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Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins has signed a new long-term contract at the club. The forward, recalled to the England squad this week, is believed to have penned a five-year deal and has scored 50 goals for Villa since joining from Brentford in 2020. He netted 15 times last season to help Villa return to Europe and had been in talks over a new deal for around six months. Boss Unai Emery said: “He is always very demanding, to learn and improve. He is doing that here. I have been working with him more or less for one year and today is the same as the first day, our method in the training ground.” Watkins has scored seven times this season, including two hat-tricks, ahead of Sunday’s trip to Wolves. And he believes Villa Park is the best place for his career to develop further as he targeted the Champions League under Emery. “I’m really happy,” he told the club’s official website. “I feel like this is the best place for me to play my football. I’ve still got a lot to achieve here. “You can see the direction of the club and I want to be a part of that. “We’re only getting started. The boss has been here for a year and you’ve seen the form and progression of players. “There are other levels we can get to. Hopefully we can push on and get to the Champions League spots – that’s the aim.” Read More Roy Hodgson admits Crystal Palace are in midst of a ‘serious injury crisis’ Mikel Arteta: Arsenal must be at best in every department to beat Man City We’re not top-four contenders: Unai Emery plays down Aston Villa’s strong start

Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson admits his side are in the thick of a “serious injury crisis” with midfielder Eberechi Eze becoming the latest player set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines. Eze’s hamstring issue ruled him out of selection for Gareth Southgate’s latest England squad after he featured last month, with the 25-year-old joining an ever-growing list of Palace players unavailable for Saturday’s home encounter with Nottingham Forest. Despite the latest blow, Hodgson made clear he had no intention of courting pity, pointing to the bigger picture as he sought to assure concerned supporters. Hodgson said: “There is no sympathy in the world of football for injuries and there is no point seeking sympathy. It happens to all teams. “We happen to be in the middle of quite a serious injury crisis at the moment, but we have to learn to deal with it and accept the situation and look forward to the time when our squad is bigger again when these players return. “OK, it’s not going to be in the next week or two, but the season doesn’t end until May so we have to keep that in mind as well.” Palace sit ninth in the Premier League table after seven matches and enter Saturday’s contest bolstered by their 1-0 victory over Manchester United last time out, with defender Joachim Andersen providing the decisive strike. Hodgson, aware of his dwindling resources, said: “We are going to be dependent now, really, on the players who have come in to take their places in doing a good job, which to be fair they have been doing. “I’m very satisfied with the way the team has been playing, and we’re a squad, so there is no point complaining about injuries. They do happen and you must never feel sorry for yourself. “One or two of the players who have come in, in the last two or three weeks, who have not necessarily played from the start, have come in and done exceptionally well. That is the way we have got to look at it.” While Hodgson refused to set a timeframe for Eze’s return, he did concede that the injury was “serious” and “the severity of the injury might suggest it’s as long as that.” Michael Olise, among Hodgson’s other key attackers, has not played this season as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury of his own, while summer signing Jefferson Lerma – also out with same problem – remains ruled out. Odsonne Edouard, yet another member of Palace’s hamstring woe-club, has progressed and could start against Forest at Selhurst Park, while Brazilian Matheus Franca is still working his way back to match fitness, but is “no longer injured”. Dean Henderson, James Tomkins and Naouirou Ahamada all remain unavailable. Read More Ollie Watkins extends stay at Aston Villa with new long-term contract Mikel Arteta: Arsenal must be at best in every department to beat Man City We’re not top-four contenders: Unai Emery plays down Aston Villa’s strong start Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino knows importance of Burnley game after two wins Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola ponders how to replace Rodri against Arsenal Ange Postecoglou accepts Liverpool denied ‘legitimate goal’ by VAR error

