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It looked as if a Manchester United takeover saga could have been resolved this week, however, there has now been a frustrating update regarding a deal involving Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Man Utd takeover news; Sir Jim Ratcliffe

The Glazers first put the Red Devils up on the market almost 12 months ago now, with Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim making numerous bids to take control earlier this year. However, Jassim withdrew his offer to take 100% control at Old Trafford over the weekend, with one source telling Sky Sports:

“Sheikh Jassim offered them almost double the market capitalisation. He was a cash buyer, he was going to clear all their debts, there would have been no new debt and he was going to put in another £1.4bn for the stadium and the team.

“All that still wasn't enough for the Glazers. What we're left with now, after almost a year, is someone who is going to overpay for 25 per cent of the club. They are arguably the greatest and most historic football club on the planet and after a year there's just one bidder and he can only stump up enough for 25 per cent.”

That left Ratcliffe and INEOS in pole position to secure a 25% stake in the club, with reports claiming that Ratcliffe’s deal with Man Utd would see the Red Devils supporter pay £1.3bn for his stake and that the club’s 12 board members – including the six Glazers and CEO Richard Arnold – may approve the proposal at a pre-planned meeting on Thursday.

However, in a new Man Utd takeover update from The Telegraph’s Tom Morgan and James Ducker, that will no longer be the case. They have heard from a well-placed insider aware of discussions on both sides that there will now be “no decision this week” in a frustrating twist.

How much of Man Utd do the Glazers own?

As we know, the Glazers have been majority owners at Old Trafford since 2005 and currently own 69% of the club. However, they have 96% of the voting rights due to a complex share structure at Old Trafford.

If Ratcliffe’s 25% deal eventually goes through, though, that could soon change in what may well be the first part of a phased takeover over a period of time. It appears as if Ratcliffe would also look to take immediate control over sporting decisions in Manchester, but by the looks of things, everyone involved will have to wait a little longer, with a vote today not looking likely.

Celtic appear to be planning more contract talks at Parkhead, with a "brilliant" player next in line to extend his deal.

What’s the latest Celtic contract news?

The Hoops have been extremely busy in recent months when it comes to new contracts for some of their star players, as well as bringing in a number of new faces in the transfer market.

Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda, Callum McGregor and Liel Abada all put pen to paper on fresh terms, and they have now been followed by Anthony Ralston, Reo Hatate and Matt O’Riley.

O’Riley was the latest to extend his deal through to 2027, and reports have suggested that the midfielder has been handed a huge pay rise, with Brendan Rodgers keen for the club to recognise the contribution of the player who has become a key member of the Hoops squad.

On the pitch, Celtic were involved in a dramatic Scottish Premiership meeting with Motherwell, where O’Riley was the hero deep into stoppage time to score the winner and extend the club’s lead at the top of the table to four points.

Celtic don’t appear to be planning on stopping when it comes to contracts, though, with The Scottish Sun saying that Rodgers and the Hoops board are on a mission to tie down their key players on extensions so they don’t risk running down their contracts and leaving for free.

The recent report has stated that centre-back Cameron Carter-Vickers is one of the next the club are planning to talk to, with full-back Greg Taylor also earmarked for discussions.

Is Cameron Carter-Vickers injured?

Carter-Vickers appears to have found a home in Scotland after multiple loan spells away from Tottenham during the early stages of his career. Now 25 years of age, the centre-back completed a permanent move to Parkhead last year following a successful loan spell and has made 86 appearances in all competitions for the Hoops.

He appears to be at the top of his game with a €13m Transfermarkt valuation but has actually been missing with a hamstring injury in recent weeks. Nevertheless, the USA international, who is already under contract until 2026, appears to be another important member of Rodgers’ squad and was hailed by former Rangers player Andy Halliday for his displays in the Glasgow derby, saying back in March:

"Genuinely in the last five or six derbies, Cameron Carter-Vickers has been an eight out of ten. Every one of them. So much stuff goes unnoticed, I think.

"The fact he has managed to get enough contact to get that past the post. That is a tap-in for Tillman. Brilliant defending.”

Manchester United are now set to open contract talks with a "promising" player who's broken into the first team, according to a report.

What's the latest Man United contract news?

Man United have been keen to tie down a number of youngsters to new deals in recent months, with it recently being reported that forward Joe Hugill has now agreed to put pen to paper on a new deal, which will extend his stay at Old Trafford until 2026. The news about Hugill edging closer towards signing a new deal follows United agreeing fresh terms with Dan Gore and Rhys Bennett back in the summer, while Marcus Rashford agreed a five-year contract, with Erik ten Hag clearly planning for the future.

