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Last night’s Champions League encounter between AC Milan and Inter Milan was a truly special occasion.A big European semi-final is always going to be, yet when it’s played between two fierce rivals who play in the same stadium, it’s always going to elevate the significance.Neither team were able to prevent Napoli from securing a historic Serie A title but Milan were on hand to beat them in the Champions League semi-finals.Sadly for them, it’s unlikely they’ll be in the final after Inter won the first leg 2-0.It was a night that quite rightly warranted special attention from broadcasters, no less so than at CBS where Micah Richards, Thierry Henry and Jamie Carragher were all on top form as usual.Among the hilarity of an interview with Paolo Maldini, there were moments of more serious debate, even if a certain Henry did have to be dressed in a crown and a robe for that to occur.In a segment post-match, the Arsenal great was coronated as the CBS king for the day, and as such, had the freedom to pick five new rules he’d like to see in football.

What new rules does Thierry Henry want to see in football?

The first happened to be rather topical considering discussions in recent days surrounding how long each team has time wasted this term.

With that debate likely fresh in his mind, the former striker declared that any time clear and obvious time wasting that happened would be punished with a 25-yard free kick being given to the opposition to try and score from.

Anofher rule included the need for concussion substitutes while a player suffering from a head injury can be assessed thoroughly and not rushed back onto the pitch.

One more thing that Henry wanted to introduce was more clarity among referees for their decision making with the use of TV microphones being worn and mandatory post-match interviews for the officials being required .

Once a striker, it was unsurprising that the great Frenchman wanted to see good attacking play rewarded too, with an extra point being proposed for any team that score three or more goals in a game.

Perhaps the most interesting rule surrounded player recruitment, with the pundit saying: “The sporting director or whoever is in charge of recruitment at your club must do your research and due diligence.

“What I mean by that is you don’t buy a house without visiting it, you go in the morning, you go at night to hear the noise, and I’ve seen so many players arriving to places without anyone knowing if they could adapt at all to the place.

“So I’ll give you an example. The coach of the San Antonio Spurs went to Spain for two weeks to make sure a player was going to be the right fit for the Spurs because he was going to be the franchise’s marquee player.”

While some of the rules are quirky, others really make sense. It’s clear Henry has an excellent brain when it comes to football, but whether these rules become a reality, only time will tell.

A spirited second half showing from Leeds United wasn’t enough to secure a point against Manchester City as they went down 2-1 at the Etihad this afternoon.

Sam Allardyce’s first match in charge didn’t exactly start off well, with the Whites two down at half-time having been thoroughly outplayed and out-fought during the opening 45 minutes.

The second half was much better, and following Rodrigo’s goal with just five minutes left, there were genuine hopes that an equaliser could be found during the dying minutes of the tie, yet it never arrived and Leeds find themselves languishing in 17th spot in the Premier League.

Allardyce struggled to get a tune out of the vast majority of his squad, with Jack Harrison arguably the worst among the starting XI, as he failed to provide any meaningful attacking output during a disappointing display.

How did Jack Harrison perform for Leeds United?

The winger hasn’t enjoyed the best of times recently. Against Fulham in April, he received a Sofascore rating of just 5.9/10, succeeding with just one dribble attempt and winning only one duel throughout the tie – and today's performance was arguably even worse.

He was only on the pitch for 65 minutes and failed to generate anything resembling a chance against the champions, which will worry Allardyce heading into the final three games of the season.

Another 5.9/10 rating from Sofascore for Harrison was the worst across the starting XI, and he took fewer touches than goalkeeper Joel Robles, who had 45 during the match compared to a paltry 15 from the winger.

Even worse was the fact that the Englishman attempted just five passes during the match and was successful with just one. Giving the ball away against City is a fatal error, and they punished Leeds this afternoon.

His failure to deliver an accurate cross or complete a single dribble was compounded by his lack of physicality against the opposition defence, as he lost every single one of his duels contested – and there is no doubt he was a passenger for Allardyce today.

The 26-year-old went missing once again and these recent poor performances will surely be a cause for concern heading into the next few weeks. Can the manager trust him against Newcastle United next weekend? After this display, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him drop to the bench as the Whites bid to avoid their battle against the drop going down to the wire.