Mikel Arteta said Arsenal’s Community Shield victory over Manchester City was important for confidence but admitted the Gunners will need to be “at our best in every department for 100 minutes” if they are to repeat that success in the Premier League this weekend. Arsenal beat Pep Guardiola’s treble-winning side on penalties in August after Leandro Trossard’s dramatic stoppage-time equaliser cancelled out Cole Palmer’s opener at Wembley. However, that result between the teams has been the exception in recent years. City had beaten Arsenal in eight successive matches heading into the Community Shield, while Guardiola’s men are currently on a 12-match winning streak against the Gunners in the Premier League. In fact, Arsenal have to go back to 2015 for the last time they claimed victory over City in the league, and Arteta knows what level of performance his side must produce on Sunday if they are to end that winless run. “It was an important one for us (winning in Community Shield),” Arteta said. “Having success against City is something you have to value, the way we played as well and it gave us confidence and a lift that we can beat them. “One thing for certain is that we know we will have to be at our best in every department for 100 minutes and then we will have a chance.” An Arsenal victory this weekend would see them move two points clear of current leaders City, but Arteta dismissed any suggestion it would be a season-defining result. One thing for certain is that we know we will have to be at our best in every department for 100 minutes and then we will have a chance. Arteta on Manchester City “It will be a big boost energy and confidence-wise but apart from that and the three points, nothing else,” he said. Arteta highlighted Guardiola’s strengths as a manager and noted his fellow Spaniard’s decision to play Bernardo Silva at left-back in previous meetings was unexpected. And the Gunners boss, who was Guardiola’s assistant at City between 2016 and 2019, credited his compatriot’s willingness to change tactics in games. “Every year we have new tools, new players and different things,” Arteta said. “We know each other, we expect things from each other but it is down to the players. “I didn’t expect him to play Bernardo at left-back. “Yes (expect Pep do make big changes in games) and he does that in big games. “He’s done it this season as well. Against different opponents he does different things and that’s a big quality of them (City) because they can change. “They can do this during the game, at half-time and that’s a strength, they can dominate.” Although City have dominated this fixture in recent years, Arteta took encouragement from his side’s performance in the Emirates clash between the two on New Year’s Day 2022. Bukayo Saka gave Arsenal the lead but City levelled through Riyad Mahrez’s penalty and, with the Gunners down to 10 men following Gabriel’s red card, snatched a stoppage-time winner through Rodri. Arteta, who missed the fixture following a positive Covid test, believes that match was a big step forward for Arsenal and that they learnt some valuable lessons. He said: “I could feel it from home and it was a huge step. It was a big one, with the way we played but we ended up losing the game and took some big lessons from it as well, but a lot of positives.” Read More We’re not top-four contenders: Unai Emery plays down Aston Villa’s strong start Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino knows importance of Burnley game after two wins Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola ponders how to replace Rodri against Arsenal Ange Postecoglou accepts Liverpool denied ‘legitimate goal’ by VAR error Erik Ten Hag knows Man Utd have ‘dropped in levels’ and need to improve fast Going through or going home? – Ireland v Scotland talking points

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has stressed that “every single game is important” as the Blues look to continue their winning run at Burnley. They have secured back-to-back wins after beating Brighton 1-0 in the League Cup and seeing off west London rivals Fulham 2-0 in the Premier League on Monday. Up next for Chelsea is a trip to Turf Moor to face the Clarets and Pochettino knows how tough a match it will be. He told a press-conference: “Every single game is important for us, for us it’s two different things. “One is to get the result we need, another is to settle and help the players to arrive at their best to get their best form that they can. “Every single game in the Premier League is important and of course tomorrow is going to be a tough game because it’s a team who run a lot and try to play. Of course it’s going to be tough but we go there to try to win the three points.” Monday’s victory saw Mykhailo Mudryk score his first goal for the club before Armando Broja added another to break a three-game winless run in the Premier League for the Blues, who are currently 11th in the table. With two consecutive wins under their belt, Pochettino is hopeful his side can keep the momentum going into the international break. “Now after two victories it’s important to keep thinking the same way – that we need to improve,” he added. “We were losing games and not getting what we deserved, I think. Keeping the balance and keeping the belief was important too. “I think the most important is the journey, we know the way we need to keep improving, we’ve won two games but it’s still nothing so far with the way we wanted to play and to perform. “To go into the international break with a different feeling than the last international break is really important for us to win the game, but we need to stay calm. “We have been preparing really well for the game and of course we are going to arrive in a condition to compete against a team who is doing well also and trying to be better than them.” Every single game is important for us, for us it’s two different things. One is to get the result we need, another is to settle and help the players to arrive at their best to get their best form that they can Mauricio Pochettino Pochettino provided positive news on defender Reece James, who has been sidelined with a hamstring injury he picked up in training last month. The Argentinian confirmed James has been in training, but the England international will miss the Burnley clash following a suspension and fine after admitting to abusing a match official during last