. There were question marks around the pace he delivers the white ball and whether it would be effective at international level, and I think he’s shown that [he can succeed] with a red ball. With Mason, we know that he can spin the ball and that he’s an aggressive spinner. It’s about helping him eliminate those bad deliveries that legspinners can bowl.”For the reserve guys, it’s about keeping them keen and keeping them coming back for more. There’s a lot of work to do, and a lot of guys who want to face spin. They aren’t robots, and they can’t just rock up every day, so there are times when we have to rest them, [but] this tour has been fantastic so far.”

Manchester United have reportedly contacted Robert Lewandowski’s representatives ahead of a possible summer swoop.

The Lowdown: Ten Hag incoming…

The Red Devils look set to bring Ajax boss Erik ten Hag to Old Trafford ahead of the 2022/23 campaign to take over from Ralf Rangnick.

Fabrizio Romano revealed on Monday that United are set to complete a contract agreement with Ten Hag and that contact has been made with Ajax over a €2m clause.

Ten Hag previously demanded to be 100% involved when it comes to signings, departures and new contracts, and it looks as if Lewandowski is a potential target.

The Latest: Lewandowski contact

Sports Witness relayed an update from Sport regarding the Bayern Munich striker on Monday. They claimed that United are on the search for a star striker this summer and have contacted Lewandowski’s camp to make their interest known.

The 33-year-old, valued at around ‘€140-150m’ (£117m-£125m) last year according to Di Marzio, will be entering the final 12 months of his Bayern deal in the summer, with Barcelona also name-checked in the latest report.

The Verdict: Ronaldo replacement?

Edinson Cavani is set to leave United over the coming months, which will leave Ten Hag with just Cristiano Ronaldo as the only recognised senior striker on the books.

Ronaldo’s future is also thought to be in doubt, so should he depart, then Lewandowski, described as ‘unplayable’ by Sky Sports analyst Statman Dave, could be a perfect replacement.

However, if Ronaldo remains at Old Trafford, then pursuing a younger forward could be a wiser move, with Benfica’s Darwin Nunez on their radar after a stellar 2021/22 campaign.

In other news: ‘Problems…’ – Fabrizio Romano now shares fresh blow for Man Utd and Erik ten Hag on Twitter. 

Jesse Lingard finally opened his account in South Korea as the former Manchester United star bagged his first goal for FC Seoul from the spot.

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• Lingard on target against Gangwon FC
• Opened the scoring in a 2-0 win
• Got his first goal in his 10th appearance

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The English forward joined the Korean giants in the winter but had struggled to find his feet in new surroundings. However, he finally scored his first goal for Seoul in a 2-0 triumph over Gangwon when he converted from the penalty spot in the 56th minute.

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• WATCH THE CLIP

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Lingard had to undergo a knee surgery in March which kept him sidelined until the third week of May. He has been gradually gaining confidence and was even applauded by the fans in a recent 3-0 win over Suwon FC in the K League.

• WHAT LINGARD SAID

  Lingard took to Instagram to celebrate his goal and wrote: "This feeling. Proud of the lads today! Have to keep pushing @fcseoul."

Manchester United continued their pre-season preparations for the 2025/26 campaign with a 2-1 win over Premier League rivals West Ham United in America on Saturday night.

Bruno Fernandes scored both of the team’s goals in a narrow win over the Hammers, scoring from the spot in the first half before delivering a fantastic finish in the second.

There was another outing for new signing Matheus Cunha, who played the opening 66 minutes of the game, but Bryan Mbeumo was not ready to don the shirt for the first time.

Whilst fans have had the chance to watch last season’s team, along with Cunha, ramp up their preparations to improve on last year’s dismal showing, there are a number of players who have not been part of the travelling party.

Ruben Amorim decided to leave several players at home for this tour and the Premier League summer series, as the club are looking to move on from them this summer.

One of the players in the ‘bomb squad’ is Brazilian forward Antony, who spent the second half of last season on loan with Real Betis in Spain.

