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Man City have broken Man United's record for most consecutive wins on home soil by a Premier League club after they beat Brighton 2-1 on Saturday.

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City won 2-1 against BrightonHave 21 straight home winsBeat record set by Man UtdWHAT HAPPENED?

Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland got the goals as City got the three points against Brighton, bouncing back after two straight Premier League defeats.

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City have now won 21 consecutive matches at the Etihad Stadium in all competitions since the start of the calendar year.

That is a new record-winning run at home by a Premier League team, breaking the previous best set by United in 2010-11.

WHAT THEY SAID

Pep Guardiola was impressed by his team, telling reporters: "Against Brighton for 95 mins, controlling them is impossible. No team in the world can do that. I am surprised we did it for 55-60 minutes. They link with the strikers and we went man to man with Julian [Alvarez] and Erling [Haaland]."

He added: "I give credit to the team for victory."

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City will now turn their attention to their midweek Champions League match against Young Boys in Switzerland.

Sarina Wiegman revealed the "hard" message sent to Ellie Roebuck after Manchester City star lost her Lionesses squad spot to Khiara Keating.

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Roebuck dropped by Wiegman for the Nations LeagueHas also lost her place to Keating at CityNo scope for a comeback in the "short term"WHAT HAPPENED?

Roebuck is going through a challenging period in her career as she has not played a single minute since receiving a red card in the Manchester derby in May of last season. She has been replaced by 19-year-old Khiara Keating as the No.1 choice at City by Gareth Taylor. A lack of opportunities at club level has forced Wiegman to take a tough call and exclude her from the squad for the upcoming two fixtures against the Netherlands and Scotland respectively.

AdvertisementWHAT WIEGMAN SAID ABOUT ROEBUCK

Speaking to reporters, Wiegman revealed that she has spoken to Roebuck. While explaining her decision to drop the keeper the coach said: "Yes, of course. That's really hard for her, with the position she has at her club now. And we did have conversations last time around and we decided to go with four goalkeepers.

"Now we went back to three and so I had to give her a hard message that we didn't pick her for now. Of course, she's in a hard position and she just has to work hard and see if she can find opportunities. Right now, in the very short term, that's probably not going to happen.”

Getty ImagesWHAT WIEGMAN SAID ABOUT HER SQUAD

During the last camp, Wiegman had called up 24 players, to the national camp but she has cut down on a goalkeeper and opted to go with a 23-women squad this time around. She revealed that it was a "deliberate" move: "Last camp, we had a little bit of different context but for now, these were the players we wanted to see. Also with the goalkeepers, we went back to three and that was very deliberate with the context we have right now and the two games coming up.”

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Roebuck faces an uphill battle to force her way back into the England team as she continues to warm the bench at City. The reasons behind Roebuck's limited playing time remain unclear, with few explanations provided for her absence which might force her to think long and hard about her future at the club.

Antonee Robinson has explained why he traded backflips for a baby bump celebration when finding the target again for the USMNT.

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Fulham full-back making attacking contributionOn target in both legs of Nations League quarter-finalSet to become a father again in spring of 2024WHAT HAPPENED?

The Fulham full-back played a prominent role in firing the United States into the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Nations League. He was among the goals in a 3-0 quarter-final first leg win over Trinidad & Tobago, before surging forward again to net in the return date on Monday.

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The U.S. squeezed into the last four, with Sergino Dest’s petulant red card not proving costly as Gregg Berhalter’s side progressed despite suffering a 2-1 defeat in Port-of-Spain. Robinson’s opening goal in that contest, which arrived in the 25th minute, helped to settle any nerves – with the 26-year-old defender celebrating in style.

WHAT THEY SAID

Quizzed on why he swapped an acrobatic routine for a nod towards a baby that is due in the spring of 2024, Robinson – who has been in trouble with his partner – told reporters: “I'm really, really happy to score again. I don't often get the chance to score. I like to think I'm playing a little bit more of an attacking role with the national team so that translates to goals and that's been amazing. Then get the chance to celebrate, I got a little bit of stick off my fiancée last game for not mentioning the pregnancy! We're expecting another baby on the way during April and we're just really excited and I was glad that I got to dedicate a goal to them.”