month’s defeat to Aston Villa. “I think he was training with the group, it’s a shame that he is suspended and banned for tomorrow,” Pochettino said. “We are really happy in the way he’s recovering, he’s doing well and we hope after the international break he can be available. He is available but after the suspension (is served).” Chelsea are still without several players with Benoit Badiashile and Trevoh Chalobah both in partial team training, while Ben Chilwell, Marcus Bettinelli, Wesley Fofana, Christopher Nkunku and Romeo Lavia are all in different stages of their respective rehabilitation programmes. Read More Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola ponders how to replace Rodri against Arsenal Ange Postecoglou accepts Liverpool denied ‘legitimate goal’ by VAR error Erik Ten Hag knows Man Utd have ‘dropped in levels’ and need to improve fast Going through or going home? – Ireland v Scotland talking points Newly-introduced VAR guidelines to be in use in the Premier League this weekend Jonny May determined to sign off England career in blaze of glory at World Cup

Sir Alex Ferguson's wife Lady Cathy has passed away aged 84, the family have announced. The Glaswegian mother-of-three – who was described by her husband as his ‘bedrock’ – died yesterday morning in Cheshire surrounded by family. Lady Cathy was credited with having helped nurse him back to health after his stroke following his retirement from the club in 2013. A statement on behalf of the Ferguson family said: “We are deeply saddened to confirm the passing yesterday of Lady Cathy Ferguson, survived by her husband, three sons, two sisters, 12 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. The family asks for privacy at this time.” The pair were married for nearly 60 years before her death, with the couple having met while they were both working at a typewriter factory in Glasgow. When Ferguson announced his retirement as manager of Manchester United in 2013 following a remarkable and enduring period of success, he said: “My wife Cathy has been the key figure throughout my career, providing a bedrock of both stability and encouragement. Words are not enough to express what this has meant to me.” A Manchester United club statement said: “Everyone at Manchester United sends our heartfelt condolences to Sir Alex Ferguson and his family. “Lady Cathy was a beloved wife, mother, sister, grandmother and great-grandmother, and a tower of strength for Sir Alex throughout his career.” When the Jason Ferguson-directed documentary titled ‘Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In’ was released in 2021, Lady Cathy revealed Sir Alex had taken her to the cinema on their first date. “He bought me a box of liquorice allsorts at the movies, of which he ate all of them, and a local paper when we came out. That was my romantic day,” she said. “We got married in Glasgow registry office in 1966 and that was the start. I went to my work and he went to his football.” More follows Read More Listen: VAR audio reveals how incorrect offside decision against Luis Diaz was made Dog chased around pitch during Mexican football game after stealing ball The answers to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter quiz Auckland shooting takes place just 5km from venue of World Cup match Danish journalist ‘detained in Qatar for filming attack on Iranians by mob’ Rafael Nadal and wife welcome first child

Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou has acknowledged Liverpool were denied a “legitimate goal” in last weekend’s match but defended VAR operator Darren England. Spurs claimed a dramatic 2-1 victory over Liverpool last Saturday, but the result was mired in controversy after a Luis Diaz effort in the 34th-minute was incorrectly ruled out for offside. The incident was reviewed but VAR operator England mistakenly believed the on-field decision had been to award the goal and, after establishing Diaz had been onside, England told referee Simon Hooper “check complete” before Tottenham resumed the game with the score 0-0. The Professional Game Match Officials Limited subsequently admitted a “significant human error” occurred and released the audio this week, while on Wednesday Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp stated a replay may be the best solution even though he admitted it was unlikely. Ahead of Saturday’s trip to Luton, Postecoglou said: “The facts of it are that it was a legitimate goal Liverpool scored that wasn’t given. “You kind of look at why it’s not given because that’s the first thing you question: obviously something has broken down. “It became clear it wasn’t an integrity issue, it wasn’t a misappropriation of the law, it was an error in communication, a mistake, a mistake which cost Liverpool. “I get that it’s an unusual one in that it’s never happened before, but at the same time we’re in a new space anyway with technology where I think they’ll be a lot of firsts with the way we deal with these things.” The fallout from the incident has seen referee England reportedly told he will not officiate another Liverpool match this season, but Postecoglou railed against critics of the official. It's a significant error but it's a human being that's made that error Ange Postecoglou “I don’t know if that’s been decided,” the Spurs boss added. “I’d be surprised if they have gone that way. “It’s a significant error but it’s a human being that’s made that error. I don’t think that there’s anything that needs to go too far reaching “From my perspective, when I listened to that audio, saying ‘check complete’, someone obviously thought it was