أعرب أحمد أمين أوفا مهاجم فريق الكرة الأول بنادي إنبي عن حزنه لعدم تواجده في القائمة النهائية لمنتخب مصر الأول المشاركة في منافسات كأس أمم إفريقيا المقبلة.

وكان روي فيتوريا المدير الفني لمنتخب مصر قد أعلن عن القائمة النهائية للفراعنة والتي ستشارك في بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا بكوت ديفوار المقرر انطلاقها يناير الجاري.

منتخب مصر يخضع لقياسات بدنية قبل معسكر كأس أمم إفريقيا 2023

وقال أوفا في تصريحات تلفزيونية ببرنامج “الماتش”: “التواجد في القائمة المبدئية لمنتخب مصر قبل كأس أمم إفريقيا خطوة جيدة لي”.

وأضاف: “كنت أتمنى أن أكون حاضرًا في القائمة النهائية لمنتخب مصر المشاركة في كأس أمم إفريقيا، هذا حلمي الأكبر، استبعادي محزن ولكني سأواصل الجهد لأكون متواجدًا في أقرب وقت”.

وأردف: “أتمنى التوفيق لمحمود كهربا ومصطفى محمد وأحمد حسن كوكا، وأتمنى أن نعود بلقب بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا”.

واستكمل: “أتمنى أن أكون متواجدًا مع منتخب مصر في أقرب تجمع وسيكون كل تركيزي على تحقيق ذلك، ولم أحتفل بأهداف في مرمى بلدية المحلة حزنًا على عدم انضمامي للمنتخب”.

واستطرد: “يتبقي في عقدي موسمين بخلاف هذا الموسم، ولم أتحدث مع أحد بشأن العروض”.

وأتم: “لم يتحدث أحد من الأهلي والزمالك مع نادي إنبي بشأن انضمامي، توجد مفاوضات مع وكيل أعمالي ولكن حتى وقتنا هذا لم أجلس مع وكيلي”.

Leicester City could still appeal to Graham Potter, however, he is looking to sit out until the end of the campaign having been sacked by Chelsea over the weekend.

Could Potter sign in the summer?

It is believed the Foxes made an immediate approach to the now-former Chelsea manager after parting ways with Brendan Rodgers over the weekend.

However, it is also believed the 47-year-old rejected the approach as he looks to enjoy a short break from the game on the back of the disappointment of being sacked by the Londoners.

The Foxes sit in a seriously concerning spot in the table with just nine games remaining as they find themselves slumped down in 19th spot.

Adam Sadler and Mike Stowell are the caretaker coaches in charge of the relegation battlers but they did not get off to the best of starts on Tuesday night.

A big point against an in-form Aston Villa was lost in the dying minutes of the game as their relegation worries were only compounded.

But speaking on the Talking Transfers podcast, insider Graeme Bailey has claimed the club could still appeal for Potter in the summer if they are able to survive:

(19:35) "I still think he has an interest there and I think if there was an interim manager at Leicester which I think they're considering, someone short term, I think Potter then again in the summer. I wouldn't completely rule him out going to Leicester but in the summer."

"But yeah, they don't know who they want yet, but I think they may go short-term, from what we're hearing."

Is Potter perfect for Leicester?

There may be some fans who may hold the rejection against Potter, however, on the back of what was a seriously underwhelming spell at Stamford Bridge, perhaps it was best for all.

Potter's time at Chelsea was undeniably a failure with the Blues slumped in 11th spot upon his sacking and perhaps he was not in the right frame of mind to take on a job straight away.

However, there are a lot of potential positives to suggest he could do at Leicester from his time at Brighton & Hove Albion where he developed a number of players.

The likes of Lewis Dunk, Yves Bissouma and Leandro Trossard all developed under Potter during his time on the south coast (via Transfermarkt).

And with the Leicester squad full of young talents like Harvey Barnes and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, perhaps Potter is the man to extract the best out of their potential.

However, there surely has to be a massive caveat on his reported intrigue in the job at Leicester as relegation to the Championship could prove a major issue.