Rashford did more than enough to impress his manager last season, having racked up 30 goals across all competitions, and he is not the only young player who has made an impression on Ten Hag in recent times. According to a report from 90min, the Red Devils boss is believed to be a fan of Hannibal Mejbri, and talks over a new contract have now been opened, with the club of the belief he is worthy of being handed fresh terms.

Hannibal's current deal expires in the summer of 2024, although Man United do retain the option to extend it by an additional year, and it is thought to be highly unlikely they let him walk away from the club on a free transfer at the end of the season. There are indications the midfielder would be eager to extend his stay at Old Trafford, with the report revealing he is keen to prove himself at Old Trafford, having signed from AS Monaco for £4.35m in 2019, although that could rise to £8.7m.

The 20-year-old has already made his breakthrough at international level, having been capped 20 times by Tunisia, and he has now broken into the United first team, having scored his first goal for the club against Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend.

How good is Hannibal Mejbri?

The Tunisia international has only made four first-team appearances for the Red Devils, as he is still in the early stages of his career, and there is real competition for places in midfield, considering the summer acquisitions of Sofyan Amrabat and Mason Mount. As such, it may be a little while before the youngster establishes himself as a starter for United, but it is clear to see why Ten Hag is eager to tie him down to a new contract, as he put in some promising performances on loan at Birmingham City last season.

Over the past year, the attacking midfielder ranks in the 96th percentile for assists per 90, when compared to his positional peers playing at a similar level, while also placing in the 83rd percentile for progressive carries, displaying his ability to drive the ball forward. It is good news that Man United have opened new contract talks with Hannibal, and they should look to tie him down for the long-term future, considering he's been lauded as "promising" by Ralf Rangnick.

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Na tarde desta sexta-feira (16), o técnico Andrey Lopes deu sequência ao trabalho do Palmeiras para pegar o Fortaleza, neste domingo (18), na Arena Castelão pelo Campeonato Brasileiro.

Por mais de uma hora, Andrey orientou o posicionamento dos jogadores e ensaiou jogadas de marcação ofensiva e de transição, entre outras, em uma atividade com estacas espalhadas no campo. Em seguida, alguns atletas ainda complementaram o treinamento em um trabalho técnico de passes e finalizações em campo reduzido.

Lucas Esteves e Marcos Rocha deram continuidade aos seus tratamentos na parte interna do centro de excelência – o lateral-esquerdo sofreu uma lesão na parte interna da coxa esquerda, diferente da que ele havia sofrido anteriormente, que era na parte posterior, enquanto o lateral-direito está com um edema na coxa direita.

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O zagueiro Luan também segue aos cuidados do Núcleo de Saúde e Performance, em recuperação de lesão sofrida no músculo adutor da coxa esquerda. Felipe Melo, que levou o terceiro cartão amarelo na última partida e está suspenso contra o Fortaleza, realizou somente trabalhos na parte interna do centro de treinamento.

Por outro lado, Gustavo Gómez e Matías Viña são retornos certos após representarem as seleções do Paraguai e Uruguai, respectivamente, nas Eliminatórias.

Um provável time para o duelo é: Weverton; Mayke, Renan (Emerson Santos), Gustavo Gómez e Viña; Patrick de Paula, Gabriel Menino e Zé Rafael; Gabriel Veron, Wesley (Rony) e Luiz Adriano.

O Palmeiras finaliza a preparação para o duelo em Fortaleza neste sábado (17), às 10h (horário de Brasília) na Academia de Futebol. Na sequência, o elenco segue viagem para o Ceará.

England women look to evolve in wake of World Cup triumph, with three new caps named for their tour of India