Why Man Utd should sell Antony

It simply has not worked out for the left-footed dud in England and it appears to be the right time to allow him to move on from Old Trafford on a permanent basis, after a successful loan spell.

United reportedly agreed an £85m deal with Ajax to sign Antony in the summer of 2022 to bolster Erik ten Hag’s options at the top end of the pitch, but he has only mustered up 12 goals and five assists in 96 appearances for the club to date.

The 25-year-old star has not offered enough in the final third to suggest that he has much of a future in English football, rarely scoring or creating goals in his three years in Manchester so far, which is why it could be the right move to cash in on him this summer.

It could also be a smart time to cash in on the winger because he is fresh off the back of a successful loan spell with Real Betis, which shows that he does have the quality to make an impact in other leagues in Europe.

Appearances

17

9

xG

2.87

1.41

Goals

5

4

Big chances created

8

5

Key passes per game

2.2

1.1

Assists

2

3

As you can see in the table above, the former Ajax star caught the eye with nine goals and 13 ‘big chances’ created in 26 appearances for the Spanish side, which may help United to attract interest from other clubs this summer.

Whilst it remains to be seen where Antony will end up by the conclusion of the summer transfer window, there is an even bigger United flop closing in on a move away.

Man Utd flop agrees personal terms on exit

According to the print edition of Corriere dello Sport (26/07/2025), as relayed by Tutto Mercato Web, Jadon Sancho has agreed personal terms with Italian giants Juventus.

The report claims that the England international, who is not part of the club’s pre-season tour, has verbally agreed to a five-year contract with the Old Lady, which would see him earn around £5.2m-per-season.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

It states that Sancho is aware that his race is run at Manchester United and he is willing to drop his wage demands from the £8.7m-per-season he is said to earn at Old Trafford in order to seal a move to Italy.

However, the sticking point is currently the transfer fee. United want a fee of around £22m for the former Borussia Dortmund star, whilst Juventus are currently offering up to £17m.

This is a move that appears to be heading in the right direction, though, given that he has already agreed personal terms, which means that flop could be closing in on an exit from Old Trafford.

Why Sancho is even worse than Antony

Cashing in on Sancho would be a great move for United because he has flopped in Manchester and is currently even worse than Antony as a wide option.

The English forward joined from Borussia Dortmund for a fee of £73m in the summer of 2021 and has scored 12 goals in all competitions for the Red Devils in the subsequent four years, which is as many as Antony has scored for the club in three years.

Sancho was not a part of Ten Hag’s plans at the start of last season and the Dutchman sent him out on loan to Chelsea for the 2025/26 campaign, but he struggled to offer consistent quality for the Blues.

Appearances

26

42

xG

4.28

2.60

Goals

9

5

Big chances created

13

11

Assists

5

8

Games per goal/assist

1.85

3.23

As you can see in the table above, Sancho only averaged a goal or an assist every 3.23 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea last term, as Antony outperformed him during his five-month spell with Real Betis.

These statistics show that the Brazilian winger was far more effective during his loan spell away from Old Trafford, as he scored more goals and created more ‘big chances’ in 16 fewer appearances.

As Jamie Redknapp said in the clip above, Sancho simply does not do enough in the final third to produce goals and assists to help his team win matches.

The 25-year-old flop has scored 12 goals in four years at United and only managed five goals in 42 games on loan at Chelsea, which backs up the pundit’s point about his lack of output at the top end of the pitch.

Another Cunha & Mbeumo: £100m "monster" now wants to join Man Utd

Manchester United could have the chance to bring in another ‘proven’ Premier League talent…

ByRobbie Walls Jul 26, 2025

Therefore, United should be delighted that Sancho has agreed personal terms with Juventus and is now closing in on an exit, with the finer details of the transfer fee just to be ironed out, because he is even worse than Antony, and possibly a bigger flop despite a smaller fee.

Lucas Paqueta reportedly wanted to "sit out" the game for West Ham where he got booked.