Not only could it see Potter look elsewhere, but it could see a number of their exciting prospects look to leave in search of Premier League football.

Crystal Palace Tyrick Mitchell came in for criticism from reporter Alex Crook during the club’s Premier League defeat to Arsenal on Sunday. 

The Lowdown: Still no win

The Eagles travelled to the Emirates with Paddy McCarthy in temporary charge following Patrick Vieira’s dismissal on Friday. He couldn’t manage a first win in 2023, though, with the Gunners running out 4-1 winners.

First-half goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka put Mikel Arteta’s men in total control at the interval, with Granit Xhaka and Saka again scoring in the second half.  Jeffrey Schlupp did pull a goal back for the Eagles, who remain just three points clear of the relegation zone.

The Latest: Mitchell criticism

Crook took to Twitter during the first half, saying that Palace ‘might need to untie’ Mitchell at half-time, with Saka ‘twisting and turning him all over the place’.

Shortly after when Saka doubled Arsenal’s lead, Crook then said:

‘Right on cue Saka plays a lovely one-two with Ben White before firing home left-footed’.

The Verdict: Afternoon to forget

It was always going to be a tough afternoon for Palace, especially Mitchell who was coming up against an in-form Saka. The Palace left-back, like his defensive teammates, struggled to contain Arsenal throughout.

As per SofaScore, Mitchell gave possession away on 13 occasions and ended with a match rating of 6.2/10 on the full-time whistle, the lowest score of any Palace defender. He made just two tackles and failed to make an interception or complete any of his attempted crosses or long balls in what was his 28th appearance of the season in all competitions.

You’d expect that Palace officials will now be looking to finalise a managerial appointment relatively quickly, who will have time to work with Mitchell and the squad ahead of a crucial home meeting with Leicester City.

With Wolves holding Liverpool to a goalless draw last night, Liam Keen believes the away side should’ve had a numerical advantage.

The Lowdown: Damning blow for Wolves

Wolves wouldn’t have naturally expected to pick up anything from Anfield last night as it is one of the most difficult places to win over the years and Liverpool have only lost twice at home all season.

The Midlands outfit, however, did indeed have their chances to win the game as Joao Moutinho forced a top save from Allison and if they had been playing against 10 men, things could’ve been so different.

While a lot of the Liverpool players were seemingly appealing for a red card, they wanted it to be shown to Mario Lemina – who did go flying into the tackle – although it was the Brazilian midfielder who seemingly stamped on Lemina’s leg.

The Latest: Fabinho lucky to avoid a red card

Lemina may well have been expecting a yellow card to come his way as he did lunge into a tackle he was unlikely to win, however, once Fabinho stamped on the Gabonese international’s leg, a different outcome may have been possible.

Keen, who was at Anfield last night, believes that Fabinho was very lucky to escape a three-game ban for his stamp on Lemina, never mind that the Liverpool players were wanting Wolves to be reduced to 10 men.

He said: ‘Collision between Fabinho and Lemina. The Wolves man is down injured. Liverpool calling for a red card… But I’ve seen a replay and Fabinho stamps on Lemina’s knee. That’s a red card all day, but a yellow is given…’

The Verdict: Wolves can count themselves lucky

Given Wolves’ predicament in the Premier League relegation battle they need all the decisions to be fair or even some perhaps swing in their favour and that certainly didn’t happen at Anfield last night.

Had Liverpool been reduced to 10 men and lost a key experienced midfielder in Fabinho then the outlook may have been very different and Wolves would’ve likely backed themselves to at least pick up a point.

This is mainly because prior to last night, Wolves had performed very well against Liverpool forcing them into a replay after drawing at Anfield and then they thrashed them 3-0 at Molineux just a few weeks ago, so them taking something off of a 10 man Liverpool side would have been very likely.

Antonio Conte returns to Tottenham Hotspur with something of a squad crisis on his hands as he’ll be without several first-team stars for their trip to Leicester City in the Premier League.

The Italian will be without experienced no.1 Hugo Lloris for at least six weeks after he picked up a knee injury in last weekend’s 1-0 win over defending champions Manchester City, whilst centre-back Cristian Romero serves his one-game suspension following two bookable offences in the same game.

