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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has insisted discussions over the future of Granit Xhaka will wait until the end of the season. Xhaka has been central to the Gunners’ title bid this campaign but is approaching the final 12 months of his deal at the Emirates Stadium. Bayer Leverkusen are interested in taking the Switzerland international back to Germany, where the midfielder played for four years with Borussia Monchengladbach before he moved to England in 2016. It has been a rollercoaster journey for Xhaka at Arsenal but his manager is eager to finish strongly in the final two games before he switches his attention to a number of contract scenarios. Arteta said: “The clarity is there. He is a player that has played I think every minute since I have been the manager. “He is an incredibly respected figure at the club. He has a great story around him with what he has achieved at the club in going through very tough moments and he is a key and very important part of us. “Whatever happens is something we will discuss, certainly not now.” Second-placed Arsenal have faced some criticism this week after their 3-0 defeat at home to Brighton left Manchester City on the brink of a fifth Premier League victory in six years. Pep Guardiola’s side can defend their crown this weekend if the Gunners lose at Nottingham Forest on Saturday or if City can beat Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium a day later. Arteta, in a thinly-veiled dig at their detractors, stated they have been up against one of the best teams ever. “We have shown this season,” Arteta replied when asked if Arsenal can be title contenders again next season. “We’re still there, with two games to go we can still be champions against probably the best team in Premier League history. “For 10 months we’re still there. There’s two games still to go and we’re not going to bottle that for sure. “What happens next season will depend on what we do, how we evolve and how we start. That prediction is very difficult to do today.” Quizzed on the level of the squad, with Champions League football to come next term, Arteta conceded improvements will need to be made before Arsenal return to Europe’s top competition. “At the level that we want? No. We didn’t have the capacity to do that as well with the Europa League so it’s part of that evolution,” he explained. “We have made a lot of good steps and strong steps in that journey and we have to continue. That never ends. “We want to be better and the rest will be better, then the margins will be higher and we have to start to live with those standards and improve and be smarter.” We’re still there, with two games to go we can still be champions against probably the best team in Premier League history. Mikel Arteta Arsenal received positive news on Thursday when Aaron Ramsdale agreed a new long-term deal with the club. It will keep Ramsdale contracted to the Gunners until the summer of 2026, the PA news agency understands. Arteta is confident the likes of Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and William Saliba will follow. He added: “Delighted with the news for Aaron. He fully deserves that new contract, that extension and we want to keep our talent at the club and we want to build on that. “There are a few more who are very relevant for us to continue with that relationship. We’re working on that. “We are trying (with Saliba). We are having conversations and we are trying to maintain the talent we have at the club as I said before, but things take time. “You have to agree it. There are different parties involved. I think everybody’s intention is the same and hopefully we’ll find the right solution.” Meanwhile, Oleksandr Zinchenko (calf) and Gabriel Martinelli (ankle) will not feature again this season. “Gabi’s is a pretty nasty injury, we need to assess in the next week how long he’ll be out for,” Arteta said. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Eddie Howe knows Newcastle will have to carefully manage European football Sean Dyche: The only table that matters is the one at the end of the season Julen Lopetegui thrilled with Wolves progress since his first clash with Everton