Raf Nicholson07-Mar-2018

Sometimes new caps are like buses. You wait ages for one, and then three come along at once.So it was today at Loughborough, as England Women’s squad to tour India in the forthcoming ODI and T20 tri-series was announced, and not one but three new names appeared on the list: Hampshire’s 18-year-old left-arm seamer Katie George; Bryony Smith, Surrey’s 20-year-old opener; and Alice Davidson-Richards, the 23-year-old all-rounder who has represented Kent for eight years, four times winning the County Championship title, but whose name will still not fit on most scoreboards.The man pulling the strings is of course coach Mark Robinson, who has plucked the three from county obscurity in a move that nobody – not least George, Smith and Davidson-Richards – was quite expecting.George is fresh from completing her A levels. Davidson-Richards has a degree from the University of Leeds in Human Physiology, and works as a personal trainer. Smith is a secondary school teacher. These are players who one week were jobbing county amateurs (lest we forget, there is still almost no money to be made in English women’s domestic cricket), and the next have had the possibility of a glittering career in international cricket dangled before their eyes.”It’s really weird,” Davidson-Richards (known to her team mates as “ADR”) said in the ensuing press conference. The three have spent the past two months up in Loughborough training almost full-time with the full England squad, something that is still alien to her: “It’s such an odd concept that you train, and then you’re done for the day.”It has been a marker of Robinson’s tenure as coach that, unlike the previous incumbent, he is prepared to blood new players. Spinners Alex Hartley and Sophie Ecclestone have both made their debuts; Fran Wilson has been brought back in from the cold, after five years’ absence from the international scene. All have experienced success, with Hartley and Wilson both integral to England’s World Cup win last year.And yet Robinson’s selections, this time around, seem bolder; more unexpected.Katie George, who debuted for Hampshire in 2013, has spent her entire county career playing in Divisions 2 and 3 of the Women’s County Championship; in 38 matches for the county she has taken 32 wickets at a nothing-special (in women’s county terms) economy rate of 3.59. Bryony Smith has represented Surrey for the last four seasons, since the age of 16. In that time she has hit 797 runs at an average of 17, with a highest score of 70. On paper, these numbers are far from spectacular.Davidson-Richards’ selection is in some ways the most surprising. Perhaps it shouldn’t be, but given the dearth of career opportunities, 23 – in women’s cricket terms – is old. Davidson-Richards was one of only a handful of players to survive a recent cull by Robinson of the Women’s Senior Academy squad, in which several players of her generation lost out, including Georgia Adams (24), Eve Jones (25) and Sophie Luff (24).”I definitely thought my time had passed me by,” she admitted today. “When I finished university it was like, ‘what am I going to do with my life? No idea!’ I went and played for six months in Australia, enjoyed the game again, which is the important thing for me. And from there it’s somehow got me to here!”Then there is the fact that should Smith or Davidson-Richards make their debut in India – and with three ODIs and the potential of five tri-series matches (assuming England reach the final), the likelihood is that they will – either one would become the first batsman to debut for England in five years.So why these three? And why now?Robinson was, as ever, frank in his assessment: “We’ve got to address some areas that we haven’t done very well in T20. The youngsters are there to wake a few people up. What we’re doing at the moment isn’t going to win you a World Cup, and we have to change that.”Smith, he suggests, “gives it a good hit”; Davidson-Richards – who bats at No.5 for Kent and Yorkshire Diamonds – offers “power down the order”. For an England side which has struggled to acclimatise to the new era of women’s T20, in which scores of 160-plus are the new norm, these are potentially crucial assets in what is, after all, a World Cup year.Of Smith in particular he was clear that her role lay in attempting to answer the as-yet unsettled question of who might open alongside Danni Wyatt in the World T20 in November: “We haven’t been able to find that partnership. Bryony will chuck herself into the ring as a potential opener.”His most effusive praise, though, was reserved for George, who he described as “a junior Katherine Brunt”. Brunt herself will be missing the India tour with a back injury; and at 32 will in any case not be around forever. There is perhaps no better time to attempt to blood a possible replacement.Another factor has been the importance of their ongoing performances in the Kia Super League, a competition which has helped expose players to the kind of high-level opposition which has sometimes been lacking from women’s domestic cricket. George and Smith both shot to national attention during the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2016: George, at age 16, stood out in particular as being the youngest player to feature, yet still looked right at home in Vipers’ world-class bowling attack. For Davidson-Richards her time came last season as, in front of the TV cameras at Headingley, she scored 22 not out and took 3 for 20 for Yorkshire Diamonds, securing the Player of the Match award.”The KSL’s fantastic,” Robinson said. “Watching Katie George bowl [for Vipers] in last year’s final, I absolutely loved it. She raced in, she bowled quick. She absolutely went round the park” – she bowled three overs and finished with figures of 1 for 34 – “but she kept running in fearlessly and bowling.””Live on TV, 5000 people at Hove – what brilliant exposure. That wasn’t a player shrinking, that was a player having a proper go, and that’s what you want.””And I watched Bryony Smith, again on TV, hit four consecutive fours against Katherine Brunt in that first year. And you’re thinking – wow, she’s taking on the big girls, it’s brilliant!”Certainly Smith did not shy away from the idea of “taking on the big girls” in today’s press conference. Asked what she saw as her role for England, she was unequivocal: “I want to open. That’s where I want to be, at the top.”For all three, one thing that will need to be carefully managed is their possible future transition into full-time professionalism. For now, both Davidson-Richards and Smith will continue to juggle paid employment outside cricket with their international commitments. “It’s a really big step up,” Davidson-Richards admitted. “I like going back to work on a Monday. It brings me back to the centre.” It highlights the dilemmas for a women’s game which, in England at least, is still caught somewhere between its amateur history and the professional present.For Robinson, the important thing right now is to broaden the talent pool: “We’ve got to improve our depth and we’ve got to get players up and running.” For the players concerned, meanwhile, the tour represents nothing more or less than an opportunity to represent their country. That, for now, is more than enough.