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WHAT NEXT?

The USMNT are now heading back to the Nations League finals – as they look to defend their continental crown – with it yet to be determined who they will be facing at the business end of that competition. The battle for major honours in Northern and Central America will come to a close in March 2024 when AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas plays host to the semis and final.

Wrexham winger James McClean took a hilarious swipe at team-mate Andy Cannon on social media.

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McClean complains about sharing car with CannonInvokes old meme to poke fun at team-mate's breathPair prepare for key league clashGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

It seems that the pair's car share to training is not all sweetness and roses as McClean cruelly complained about Cannon's oral hygiene in an Instagram story on Wednesday. Cannon has yet to respond to the tongue-in-cheek allegations.

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Sharing a viral video of a Scotsman's aversion to a family member's halitosis, McClean posted: "Me having to car share with Andy Cannon in the morning."

Instagram @macajw

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McClean recently retired from international football after winning 103 caps for the Republic of Ireland, making him one of only seven players to appear 100 times for The Boys in Green.

McClean sits fifth on the all-time appearance list behind Kevin Kilbane, John O'Shea, Shay Given and Robbie Keane.

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WHAT NEXT FOR JAMES MCCLEAN AND ANDY CANNON?

Wrexham's veteran winger will be hoping his younger counterpart takes the hint as the pair head to training to prepare for a meeting with AFC Wimbledon at the Racecourse Ground on Saturday. The Red Dragons are on course for back-to-back promotions as they currently sit third in League Two, two points behind leaders Stockport with a game in hand.

After coming on as a substitute in Manchester United's draw against Galatasaray, Anthony Martial has come under fire for "not doing anything."

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United drop two-goal lead to draw 3-3 Schmeichel criticizes Martial's substitutionMan Utd's Champions League hopes in shamblesGETTYWHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Devils led 3-1 before the break thanks to goals from Scott McTominay, Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes, but they gave up the advantage and finally drew a thrilling six-goal match in Istanbul. During the game, Erik Ten Hag made a lot of substitutions, but his replacement didn't really stand out. With only two touches in the Galatasaray box and 16 touches during the whole game, Martial was unable to record a shot despite being given more than thirty minutes to make an impression. One of the main concerns, according to Peter Schmeichel, was the decline in work rate once Martial was brought in to take Rasmus Hojlund's place.

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He told CBS Sports [via ]: "When you’re 2-0 up – and it’s not the first time we’re 2-0 up in this tournament – you kill the game. You make sure the other team can’t get into it. You keep the ball, you make sure you don’t make mistakes – and a lot of mistakes were made today.

"And of course, you also have to look at players like when Hojlund came off, a lot of the pressure from the very, very front disappeared. The guy (Martial) he (Ten Hag) put in doesn’t do anything, where you had before someone who works really, really hard for the team up front all of a sudden you don’t have that pressure.

"And that gives the other team a lot of opportunities to pass the ball around. So there are many, many things you can look at, but, again, if you score this amount of goals you expect to have more than one point."

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Ten Hag's campaign at United has been unsatisfactory, and the draw is only the most recent setback in this unfortunate run. The Red Devils' prospects of qualifying for the Champions League are now in shambles, and Ten Hag's choice to sign Andre Onana this summer will likely come under scrutiny following yet another performance marred by mistakes from the goalie.

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United's upcoming Premier League matchup against Newcastle presents another challenging task. Ten Hag's team has lost five of their first 13 Premier League games and is now four points outside of the top four going into the contest.

Liverpool will be without goalkeeper Alisson for Saturday's early kick-off against Brentford after he suffered an injury setback in training.

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Alisson missed Burnley clash last weekendKlopp declared him fit to play against BrentfordBut suffered hamstring setback in Friday trainingWHAT HAPPENED?