Phil Jones will look back fondly on 12 years at Manchester United despite admitting to “difficult days” in his battle with injuries after it was announced he will be leaving the club in the summer. The 31-year-old will depart Old Trafford at the end of his contract, having been blighted by injuries for much of his stay. The defender, who joined from Blackburn in 2011, played 229 times, scoring six goals for United and helping them win one Premier League title, an FA Cup and the Europa League. Jones, who is yet to decide whether he will carry on playing, said in an open letter on Twitter: “It’s always tough to leave a club. I did so already with Blackburn Rovers, all those years ago aged only 19, but I could never imagine what was to follow. “My time at United has been nothing short of incredible. “It’s not a time to be sad. It’s a time to look back, for me and my family, and be happy that I managed to live a dream at United. “I can always say to my family and friends that not many people get to play for this club, to always be in its history and to be able to look back with such happy memories. I lived a dream at the biggest club in the world. I played for England in major tournaments. At United, I won trophies, most notably the Premier League under Sir Alex, in his final season Phil Jones “I wish Erik (ten Hag) and his staff, and all the players, the best of luck for the future. He’s building something here and I’ll be watching, supporting, and hoping, more than anyone, that he can continue the progress we can all see already. “I want to say thank you to everyone who has helped me at Manchester United, where I’ve made friends for life. “But, most of all, my family, who stuck by me through everything. The biggest one to my wife and two beautiful girls. I cannot put into words the support you’ve given me. We’ve stuck together and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.” Jones has not played in over a year and managed only 13 appearances since the start of the 2019/20 season and has revealed the turmoil injuries played on him. “I wish I could have played more. I wish I could have given more to the many squads I played alongside,” he added. “I will say, from the bottom of my heart, I did everything I could. I did everything the medical team asked of me. “I never left a stone unturned in the pursuit of living my dream and having the opportunity to represent Manchester United on the pitch. I spent some difficult days away from my family, rehabilitating and recovering away from everyone, recuperating away from the training pitch, which I was desperate to get back to. “I’ve said before that I found it hard to even speak to my team-mates because I was hurt that I couldn’t help them. I was hurt that my family couldn’t see me on matchdays, and you feel like you’re letting people down. “Sometimes, in life, things happen that we don’t like, but we have to learn to accept it and be at peace in our minds that we did everything we could to overcome the challenges. In your career, and life, that’s all we can really do. “I lived a dream at the biggest club in the world. I played for England in major tournaments. At United, I won trophies, most notably the Premier League under Sir Alex, in his final season.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Sean Dyche: The only table that matters is the one at the end of the season Julen Lopetegui thrilled with Wolves progress since his first clash with Everton Sam Allardyce urges ‘police to do a lot more’ about social media abuse

Everton manager Sean Dyche insists he puts no significance on being outside the bottom three in the relegation battle until the final day of the season. Rivals’ results meant even after a 3-0 defeat to Manchester City last weekend the team did not drop into the relegation zone. A Saturday 3pm kick-off at Wolves means Dyche’s side have the chance to crank up the pressure on Leeds and Leicester, in 18th and 19th place, who play on Sunday and Monday respectively. Only a third away victory of the season would take the Toffees five points clear and ensure they kept their destiny in their own hands. It would also leave the Foxes needing to win their final two games while Leeds would require at least four points to survive. But Dyche is not interested in doing the maths even at this late stage. “I don’t stare at the league. I stare at the performances, I stare at the group, I stare at the prep, I stare at the strategy, I stare at all these things, the tactics, these are the things I’m obsessing with,” he said. “It’s not about the league table at this stage. I’ve said it for weeks, the one at the end of the season is the most important. “Of course we all debate it and look at it during a season, of course we do, but the one at the end of the season, that’s the most important, the one we’re looking to be above the line on. “I think we’ve just stayed very clear-minded, trying to take away the layers of noise around our group to make sure we’re focused on the game. “That’s all we look to do, others can do however they wish.” The Everton manager also tried to play down the significance of playing ahead of their rivals on the penultimate weekend of the season. “You can look at it either way, I’ve been on either side of it,” he said. “Last club, this club, whether you feel the game is on the right day or wrong day, that’s just the way it goes. The schedule is what it is, you have to deal with it. “You have to play regardless of what the challenge is. I’ve always looked at it that way so therefore I can’t change the goalposts from someone else’s point of view. “From my point of view, whenever the game is, it’s about taking it on.” Striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin has returned to training after a groin problem forced him off against City and is in contention for Saturday’s squad. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Julen Lopetegui thrilled with Wolves progress since his first clash with Everton Sam Allardyce urges ‘police to do a lot more’ about social media abuse UEFA to investigate after AZ Alkmaar fans confront West Ham players’ families

At first glance, the idea of a former NFL legend and a former US Women's National Team star wanting to bring "global eyeballs" to an English soccer club might seem an unusual ambition.