Yves Bissouma is another notable absentee with the Mali international set to undergo surgery for an ankle fracture.

It leaves plenty of questions about what sort of side we’ll see at the King Power Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

How will Tottenham lineup against Leicester?

There could be as many as four changes from the side that defeated Pep Guardiola’s men only six days ago, two of which being enforced.

Between the sticks, backup Fraser Forster is set to be handed first-choice duties over the coming weeks, whilst Davinson Sanchez is drafted in for the suspended Argentine, having come on moments after his sending off last weekend.

He’ll join both Eric Dier and Clement Lenglet, who gets the nod over Ben Davies, in the back three.

Pedro Porro will still have to wait for his debut after Emerson Royal’s “defensive masterclass” against the Citizens, so the Brazilian should keep his place, whilst “big, big talent” Ryan Sessegnon – as once lauded by ex-teammate Stefan Johansen – comes in for Ivan Perisic in a move that puts upcoming fixtures in mind.

Spurs play AC Milan in the Champions League during the week before welcoming West Ham United to north London next weekend and Conte cannot afford to have many more injuries or suspensions in key positions, so the Croatian veteran is rested in favour of the £25m gem ahead of those outings.

Oliver Skipp is vying for a rare start but the Italian head coach should stick with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur in the engine room, with the front three also remaining the same despite Heung-min Son’s recent struggles.

The South Korean, Harry Kane and Dejan Kulusevski make up the starting XI, though they are being pushed by the likes of Richarlison and recent signing Arnaut Danjuma, who scored on his debut in the FA Cup a few games ago.

AND in other news, Levy could keep Conte at Spurs with swoop for £54m “phenomenon”, he’s a “top” target…

Arsenal could have a potential contract issue on their hands over the summer with the expected return of their on-loan striker Folarin Balogun.

What’s the latest?

The 21-year-old striker is currently out on loan with the French side Reims where he is enjoying regular football in Ligue 1 and he is expected to return to the Emirates Stadium in the summer.

However, with the likes of Eddie Nketiah currently shining under Mikel Arteta amid Gabriel Jesus’ absence, there will be question marks as to where his future will lie.

Balogun’s contract is expected to run for another two years but it is apparent the youngster has two hungry strikers above him in the pecking order in north London.

Indeed, speaking on the FIVE YouTube channel, journalist David Ornstein has suggested the Gunners may have a big decision on their hands as to what lies ahead for the 21-year-old striker:

“I think there’s only a couple of years left on his contract, so it’s a situation that Arsenal are going to have to look at. But clearly, he looks a top prospect who – for club and also for country, I’m sure – has a great future ahead of him.

“Arsenal will hope that’s with [them], but it looks like they’ll need to tie him down for longer. I remember there was a big contract story involving him, I was reporting on it myself, but we could be in that situation again, the way he’s going. And if Arsenal manage to hold on to him, it looks like they’ve got someone prolific on their hands for the long term.”

Decision to make for Arsenal

Having signed a new four-year deal in April 2021, it does leave the Gunners with a decision to make over the future of the England youth international.

As previously mentioned, the Gunners are not exactly struggling for options up top with the likes of Jesus and Nketiah playing a big role in the north London club’s success this season.

Prior to his injury in the World Cup, Jesus had provided a return of five goals and six assists in his 14 league appearances in the Premier League.

And in his absence, Nketiah has provided Arteta with a seriously impressive return of four goals in the league since the return from the World Cup break.

Adding to this, Nketiah signed a big-money deal over the summer which is believed to see the 23-year-old striker earn in the region of £100k per week.

Now with this in mind, it does seem as if Balogun could have a serious challenge on his hands if he is to return to Arsenal and make a claim for a spot in the squad.

Not only would the 21-year-old have to prove he is capable of outperforming the likes of Nketiah, but he would have to justify a decision to see Arsenal potentially reduce the responsibility given to Nketiah over this season.

However, when he has returned 14 goals in his 20 appearances in Ligue 1 – becoming the top scorer in the French top flight in the process – it will surely leave Arsenal with a welcomed headache of what to do with the 21-year-old.