Manager Jurgen Klopp had declared his number one shot-stopper fit to feature against the Bees, but the Brazilian felt a recurrence of the same hamstring issue that saw him sidelined against Burnley last weekend. According to , Alisson suffered the injury in Friday's afternoon training session, less than a day before the clash against Brentford.

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The news means Caoimhin Kelleher will almost certainly deputise between the sticks, as he did against Burnley, with Klopp left sweating on the fitness of his star goalkeeper. Liverpool are already without Dominik Szoboszlai and Trent Alexander-Arnold through recent issues, adding to the long-term woes of midfield duo Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic. But Klopp was handed a major boost with the return to the squad of Mohamed Salah this weekend, after his injury while on Egypt duty at AFCON.

DID YOU KNOW?

Alisson only missed one Premier League game all of last campaign as Liverpool had to settle for a fifth-placed spot. Already this term the Brazilian has missed four league matches, which Klopp will hope doesn't increase much further as they look to end his Reds swansong on a high.

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Klopp's side will aim to clinch all three points against Brentford to go five clear at the top before Manchester City face Chelsea in the evening kick-off. Bees boss Thomas Frank recently played down notions of replacing the German in the Reds dugout when he leaves in the summer.

The co-creator of the Premier League has explained why Lionel Messi, MLS, Apple and adidas have set a transfer trend that may soon hit Europe.

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Argentine icon moved to the States in 2023Collaboration between teams & brandsTeams outside America expected to follow suitWHAT HAPPENED?

Inter Miami pulled off a stunning coup in the summer of 2023 when luring eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi to the United States. The Argentine icon was a free agent, having reached the end of his contract at Paris Saint-Germain, but big money was still required in order to put a deal in place.

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David Beckham and the Miami board collaborated with MLS, Apple and adidas in order to make a move possible, with commercial partners and domestic rivals aware that Messi’s presence in America would benefit all concerned.

WHAT SMITH SAID ABOUT MESSI

It may be that European outfits follow suit in the not too distant future, with partnerships between teams and brands allowing more marquee signings to be completed. Premier League co-creator and former super agent Jon Smith has told : “Adidas and Apple helped MLS and Inter Miami to sign Lionel Messi, and I think we’ve just got to have a look at the music business as an example of whether the same can happen in Europe. The major corporations now cross pollinate all the major acts. Sponsorships are very often IT led so that there is a visual download activity around not just ticketing, but the actual sponsorship in the event itself. Football is going to go the same way because football is the biggest followed sport in the world. The biggest players are now nations, which means that the major corporations will join in that support. It’s bound to happen.”

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Smith does not see an issue with corporate partners becoming involved in transfer deals, adding: “As long as the rights owners, which are the clubs and the leagues, have the ability to dictate the circumstances, rather than the brands and the countries telling people how to play their game and how to influence what happens on the pitch, there isn’t going to be a problem. The big fear for I guess all of us who don’t like domination in our life, is that the people with the big money, which are the huge hedge funds, the countries and the major brands, will be able to effectively run the planet in 20 years because they’ll have the IT behind them. They’ll have the data that they’re absorbing and they’ll have the ability to dictate what you think and what you should do. All of that is a society problem but football, as we’ve said before in this column, reflects society.”

Managers are lobbying for a rule change that would introduce a 'transfer window' for bosses, protecting them from sackings during the season.

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Prem coaches push for protected periodsSeek to move in line with playing contractsCurrent season sees fall in number of sackingsWHAT HAPPENED?

reports that some experienced head coaches are pushing the League Manager's Association to lobby for the rule change that they believe should align management and playing staff.

A change would restrict managerial changes to specific periods during a season.

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While the idea carries an element of logic it would be a major surprise if clubs in the Premier League or the EFL voted for the introduction of such a rule. With the transfer windows for players well established and administered at an International level it seems extremely unlikely that clubs would give up the right to change their manager at a time of their choosing.