Eoin Morgan thinks cricket’s formats are diverging at such a route that England could return to split coaches when Trevor Bayliss steps down after the 2019 World Cup

Daniel Brettig13-Jan-2018England’s captain Eoin Morgan believes cricket’s three formats are diverging at a rate that will soon make it impossible to have a single national coach across Tests, ODIs and Twenty20 matches.The 50-over series beginning in Melbourne on Sunday begins a run up to the World Cup after which both England’s coach Trevor Bayliss and his Australian counterpart Darren Lehmann will depart their roles, with neither man willing to extend their contract any further.England had previously employed different limited overs and Test match coaches when Andy Flower delegated the shorter forms to Ashley Giles before returning to a more conventional model, but Morgan believes that the days of one coach fitting all roles are running short.”I think down the line there will be,” Morgan said when asked whether he saw a need for different coaches for each format. “Cricket is going to change even more in the next 10 years than it has in the previous 10 years. I’d say, if anything, the formats are getting further and further apart. So I’m open to it.”The success or otherwise of Morgan’s team at next year’s World Cup will be the ultimate judgment upon the tack taken by the ECB in 2015, when they removed Peter Moores in favour of employing Bayliss with a clear mandate to improve England’s limited overs cricket. Through the naturally aggressive instincts of Morgan and also the wise counsel of the assistant coach Paul Farbrace, England had already been moving in that direction by the time Bayliss arrived, and the progress has continued since.Sitting down at the MCG, where England had been thrashed by Australia in the opening match of the 2015 World Cup on the way to early elimination, Morgan said the struggles of that tournament had been a major catalyst for change, along with the knowledge that the next event would be held at home.”It had quite a significant role, really,” Morgan said. “After that, a line was drawn in the sand and we were given clear directives that the goal was the 2019 World Cup. The gap between the England team in that World Cup and where we need to be in 2019, I don’t think anybody knows. But to bridge the gap between where we were at in that World Cup and, say, being in the semi-final or the final was the first port of the call. Bridging that gap came quicker that we ever thought it would.”We got a huge amount of confidence from the selectors. Andrew Strauss, our director of cricket, gave absolute clarity in what we wanted. I think, as a captain and backroom staff, we certainly thrived on that. It’s not often you get free rein and ambition to be as adventurous as you like.”Bayliss has been the subject of plenty of criticism following England’s Ashes defeat, but it has been clear throughout his tenure that apart from home success, his remit had been largely directed at the 50 and 20-over formats. As Jos Buttler put it to the BBC: “Trevor’s been fantastic for us. He creates a brilliant atmosphere around the team which allows people to go out and play in that free fashion. He doesn’t miss a beat, he sees everything that goes on and his great strength is he’s a great man manager. He really looks after people and gives them confidence. Any coach who can make the player feel 10 feet tall when they go out is fantastic.”Eoin Morgan leaps into a stroke•Getty ImagesThat confidence sat underneath Morgan’s response when queried on an Australian side his men were able to beat comfortably when they last met during the 2017 Champions Trophy, albeit with Ben Stokes as a key part of the outcome. “To be honest I haven’t looked at them a great deal, not until the last month or so,” Morgan said.”I know they had a difficult run with weather in the Champions Trophy, they didn’t even complete a full game against us, and certainly that was a struggle for them. But they’re a very strong team, certainly at home. They don’t have as many changes as we have from Tests to one-dayers so they’ll probably be up on the confidence of the Ashes win.”One thing that limited overs teams need less time to worry about is the prospect of conditions overly favouring the hosts. ODI pitches are seldom too far divergent from solid batting surfaces with fast outfields, even if heavy rain in Melbourne might ensure the need to run hard on the expanses of the MCG.Morgan is confident that England can adapt. “We’ve certainly tempered our aggression with some smart cricket,” he said. “Given the grounds that we’ve played at around the world, we’ve been able to do that. More importantly, the wickets that we’ve played on, we’ve adapted to them. Par for the course for this series will be bringing out the positive aggressive style with the bat with adapting to the wicket.”