Phil Jones will leave Manchester United when his contract expires in the summer after making just 13 appearances in his last four seasons of an injury-hit dozen years at Old Trafford. The defender, who Sir Alex Ferguson infamously said could become United’s greatest-ever player, made 229 appearances for the club in total, scoring six goals. He has missed the whole of this season, when he was omitted from United’s 25-man Premier League squad by manager Erik ten Hag, just as he did not play in 2020-21. Jones said: “It’s been very difficult, the last couple of years. There’s no denying that. There is no hiding away from that. My family have been absolutely instrumental in keeping me on the straight and narrow and keeping me focused, to try to get fit and try to play more.” The 31-year-old joined from Blackburn in 2011 for £16m and showed his versatility by playing as a centre-back, a right-back and a midfielder in his early years at Old Trafford, when Sir Bobby Charlton compared him to the Busby Babe Duncan Edwards. Jones made 41 appearances in his first year at Old Trafford and helped United win the Premier League title in 2012-13. He has won 27 England caps, being part of the squads for two World Cups and one European Championships. Read More Football rumours: Arsenal preparing £90million swoop for West Ham’s Declan Rice Newcastle may have Saudi riches, but Howe’s team is built on bargains Julen Lopetegui thrilled with Wolves progress since his first clash with Everton

Leeds boss Sam Allardyce says he wants the “police to do a lot more” to help protect footballers from abuse on social media. The Yorkshire club this week condemned the threats directed at Patrick Bamford and his family after the striker’s penalty miss in last week’s Premier League draw with Newcastle. Allardyce urged Bamford to respond by scoring the winner in Sunday’s game at West Ham and said: “He’s been OK, he’s obviously extremely upset about the situation. It’s something that’s left a very, very bad taste indeed. “I’d like the police to do a lot more, but it appears with social media they rule the world and can say and do what they want unfortunately, which is why the world’s in such a big mess, isn’t it? “But he’s handled it pretty well. I think the club gave him as much support as he needed, particularly security-wise. It wasn’t just about him, it was about his family. “The best way for him to respond is to go out on Sunday, play to his highest level and try and score. It would be great if he scored the winner. Hopefully it won’t affect his performance.”

Hope Powell has joined the England backroom staff for the men’s Under-20 World Cup in Argentina, the Football Association has announced. Powell, who was head coach of the senior England women’s team between 1998 and 2013 and was more recently in charge at Brighton, will serve as a technical advisor to Ian Foster and his coaching team. The 56-year-old also coached the Great Britain women’s team at the London 2012 Olympic Games. She led the Lionesses to the 2009 European Championship final and coached the team at two World Cups. Powell’s appointment is supported by the England Elite Coach Programme, a partnership between the FA and the players’ union, the Professional Footballers’ Association. The aim of the programme is to support individuals from under-represented groups to work with the England national teams. Young Lions head coach Foster said: “I’m absolutely delighted that we’ve been able to bring Hope on board for our FIFA Men’s U20 World Cup as technical advisor. “I’ve known Hope since 2014 when we completed our LMA Diploma together. Her vast experience of international football and the knowledge she has from working with FIFA will be invaluable to us.” England open their World Cup campaign against Tunisia on Monday. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui admitted that a lot has changed since the last time his side played against Everton. They host the relegation-threatened Toffees at Molineux, with Sean Dyche’s team lingering above the drop zone in 17th. Saturday’s clash is the reverse fixture of Lopetegui’s first game in charge of Wolves where they edged to victory on Boxing Day after substitute Rayan Ait-Nouri scored in stoppage time. The goal handed Wolves a vital win to lift them off the foot of the table and Lopetegui believes a lot has changed since then. “It seems a lot of years ago now, but it was only months,” he told a pre-match press conference. “It was my first match in the Premier League and it was important. Being honest, we didn’t deserve to win this match, but in the end, we got what was important for us, which was to believe more. “It was very difficult moment (at the start of his tenure) and we achieved three important points at that moment. It was a tough match and it’s going to be the same this Saturday, for sure. “It was difficult to imagine we would be in the situation we are in now when we last played Everton, but it was our aim. “We tried to achieve points and change things, knowing the difficulty and the quality of the level of the Premier League. “Fortunately, we manged to achieve our aim and we are happy for this. “But when you go and accept one new challenge, you are not thinking about the end of the challenge, you are only thinking of the next step, the next match and that’s the only way to build a new reality, and that’s what we tried to do.” Wolves are currently 13th in the table with two games to go, starting with Everton before finishing the season at the Emirates against Arsenal. They secured Premier League safety earlier in the month and Lopetegui knew the team would be safe when faced with their responses after defeats. “Maybe after each defeat and with the answer of the players in the next day after a defeat. For me, they were very key moments and very important moments,” he added. “To see them to come here into work [after a defeat] with big commitment and with a big belief, that was important. How we would manage and drive out of those bad moments were key for our achievement.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Sam Allardyce urges ‘police to do a lot more’ about social media abuse UEFA to investigate after AZ Alkmaar fans confront West Ham players’ families Hope Powell joins England backroom staff for men’s Under-20 World Cup