a good way of finalising things and it’s worked up until now. “I would have thought the logical thing is to say ‘goal for Liverpool’ but I’m saying that with the ignorance of not knowing how it’s truly set up. “When listening to that you probably think there’s better ways of communicating a clear decision in such a big situation. “I hope that’s what they’re addressing, not the individual that made the mistake. I think that’s a dereliction of the game. “That’s like me hanging out a player to dry just because he made a mistake. My role is to go in and help that player to improve not say ‘now you’re never playing again’.” Spurs’ focus will turn to their Saturday lunchtime kick-off at Luton and another victory for Postecoglou’s team would send them top of the Premier League until Sunday’s meeting between current leaders Manchester City and third-placed Arsenal. James Maddison (knee) and Son Heung-min (groin) have been declared fit to play but Manor Solomon (knee) has joined a growing injury list that contains Ryan Sessegnon (hamstring), Rodrigo Bentancur (knee), Brennan Johnson (hamstring) and Ivan Perisic (knee). Tottenham should have Bryan Gil and Giovani Lo Celso back on the bench after groin and quad issues respectively. Postecoglou said: “If we win we go top of the table for 24 hours but who cares? We’ve got to win. “It’s a tough game, our focus is on putting on a performance and playing at our best because if we don’t, it won’t matter where we’re sitting on the competition ladder, it’ll be us focusing on a poor performance.” Read More Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola ponders how to replace Rodri against Arsenal Erik Ten Hag knows Man Utd have ‘dropped in levels’ and need to improve fast Going through or going home? – Ireland v Scotland talking points Newly-introduced VAR guidelines to be in use in the Premier League this weekend Jonny May determined to sign off England career in blaze of glory at World Cup Jurgen Klopp: We haven’t looked for Alexis Mac Allister’s best position yet

New VAR guidelines introduced in the wake of the controversy involving Liverpool will be in use in the Premier League this weekend. Miscommunication between VAR Darren England and referee Simon Hooper led to a Luis Diaz goal for Liverpool being wrongly disallowed for offside at Tottenham last Saturday. Audio of the incident was released on Tuesday, with referees’ body Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) saying it would develop a new VAR communication protocol in an effort to avoid similar mistakes being made in future. The PA news agency understands that protocol will now be in force right away. PGMOL said the protocol would “enhance the clarity of communication between the referee and the VAR team in relation to on-field decisions”. VARs will now also confirm the outcome of the checking process with the assistant VAR before confirming the final decision to the on-field officials. England mistakenly thought the on-field officials had ruled Diaz to be onside, which meant that when he told them ‘check complete’ they believed he had upheld their on-field decision and restarted play with a free-kick. Once play had restarted, there was nothing the VARs could do to revisit the decision under existing protocols. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp called for the match to be replayed on Wednesday, something the Premier League is understood not to be prepared to consider. The league did release a statement on Tuesday, though, saying the Diaz incident had highlighted “systemic weaknesses” in the VAR process and said a wider review would take place “to seek consistently higher standards of VAR performance”. PGMOL and the Football Association will also review the policy allowing English officials to cover domestic league matches overseas. England and his assistant Daniel Cook had been part of a team of officials who had taken charge of a match in the United Arab Emirates on September 28, arriving back in the UK the following morning. Read More Going through or going home? – Ireland v Scotland talking points Jonny May determined to sign off England career in blaze of glory at World Cup Jurgen Klopp: We haven’t looked for Alexis Mac Allister’s best position yet Willie Peters wants Hull KR to become established top-four Super League club James Lowe insists Ireland are far from ‘invincible’ ahead of Scotland showdown Wigan using Challenge Cup ‘heartbreak’ as motivation ahead of Hull KR play-off

Erik Ten Hag admits Manchester United’s level of play since winning the Carabao Cup has been unacceptable. The Red Devils take on Brentford on Saturday looking to avoid a run of three successive defeats for the second time this season. But results had already tailed off at the end of the last campaign, with Ten Hag’s win percentage dropping from 69 per cent prior to the victory over Newcastle at Wembley to around 50 per cent since. The positivity that had accompanied the Dutchman’s first season in charge has rapidly evaporated, and he said: “We dropped in levels. We have to get back to those levels. “There are reasons for it but still it’s not acceptable and we have to fight against it. Every team we put out has to be on one page and the routines are not always there. They have a good foundation in the way they play, keep the foundation, support each other and we will do better.” United have endured another miserable week, with a Premier League loss to Crystal Palace followed by a 3-2 home defeat by Galatasaray in the Champions League, where goalkeeper Andre Onana again struggled. Ten Hag believes his side are being punished