West Ham United have shown an interest in signing PSV Eindhoven and Ivory Coast midfielder Ibrahim Sangare and a new update is an exciting one for Hammers supporters.

Will Ibrahim Sangare leave PSV?

The 25-year-old has become a key man for the Eredivisie giants since joining from Toulouse back in 2020, impressing with his box-to-box ability in the middle of the park.

Sangare has made 139 appearances for PSV to date, scoring 15 goals and registering 10 assists, and he has also been an important figure at international level, winning 31 caps for the Ivory Coast and netting nine times along the way for good measure.

There appears to be a chance that the midfielder will leave his current club before the end of the summer transfer window, however, with a move to the Premier League not out of the question. Nottingham Forest are believed to have submitted a £21.3m bid to sign him on a loan-to-buy basis, while Liverpool have even been linked with a move for him earlier this month.

West Ham have also been mentioned as potential suitors this year and now a fresh update has emerged, suggesting their interest hasn't gone away yet.

The Hammers are also looking to sign Mohammed Kudus from Ajax, so it looks as if a double swoop in te Netherlands could be on the cards.

Do West Ham want to sign Ibrahim Sangare?

According to a new update from Football Insider, West Ham are in the conversation to rival Forest for the signing of Sangare, showing an interest in sealing a late-summer move by making an enquiry.

"West Ham have made an enquiry for PSV Eindhoven star Ibrahim Sangare, sources have told Football Insider. Nottingham Forest have been leading the chase for the midfield anchorman, who has a £32million release clause in his contract.

"That has opened the door for West Ham to make a move, and they have been in contact with the Dutch club about a potential deal."

West Ham are doing some impressive business after losing Declan Rice to Arsenal, and Sangare could be another really strong signing, having been hailed as a "great player" by former Ajax and PSV coach Aad de Mos.

The Ivorian could help fill the void left by Rice, with Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse already arriving in that area of the pitch, with three signings there arguably making them stronger overall.

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

Sangare is a midfielder who can do it all, averaging 2.3 tackles and 1.6 clearances per game in the Eredivisie last season and also completing 84.3% of his passes, and he could be a long-term addition at the London Stadium in what is proving to be an increasingly positive summer transfer window.

The interest from Forest does have the potential to scupper any deal, however, considering they have reportedly already bid for him, but the lure of joining a team who arguably have loftier ambitions and can offer European football may sway the midfielder's thinking over the next few days.

Monday night will see Crystal Palace welcome Arsenal to Selhurst Park in the second round of Premier League fixtures.

The pair both enjoyed narrow victories last week to get their new seasons off to solid starts.

Palace visited newly promoted Sheffield United, and while Odsonne Edouard had the ball in the back of the net three times, only one actually counted. His strike made all the difference in a narrow 1-0 win at Bramall Lane.

Arsenal, meanwhile, hosted Nottingham Forest on Saturday lunchtime and goals from a pair of academy graduates in the first half made all the difference.

Eddie Nketiah gave the Gunners the lead before Bukayo Saka curled a second home in style. Taiwo Awoniyi pulled one back for Forest late on but Steve Cooper’s men were unable to find an all-important equaliser.

And ahead of the London rivals' latest meeting, Football FanCast has taken a look at how the teams stack up against each other.

Crystal Palace vs Arsenal: Who has the better head-to-head record?

Arsenal are one of the few teams in English football who can boast that they’ve never been relegated from the Premier League.

As a result, a large majority of the games in the modern era between these two London sides have been in the top flight while Crystal Palace have enjoyed their spells there.

After beating Palace 5-0 in 2005, Arsenal wouldn’t cross paths with the Eagles for almost a decade due to them featuring in the Championship.

Upon their return to the top flight, normal service was promptly resumed with a 2-0 win at Selhurst Park in 2013 for the Gunners, who have dominated this fixture since the first clash back in the 1930s.