UEFA is expected to launch an investigation into the trouble that marred West Ham’s Europa Conference League semi-final victory at AZ Alkmaar. Pablo Fornals’ injury-time winner, that earned a 3-1 aggregate success and sent them to next month’s final in Prague, prompted a gang of black-shirted, hooded AZ ultras to attempt to storm into the area reserved for friends and family behind the dugout. Players including Michail Antonio, Said Benrahma, Aaron Cresswell and Flynn Downes climbed over the advertising hoardings in a bid to stop the trouble. The governing body’s disciplinary panel will wait for the relevant reports before deciding on any action, but the PA news agency understands that given the severity of the disorder, it could follow previous cases and an inspector may be appointed to investigate more thoroughly. Given the extensive video footage of the ugly scenes the Dutch club could face heavy sanctions. Hammers boss David Moyes, whose 87-year-old father David Snr was at the match, said: “I can’t explain what happened and why it happened. “I can only say the players were involved because it was the family section and most of their family and friends were in there. That was probably the reason for the reaction. “Was I worried? Yeah, my family were there and I had friends in that section. You’re hoping they would try and get themselves away from it. “I didn’t recognise it because I’d gone onto the pitch. Security wanted to take me inside, but I had to make sure my players weren’t involved.”

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has acknowledged how much of a huge loss to the club the departures of James Milner and Roberto Firmino will be. The pair, whose signings in the summer of 2015 pre-date the arrival of current manager Jurgen Klopp by a few months, have played an integral role in their recent success. Both will depart when their contracts expire at the end of the season as Champions League and Premier League winners but Henderson believes their importance extends beyond just on the pitch. On Milner’s contribution, the England midfielder told the PA news agency: “A tremendous amount of value to the team. “I think the manager said it perfectly in that we wouldn’t have achieved anything without Millie. He is such a big character and such a big leader within the team. “It will definitely be strange not seeing him at Liverpool next season, he’s been incredible ever since he came to the club. “He helped me a lot and other players around him and is probably taken for granted a little bit as a player from the outside but from the inside he has got so much respect from all of the players and all of the staff and we wish him all the very best in whatever his next chapter looks like.” Firmino, who has returned to training this week after missing six matches with a muscle problem, is due a particularly emotional farewell in Liverpool’s final home match of the season against Aston Villa on Saturday. The much-loved Brazil international travelled with the squad for Monday’s win over Leicester and the away fans dedicated more than 10 minutes of the second half to singing about him. “He will be a huge miss also,” added Henderson, who was speaking at an NHS Big Tea event in Crewe in his role as an ambassador for NHS Charities Together. “The good energy he gives the team is always so positive, he’s always in a good mood and smiling but his quality on the pitch is unbelievable. “Thankfully he is back in training and hopefully he can be ready if not at the weekend then maybe the last game of the season. “But you have seen the reception he got on Monday from the fans and rightly so. I am sure that will be the case again on Saturday.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Luke Wood says playing for Lancashire ‘my pride and joy’ ahead of Blast opener Manager of the season contender Unai Emery ‘trying to improve every day’ Barry Bannan dedicates Sheffield Wednesday’s stunning comeback to Darren Moore