for lapses, saying: “Consistency, that is the problem we are struggling with. “In parts of the game, I will say in big parts of the game, we do a lot of things right but then there are moments where we are struggling and in such moments we can’t survive. “In this moment, you have to do the right things, so be consistent and do the job, be consistent in the communication, and when you do that you keep the right organisation and do it like before. “Definitely you can mark such a moment as when we score a goal or concede a goal and when decisive moments go against us, we lose a bit as a team. Over big parts, in 95 per cent of the game, we are a team, so keep going all the way through and we have to step up. “Most important in such moments is you keep on one page and it starts with communication.” Rasmus Hojlund’s double against Galatasaray was the bright spot but Marcus Rashford again struggled. The England forward has gone seven matches without a goal for club and country, with his only effort so far this season coming against Arsenal at the beginning of September. Ten Hag has no doubt it is just a blip, though, saying: “It’s normal you are not always right at the same levels. Everyone knows the qualities of him and if Rashy does the things right and the team does, it’s up to him. “We have seen in the last weeks he is coming in good positions, he is struggling, but it will pass. Everyone knows the qualities, everyone at Man United backs him, the whole team supports him and believes in him, I am sure with that it will change and this will pass. “Strikers, when they don’t score for a moment, they need one goal, then they step over. When he is doing the right things, and he is doing the right things, the momentum will come and he will be on fire.” Antony could make his return to Premier League action having coming off the bench against Galatasaray but Jadon Sancho remains out of the picture. Read More Going through or going home? – Ireland v Scotland talking points Newly-introduced VAR guidelines to be in use in the Premier League this weekend Jonny May determined to sign off England career in blaze of glory at World Cup Jurgen Klopp: We haven’t looked for Alexis Mac Allister’s best position yet Willie Peters wants Hull KR to become established top-four Super League club James Lowe insists Ireland are far from ‘invincible’ ahead of Scotland showdown

On Thursday evening, Arsenal were still hoping that Bukayo Saka would feature on Sunday, but Mikel Arteta has had to start drawing up alternative plans. And that could serve his side well in a pivotal clash with the potential to define the title race. It is no bad thing to have Pep Guardiola second-guessing you, and the Manchester City manager can take that to third-, fourth- or even beyond fifth-guessing. The Catalan will be rolling everything around in his mind, having pored over recent footage. Most of the footage of recent Arsenal-City games, mind, has been all too clear. They’ve all gone one way, to an almost farcical degree. City have beaten Arsenal for 12 successive Premier League games. That run would be bad enough if it was over a bottom-half side, but it is virtually unprecedented among financial heavyweights or the old “big six”. Arsenal have admittedly had many iterations throughout what was a transformative and often difficult period in their history, but you have to go back to a Shkodran Mustafi header in April 2017 for the last time they even claimed a point off City. And you have to go back to December 2015, and goals from Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud, for Arsenal’s last victory in the fixture. That is what Arteta is trying to overcome, as he makes constant appeals to only consider the present and the future. It is not just about revenge for last season, a quick recovery after a shock defeat to RC Lens or even reasserting Arsenal’s title credentials after a rare City defeat. It will be about overcoming the knowledge that the champions almost always beat them. That can be a huge psychological factor for a team, creating a fatalism, even subconsciously. Arteta can at least point to one big victory in the FA Cup as well as this summer’s shoot-out win in the Community Shield, but the fact that the Premier League represents their great ambition means there’s a different feel to it. It’s something they need to address, especially if they are to actually beat City in the league. It is one of those psychological hurdles that needs to be overcome, just as City faced with Manchester United after the Abu Dhabi takeover. The Community Shield may still influence this, mind, because of how Guardiola did something so different in that game. He decided to properly bait the press, in the same way that Roberto De Zerbi has made this his great innovation. Arsenal didn’t bite, and came through the game, but it has almost set a kind of tactical arms race in motion; where last season’s top two keep trading significant moves that could affect the course of this year. Arsenal beat City to Declan Rice, City attempted to undercut Arsenal’s entire approach by baiting the press. Arsenal didn’t respond but are trying to add more tactical variety to last season, meaning they didn’t start the campaign as well as the champions. City then lost Rodri to a red card and unexpectedly lost a game, allowing Arsenal back in. That could now be offset with the absence of Saka, as both managers attempt to figure out what happens next. Perhaps Arsenal are “due”, but that could have been said years ago. Will Guardiola attempt to bait Arsenal again? Does Arteta prepare for that, or something different altogether? Both of these managers could send each other down all manner of avenues with second guesses. And how it all ends may depend on just who starts. Read More Bukayo Saka ‘in contention’ for Arsenal vs Man City as Gareth Southgate reveals plan Gareth Southgate gives Bukayo Saka injury update ahead of Arsenal vs Man City Manchester City can put a stamp on the season with Arsenal win – Rico Lewis Bukayo Saka ‘in contention’ for Arsenal vs Man City as Gareth Southgate reveals plan Gareth Southgate gives Bukayo Saka injury update ahead of Arsenal vs Man City Ollie Watkins and Jarrod Bowen make England return but Raheem Sterling left out