Crystal Palace wins: 6 Draws: 16 Arsenal wins: 31 Crystal Palace vs Arsenal: Who has more wins at Selhurst Park?

Selhurst Park has been the home of Crystal Palace for nearly a century now. Mayor of London Alfred Bower officially opened the ground in 1924, and prior to playing there, Palace bounced around a number of areas for not very long at all.

Palace’s wins over Arsenal are evenly divided between home games and away games, with two of them coming in more recent years in the shape of 3-0 victories under Sam Allardyce and former Gunner Patrick Vieira.

Crystal Palace wins: 3 Draws: 9 Arsenal wins: 14 Crystal Palace vs Arsenal: Who has more wins at Highbury/Emirates Stadium?

It is hardly surprising to see that Arsenal have enjoyed many more victories when they’ve been at home. The Emirates is one of the more modern stadiums in the Premier League – Arsenal’s hugely divisive departure from Highbury in 2006 is still a point of contention for fans, particularly regarding the atmosphere.

However, Arsenal have continued to put Palace to the sword a number of times on their own patch, winning almost twice as often as not in front of the Gunners faithful.

Arsenal wins: 17 Draws: 7 Crystal Palace wins: 3 Crystal Palace vs Arsenal: Who has the better cup record?

It has been over 20 years since the pair last met in one of England’s primary cup competitions. Both clashes in the 1990s saw the Gunners prevail on their way to cup glory.

A two-legged victory saw Arsenal reach the 1992/93 League Cup final at the Eagles' expense before needing a replay on their way to their 1997/98 FA Cup triumph under Arsene Wenger.

Meanwhile, a huge win for Palace against their London rivals came in the League Cup in 1970/71 – the year Arsenal would achieve their first-ever league and cup double.

Arsenal are the record-winners in the FA Cup with their 14 triumphs trumping even Manchester United, who boast 12.

Crystal Palace, on the other hand, have twice been runners-up in that competition – losing both finals to Manchester United after extra time, one at the old Wembley Stadium and the other at the rebuilt ground in 2016.

Crystal Palace wins: 1 Draws: 2 Arsenal wins: 4 Crystal Palace vs Arsenal: What were the last five meetings?

As previously mentioned, this duo haven’t faced each other in a cup competition for years, so all of their recent meetings have come in the Premier League.

19th March 2023 – Arsenal 4-1 Crystal Palace: The most recent meeting saw a Bukayo Saka masterclass at the Emirates, with the young winger contributing two goals and an assist to the Arsenal cause.

Both Sam Johnstone and Vicente Guaita were both out injured for Palace meaning that teenager Joe Whitworth experienced a baptism of fire between the sticks for the visitors.

5th August 2022 – Crystal Palace 0-2 Arsenal: Arsenal won both fixtures against Crystal Palace last season.

Gabriel Martinelli found the back of the net in both games, and this season-opener was hanging finely in the balance until a late Marc Guehi own goal determined the outcome.

4th April 2022 – Crystal Palace 3-0 Arsenal: There haven’t been many more enjoyable and emphatic moments in this fixture for the Eagles than the one that took place early on in April 2022.

An intense Selhurst Park atmosphere forced Arsenal to collapse with three attackers all getting in on the act for Palace in the form of Jean-Philippe Mateta, Jordan Ayew, and of course, Wilfried Zaha.

18th October 2021 – Arsenal 2-2 Crystal Palace: It was a generally positive match-up for Patrick Vieira’s side in that season as Palace previously went to the Emirates and left with a very respectable point.

Time has clearly passed for both clubs, with Edouard being the only remaining goalscorer from that evening.

Goals from Edouard and Christian Benteke cancelled out Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's opener, before Alexandre Lacazette grabbed a dramatic late equaliser.

19th May 2021- Crystal Palace 1-3 Arsenal: This clash came in the penultimate round of the 2020/21 campaign, when Arsenal finished down in eighth despite their strong finish to the season.

Arsenal left it late again on this occasion, with Martinelli and Nicolas Pepe grabbing injury-time goals. Both wide-men scored with the clock in the red to rescue all three points for Arsenal in front of a rowdy Selhurst Park crowd back in the stands for the first time that year.

Who has played for both Crystal Palace and Arsenal?

A number of players have donned the colours of both Crystal Palace and Arsenal, but the majority of them were from many years ago. Here are just a few of the names to have this honour bestowed upon them.