Unai Emery said he has plenty more to offer as Aston Villa boss after being nominated for the Premier League manager of the season award. Emery has overseen an impressive transformation at Villa Park since replacing Steven Gerrard in October last year, lifting them from fifth-bottom to the brink of European football next season. The 51-year-old Spaniard is on a six-man shortlist for the managerial award, alongside Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola, Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta, Brighton’s Roberto De Zerbi, Newcastle’s Eddie Howe and Fulham boss Marco Silva. When asked about his nomination, Emery told a press conference: “We want to take some trophies or be respected for our work, but I’m trying to be focused every day on getting better and trying to improve. “Our way here has only just started and I’ve only been here for 10 per cent of the time I want to be here, trying to improve, trying to build a strong project and get our objectives. For now, I’m proud of everybody here.” Villa have won 14 and lost only six of his 26 top-flight games in charge and remain in contention for the final Europa League spot. Emery, a four-time Europa League winner as manager with Sevilla (three times) and Villarreal, and also a runner-up with Arsenal, is renowned for an intense approach to his work. He said: “I always try to enjoy my work, and I do enjoy it every day. I feel passion for my work. “When we are playing and facing big challenges every week, every month, every year, you have to be very focused and spend a lot of time on getting the best results possible. “When I can have two days off, I enjoy it and I’m trying to take my mind out of my work – not completely, but I enjoy doing different things. “When I am focused here, preparing the training sessions, preparing for matches, trying to complete our work, of course I am spending a lot of hours here.” Villa are level on points with seventh-placed Tottenham, who occupy the Europa Conference League berth, after last week’s 2-1 win against the Londoners and play at Champions League hopefuls Liverpool on Saturday. Emery said he was relishing the challenge at Anfield, adding: “They have very high-level players and a good bench to use in the second half, and they also have a very good coach in (Jurgen) Klopp. “The crowd there are supporting them a lot. That is what we are going to face. I want to play against them, preparing the match and taking our moments. “We want to be successful, more than them in 90 minutes. That is the difficulty we are going to face. We need to be clinical.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Luke Wood says playing for Lancashire ‘my pride and joy’ ahead of Blast opener Jordan Henderson knows Liverpool will miss James Milner and Roberto Firmino Barry Bannan dedicates Sheffield Wednesday’s stunning comeback to Darren Moore

Sheffield Wednesday captain Barry Bannan dedicated his side’s incredible play-off win over Peterborough to boss Darren Moore. Wednesday beat Posh on penalties on a breathtaking night at Hillsborough, recovering from a 4-0 first-leg deficit to draw 5-5 on aggregate after extra-time before their spot-kick success. In the wake of Friday’s 4-0 loss at London Road, Moore was the subject of a racist social media post from a Wednesday fan which the club described as “repulsive”. The supporter was banned for life by the Owls and, after Thursday night’s Sky Bet League One semi-final drama, Bannan paid tribute to his manager who he praised for not only handling the incident, but for making his players believe they could turn their situation around. “What he’s done in the last week has been unbelievable, to turn around the mindset of the players, he had a massive job to do to try,” he told Sky Sports. “I’m so proud of him, the way that he’s handled this week after the racism he’s received as well – that shouldn’t be anywhere near the football, never mind a manager who’s won 96 points as well. That one’s for him.” Bannan’s words to the camera were also echoed in a candid dressing-room video shared by the club in which, after Moore praised the players, Bannan stepped forward to thank the manager on behalf of the club. Speaking on Thursday after the incredible 120 minutes of action, Moore called it the best night of his managerial career. “For me, it’s my best moment in terms of management,” said Moore, whose side will face either Barnsley or Bolton in the final at Wembley on May 29. “To witness it and for it to come here, I couldn’t have wished for it to be at a better place, under the lights here at Hillsborough. “Tonight will be special, but as I keep saying to them, we have got another game to go. We enjoy tonight and then focus on the Wembley game now. “We had a rallying call to get the fans to come out and be in full voice and they were tonight. When the boys were cramping up tonight, the fans kept them going. The boys showed great character.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live On This Day in 2012 – Chelsea beat Bayern Munich to claim first Champions League David Moyes concerned for family after trouble mars West Ham victory Eddie Howe says Newcastle win ‘huge’ but warns still work to do in top-four hunt