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This season's three changes lies in stark contrast to last season which reached a record-breaking total of 14 manager switches when Javi Gracia was dismissed by Leeds United with four games remaining.

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WHAT NEXT FOR PREMIER LEAGUE MANAGERS?

After Roy Hodgson's Crystal Palace departure there are currently no Premier League managers in any imminent danger of losing their job, although things can change very quickly in football's modern era.

Wayne Rooney delivered his verdict on Alejandro Garnacho’s stunning bicycle kick against Everton, comparing it to his strike against Manchester City.

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Rooney's 2011 wonder strike is still a rageGarnacho emulated it with similar strike vs EvertonRooney admits the youngster did it better than himWHAT HAPPENED?

During the 3-0 victory over Everton back in December, Garnacho executed a sensational bicycle kick that immediately drew comparisons to Rooney's iconic goal against Manchester City in 2011. Both goals showcased incredible athleticism and skill as the players hung in the air to connect with the ball before finding the top corner of the net.

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In a recent appearance on to analyse Manchester United's late win against Nottingham Forest in the fifth round of the FA Cup, Rooney humorously weighed in on the debate about which goal was better.

"I have always said, it is actually harder to score with your shin!" he laughed. "I honestly don't know [whether it struck my shin or my foot]. I think Garnacho's was better. I think Garnacho's goal was a better goal, but I think doing it against Manchester City was a better game."

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Rooney's sentiments were echoed by Gary Neville, his former team-mate, who was commentating on when Garnacho scored the goal. The former defender praised Garnacho's goal as one of the best overhead kicks he had ever witnessed, even surpassing Rooney's memorable strike in the Manchester derby.

He said: "I don't think I've ever been in a stadium where I've seen an overhead kick as good as that, and I was there on the day Rooney scored in the Manchester derby. That was unbelievable, what we've just seen. This atmosphere has been silenced somewhat. He moves back two or three short shuffled steps. Wow. That is a magical, magical goal. I think we'll see that a few times."

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It would be something special if Garnacho could replicate his heroics against City on Sunday at the Etihad. He has already scored seven goals this campaign across all competitions and would be eager to add to his tally when they take on their eternal rivals over the weekend.

Newcastle United return to action tonight as they host Arsenal at St. James’ Park in their penultimate Premier League match of the season.

The Magpies have already achieved safety and are five points off the top ten with two games left to play and this means that Eddie Howe’s men have little in the way of motivation when it comes to the league table.

However, the players will still be fighting for their places heading into the summer and will be desperate to prove that they deserve to be a part of the club moving forward.

One gem who must be unleashed from the start with a view to next season is Kieran Trippier. The England international returned from injury to come off the bench against Manchester City last time out and Emil Krafth must be brutally axed to bring him back into the starting XI.

In the 5-0 loss to Pep Guardiola’s side, Krafth recorded a dismal SofaScore rating of 6.3 as he failed to win a single aerial battle – losing Rodri from a corner for the third goal. Over the course of the campaign, he has lost 57% of his duels in the air as he has proven himself to be a lightweight at the back and Howe must now axe him from the team tonight.

This will then open the door for Trippier to be unleashed at right-back. The defender enjoyed a sensational start to his career on Tyneside, as he scored twice in his first four games, and he will now be hoping to end the campaign on a high by playing against the Gunners and then Burnley on the final day.

England boss Gareth Southgate previously dubbed him a “warrior” and his statistics for the Toon back that up as he has been a fierce competitor at the back.

He has made 4.8 tackles and interceptions per game and won a whopping 77% of his aerial battles in the Premier League across his five appearances, showing his ability to win the ball back for his side on a consistent basis and compete in individual duels.

The £77k-per-week gem has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.42 for the Magpies and Bruno Guimaraes (7.16) is the only other player with a score of 7.00 or higher. Trippier is one of the club’s best players and that is why he must start this game to get some minutes in the tank and build some positive momentum heading into next season.

AND in other news, “Keeping a close eye on..”: Downie delivers big NUFC claim that’ll excite supporters…