Marouane Chamakh (Arsenal 2010-2013; Crystal Palace 2013-2016): The Moroccan forward had a great scoring record with Bordeaux in Ligue 1, so when he arrived at the Emirates, there was a lot of hope for him.

It didn’t exactly go to plan for him in England in spite of a few bright sparks, and he is instead perhaps most fondly remembered for netting twice in extra-time in Arsenal's infamous 7-5 League Cup win over Reading in 2012.

Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal 2006-2009; Crystal Palace 2016): Adebayor is someone who managed to deliver when wearing that classic red and white strip, only to go and ruin his Arsenal legacy through his spells at Spurs and Manchester City.

An unhappy brief spell at Palace in 2016 saw the Togolese later describe it as his 'biggest mistake'.

Ian Wright (Crystal Palace 1985-1991; Arsenal 1991-1998): Finally, the man who surely comes to mind for everyone when they think of these two clubs – the legend that is Ian Wright.

His story of how he got into football is a very emotional and real one, and is now one of the most beloved pundits in England.

Wright made over 200 appearances for both clubs and is considered to be a legend at both, too – it’s just a shame that neither of his sons, Bradley nor Shaun, played for either club.

Mathieu Flamini and Yaya Sanogo are amongst those who deserve an honourable mention.

What is Crystal Palace’s biggest victory over Arsenal?

10th April 2017: Crystal Palace 3-0 Arsenal: When it comes to Crystal Palace’s biggest winning margin over Arsenal, there are actually two that are tied.

Palace beat Arsenal 3-0 in April 2017 and then again in the April of last year. Focusing on the former, current Aston Villa shot-stopper Emiliano Martinez was in goal for Arsenal as they visited south London.

Andros Townsend opened the scoring before the ever-classy Yohan Cabaye made it 2-0. Luka Milivojević tucked home a trademark penalty to really rub salt into Arsenal wounds.

What is Arsenal’s biggest victory over Crystal Palace?

27th January 1934: Arsenal 7-0 Crystal Palace: We have to travel back nearly 100 years to find the most convincing Arsenal victory over Crystal Palace of all time.

Arsenal manager Herbert Chapman had passed away due to pneumonia just a couple of weeks prior, and so with Joe Shaw at the helm, emotions were running high.

They won 7-0 in front of over 56,000 people in the fourth round of the FA Cup – their campaign ended with a narrow defeat to Aston Villa in round six.

Crystal Palace vs Arsenal: Key stats

This will be the 47th top-flight meeting between the two clubs Arsenal have won two of their last three matches at Selhurst Park Arsenal haven’t kept a clean sheet in their last 5, while Crystal Palace have scored in their last 4 Crystal Palace vs Arsenal: Famous fixtures

4th April 2022- Crystal Palace 3-0 Arsenal: As previously mentioned, there are two 3-0s that are tied as Palace’s most emphatic win in this London derby.

The other came the season before last and was one of a few slip-ups that derailed the top-four hopes of Mikel Arteta’s side. Arsenal may have enjoyed 69% of possession at Selhurst Park, but it counted for nothing at the end of the day.

9th November 1970 – Arsenal 0-2 Crystal Palace: Only once have Crystal Palace knocked Arsenal out of a cup competition, and that took place over 50 years ago in the League Cup. After drawing 0-0 on home soil, Palace then went to Highbury and the rest is history.

They may have gone on to lose to Manchester United in the following round, but that still remains an iconic result against the mighty Arsenal, who went on to win the league and FA Cup that year under Bertie Mee.

Jose Mourinho will undoubtedly go down as one of football’s best managers, but it is his big personality that may well be remembered the most, whether it be his work as the Premier League’s pantomime villain, or as an Instagram influencer at AS Roma.Some may have questioned his tactics in the past, too, accusing the self-proclaimed ‘special one’ of using the dark arts of football to secure silverware across Europe, taking a more negative approach to the beautiful game.The days of Mourinho sprinting down the Old Trafford touchline are over, however, but he still has the knack for making headlines.His latest act – as if he is trying to balance things out after the early drama of his career – saw AS Roma reduced to 10 men in a pre-season friendly with Partizani.You would assume that this was the referee and his red card’s doing. That was anything but the case, though. Instead, it was Mourinho, himself, who reduced his side. The question, then, is why?

Why did Jose Mourinho substitute Houssem Aouar?

It wouldn’t have shocked us if Mourinho reduced his side to simply send a statement to an underperforming player, but the answer, on this occasion, is far more commendable.