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Wanted to sit out the match vs BournemouthCharged with getting deliberately bookedCould get a ten-year ban if convictedWHAT HAPPENED?

The Brazilian international stands accused by the Football Association (FA) of deliberately getting booked in four Premier League matches. This scandal first came to light following West Ham's season opener against Bournemouth, where Paqueta was booked in the 93rd minute, raising suspicions and triggering an FA investigation.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

According to Paqueta asked West Ham manager David Moyes to leave him out of the game to avoid any potential injury that could jeopardise his transfer to Manchester City. Despite his request, he eventually agreed to play after discussions with Moyes and other senior figures at the club. During the game, Paqueta was visibly anxious, frequently glancing towards the touchline from the 70th minute onwards, seemingly looking to be substituted.

Moyes had reportedly planned to substitute Paqueta in the second half to minimise the risk of injury. However, Paqueta remained on the pitch until deep into added time, when he received the controversial booking for handball, a moment that has become the cornerstone of the FA's investigation.

DID YOU KNOW?

Paqueta’s legal team is preparing a robust defence, aiming to challenge the FA's claims. They argue that the timing of Paqueta’s yellow card in added time is inconsistent with a deliberate attempt to manipulate betting outcomes. Furthermore, Paqueta’s initial reluctance to play in the match is being highlighted as evidence of his lack of intent to participate in any betting scheme. If found guilty, Paqueta could face a ban of up to ten years, a punishment that would effectively end his professional football career.

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR PAQUETA?

It is understood that Paqueta’s case will be heard by a three-person independent commission later this summer. The outcome of this hearing will determine not only his future in football but also set a precedent for how such cases are handled in the sport. Despite the allegations, Paqueta remains steadfast in his defence, hoping that the truth will ultimately exonerate him.

Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot has opened up on the impact Cristiano Ronaldo had on him while he was at Old Trafford.

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Dalot and Ronaldo played together at UnitedRonaldo's routine rubs off on DalotUnited defender reflects on experienceWHAT HAPPENED?

Dalot, 25, has claimed that working with someone who is 'obsessed' with his craft like Ronaldo at United has positively impacted his commitment behind closed doors.

The defender stated that some of Ronaldo's habits 'passed on' to him during their time together at the club and he now has a strict routine that he follows each day. This includes recovery, physical exercise and nutrition.

The Portuguese pair played together from 2021 to 2022, before Ronaldo left to join his current club Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT DALOT SAID

Speaking to the official Manchester United media team, Dalot said: "I had the life experience to work with someone who was completely obsessed about it. By being with him so much of the time, that passed on to me.

"Now it’s just something that’s just part of me. I think I created this routine where I have to take some time every single day to recover, to work on my mental part as well, my physical part. It’s all a routine now.

"It’s just trying to work on recovery, nutrition, all kinds of stuff that will make my body feel ready to play. Ultimately, our bodies are our tools; they're what we use to play football. I try to recover as fast as we can when the games are coming really fast.

"Mentally, obviously, it’s been a tough season. And when things are not going well, at this club, everything is bigger. Whether you’re winning or losing, everything is bigger, so you need to be really, really prepared mentally, to take all this pressure.

"To try to come to Carrington every single day to match the standards of the club, which are really high."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Despite a relatively disappointing campaign for United again during 2023/24, Dalot has been a stand-out performer for the club throughout the season.

The Portuguese international has featured in 35 of the 37 Premier League fixtures so far this season, where he has scored one goal and added three assists.

The upturn in his performances could be attributed to Ronaldo's influence on him after he admitted he now prepares mentally to deal with the pressure of playing at United.

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR DALOT?

Dalot and his United team-mates will now look to finish as high as they can this season. The Red Devils currently sit in eighth place, level on points with Newcastle United in seventh, and could leap-frog the Magpies with a win against Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday.

Elsewhere, the squad will also have one eye on the FA Cup final against local rivals Manchester City, which is scheduled to take place at Wembley Stadium on May 25.