Leeds United remain in talks with George Hall ahead of deadline day…

What’s the word?

That’s according to the Daily Mail, who claim that the Yorkshire side are still in negotiations to sign the Birmingham City starlet along with Servette centre-back Diogo Monteiro.

It comes as the Whites close in on their third signing of the January transfer window after Italian journalist Fabzirio Romano revealed that personal terms had been agreed with Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie.

The 18-year-old could be the next steal from director of football Victor Orta in the transfer market, having signed the likes of Joe Gelhardt and Sonny Perkins in recent years.

Orta masterclass

Indeed, whilst Hall wouldn’t be expected to pull up any trees at Elland Road instantly, there is always a chance that he catches the eye of first-team boss Jesse Marsch, with both of the aforementioned youngsters playing a role under him since his arrival in the dugout.

The latter, 18, played a crucial part in Leeds’ recent FA Cup third-round draw with Cardiff City, bagging a last-minute equaliser to set up a replay, which they went on to win to progress into the next round.

Following in the footsteps of England wonderkid Jude Bellingham, young Hall has already been exposed to the men’s game, having racked up 20 appearances, of which five have been Championship starts this campaign.

In doing so, he has also displayed some immense versatility, which will bode well for this chances of foraging a career in west Yorkshire, being able to operate through the middle as a no.8 or no.10, as well as on either flank.

Such quality saw Blues boss John Eustace wax lyrical about him, he said: “George Hall is one of the top young players in the league. He’s a very effective player whether he starts or we have him coming off the bench.”

Meanwhile, the “explosive” and “dynamic” teenager – as once described by U18 coach Martyn Olorenshaw (via BirminghamLive) – could clearly be the next young, emerging talent to make an impact at Leeds, given the evidence above.

Whilst he hasn’t quite had the major breakthrough as Bellingham, he certainly has a big future in the game and Orta must make sure that it is in west Yorkshire rather than somewhere else.

As such, he must look to sign Hall after he gets McKennie through the door and in doing so, he could repeat his masterstroke with the aforementioned Perkins and Gelhardt.

AND in other news, Orta could fix Marsch’s biggest problem with Leeds move for “exciting” £7m “prospect”…

Newcastle United progressed through to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night as they beat Leicester City 2-0 at St. James’ Park under the lights.

The Magpies dropped out of The FA Cup at the weekend, after losing to League One side Sheffield Wednesday, but are well on their way to being in with a strong chance of picking up silverware this season in the EFL Cup.

Eddie Howe’s side produced an impressive performance against the Foxes as they dominated the match from the first whistle to the last and created a number of high-quality chances.

Sean Longstaff and Bruno Guimaraes both came close to opening the scoring in the first half but the opening goal eventually came in the second half when Dan Burn burst into the box and calmly rolled the ball into the far corner.

Joelinton then sealed the victory and Newcastle’s progression through to the last four as he raced onto a brilliant through ball from Miguel Almiron and slotted the ball past Danny Ward.

The Brazilian winger assisted the opener and scored the winner and, because of that, deserves plenty of plaudits for his involvement in the win. An unsung hero, however, for the Magpies was central midfielder Sean Longstaff.

Newcastle’s academy graduate put his big miss early in the match behind him to produce a sublime, high-intensity, display in the middle of the park.

The Magpies constantly put pressure on the away side in order to win the ball back in the opposition’s half and Longstaff played an important role in the tactical set-up.

He won eight of his 11 ground duels and made three clearances, one interception, and three tackles throughout the match, as per Sofascore. This shows that he was able to physically dominate the Leicester midfielders and this allowed Howe’s team to control the game and pile on Ward’s goal time and again.

Longstaff also showcased his ability in possession as he created three chances and completed 88% of his attempted passes from his 58 touches of the ball, as per Sofascore.

The dynamo made a big impact on and off the ball throughout the match and his intensity in and out of possession, alongside Bruno Guimaraes and Joe Willock, set the tone for the match.

He may not have scored or assisted any of the goals but his aforementioned statistics show that Longstaff played a pivotal role in the win and that is why the gem was the unsung hero.