As reported by Corriere Dello Sport, Partizani manager Zoran Zekic mistakenly attempted to substitute a player for another he had already brought off, the referee intervened to rule the change out, and forced the Albanian side to play with 10 men. Now feels like the perfect time to remind everyone, including the referee, that this was a pre-season friendly…

Noticing the mix-up, in a true act of sportsmanship, Mourinho reduced his side to 10 men later in the game, sacrificing summer arrival Houssem Aouar in the 79th minute of play, much to the midfielder’s confusion.

The Frenchman was quick to share his bafflement and anger with his manager, who, in turn, explained the reason for the decision.

You can see footage of the incident here:

Following the act, Partizani’s Tedi Cara, ironically a substitute, scored what would only prove to be a consolation strike from the spot in the 85th minute, as Roma ran out 2-1 winners, courtesy of goals from Stephan El Shaarawy and Andrea Belotti.

How did AS Roma perform in pre-season?

As they look to extend the trend of a different team winning the Scudetto for the past four seasons, following the victories of Juventus, Inter Milan, AC Milan, and Napoli, Roma had themselves a fairly successful pre-season.

Starting their run of friendlies up against Braga, El Shhaarawy’s goal was cancelled out by Bruma to end things level at 1-1, before the Serie A side picked up their first win of pre-season against Estrela Amadora, winning 4-2.

Following that win, however, Mourinho’s side suffered their first defeat, losing 2-1 against Ligue 1 side Toulouse.

They then ended their preparations with the aforementioned 2-1 victory over Partizani.

So, overall, Roma enjoyed a solid pre-season, and now turn their attention towards the opening day of the Serie A season, which will see them square off against Salernitana next weekend.

Somehow, we doubt Mourinho will show the same kind of sportsmanship that he showed against Partizani when actual points are on the line.

Arsenal could make their interest in one star striker a reality, waiting until the last moment to hijack the move from a rival…

Who are Arsenal signing this summer?

Whilst Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a swoop for Montpellier's Elye Wahi more recently, the Gunners actually hold a longstanding interest of their own in the marksman who has been tearing up French football of late.

With Declan Rice, Jurrien Timber and Kai Havertz having already been welcomed into the fold, Edu has shown he is not afraid to spend big to give Mikel Arteta the strongest squad possible for the new season.

Especially given the €40m (£34m) touted price tag, which would likely hamper the Lilywhites far more than it would their rivals.

Perhaps in hijacking this Spurs swoop, it could emulate their move from 2021, when they too stole Martin Odegaard from their clutches, to great success.

How good is Elye Wahi?

During that January, as chances at Real Madrid had been limited for the Norwegian maestro, he sought game time out on loan, demanding he be allowed to explore his options.

Two interested parties that arose both came from north London, and yet it was Arsenal who eventually captured his signature.

Reports emerged from Norway suggested that after speaking to Arteta, the decision became easy. He rejected the Lilywhites, and the rest is history.

He would move to the Emirates permanently the next summer and has since announced himself as one of the Premier League's leading creative forces from midfield.

As such, he improves with each passing season too, as his 15 goals and eight assists from last campaign mark an upgrade on his first full year since making his full-time switch, where he only posted 11 goal contributions.

His 7.35 average match rating from the most recent term even made him the division's sixth-best performer, as per Sofascore, as he has truly flourished in his role as captain.

Now, should Edu snatch another target from their rivals, Wahi could have a similarly transformative effect up front, adding some much-needed proficiency and a different dynamic to play off.

The 20-year-old would score an outstanding 19 goals in Ligue 1 alongside six assists, building upon his ten-goal haul from the season prior. His most recent exploits also saw the Frenchman maintain a 30% goal conversion rate, which is a marked upgrade on the 14% Gabriel Jesus recorded in the Premier League.

Whilst likely not a wholesale replacement for the Brazilian, his direct play style matched with his pace and power would make him a unique asset for Arteta, allowing him to switch up his philosophy should it be failing.

Such a new dimension could unlock a whole new type of goal for his side to score, as ex-Caen academy director Francis de Taddeo outlined those key assets: "He is a powerful, athletic and fast player with a range of dribbling skills where only he knows what he is going to do next".

Whilst not a move the Gunners need to make, they could still once again leave their rivals looking foolish by snagging a deal from right under their noses.

Should he prove half as successful as Odegaard has, it would be worth every penny.