You may have seen the video of Jordan Henderson promoting Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2034 World Cup. It is a moving watch. There’s his giant face plastered across the screen, while wearing the famous green and black colours of Al Ettifaq FC. “Very excited about the announcement,” Henderson says in his excited voice. “Go Saudi Arabia 2034.” It is important to note that his World Cup promotional work is voluntary. We know this because he said so in an interview with The Athletic. So when we see raw emotion like this on social media, we know we are getting real Henderson, authentic Henderson, out there backing the bid. Not a paid ambassador, just a boy who fell in love with a gulf state. Henderson is having one of his all-time great seasons: four assists in eight games as captain of Steven Gerrard’s Ettifaq outfit; still in the England squad despite no discernible superior attributes to James Ward-Prowse; all while getting the chance to grow the Saudi Pro League, one of his big motivations for moving there. He is not the only one excited. Gerrard described the prospect of a Saudi World Cup as “potentially one of the best shows the world’s seen”. Al-Ittihad striker Karim Benzema was stunned, tweeting: “Wow! Amazing news.” Al-Ahli winger Riyadh Mahrez was relieved the world will finally get to see the country’s “passion and love of the game”. If it sounds like they think the bid is already won, that’s because it might be. To catch up on a whirlwind week at Fifa HQ, it was announced on Wednesday that six countries across three continents would host the 2030 World Cup. That satisfied the confederations of Europe, Africa and South America. And barely an hour later, Saudi Arabia publicly launched its bid for 2034. Things have fallen into place quite nicely. Fifa’s rules on rotating the World Cup around the globe mean there are only two possible federations left to stage the 2034 World Cup: Oceania and Asia. That doesn’t leave a lot of competition. What’s more, Fifa gave any rivals to the Saudi bid a 25-day deadline for submission. Australia has hinted at joining the race, but a cynic might conclude it would be the tortoise chasing a wealthy and well-prepared hare that’s already crossed the finish line. The World Cup is a logical endpoint to something much bigger. Sport is a mirror to the world order, and Saudi’s emergence in football is both a consequence and a signal of a gravitational shift. As Rory McIlroy put it recently, upon accepting the increasing influence of Saudi Arabia on the game of golf: “You see everything else happening in the world, you see big private equity companies in America taking their money, the biggest companies in the world … if this is what’s happening, then the way I’ve framed it is that the world has decided for me.” There is an inevitability to all this. Even so, given the rapid emergence of an oppressive dictatorship in the world of football, it might have been nice for even just one press conference with Fifa’s dear leader, Gianni Infantino, to scrutinise this flurry of announcements that appear to pave the way for Saudi 2034. This, remember, is an organisation whose “corruption” section on Wikipedia is longer than this article. Infantino has himself taken on the distinct air of a dictator in recent years. He was sworn in for another term as Fifa president in March after winning an election unopposed, annointed to obedient applause at a ceremony in Rwanda. Fifa presidents are supposed to serve a maximum of three terms, but Infantino recently “clarified” that his first three years in the job didn’t count as he was only filling in for the deposed Sepp Blatter. It seems likely he will serve until the bitter end in 2031, capping a 15-year stint as the most powerful man in football. Infantino and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have a friendship of sorts and have been pictured at various matches together, most notably in Qatar last year. The 2034 World Cup might be the first tournament after his reign ends, a parting gift to Bin Salman, like a prime minister handing out one last peerage to an old ally. The road to 2034 will no doubt be smoothed by Saudi’s many levers of soft power. It will host the Fifa Club World Cup in December, and will continue to invest heavily in the Saudi Pro League. Lionel Messi remains an ambassador and Cristiano Ronaldo is its marquee player. The league is set to go after more big, bright stars closer to their prime, with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah a high priority. All that will lay the groundwork for the ultimate goal, hosting the World Cup, a platform like no other to project Saudi Arabia’s global standing. So as Henderson put his enthusiastic support behind the message, emitting slight hostage energy, perhaps one day he might reflect that he was just a tool. 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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admits they have not had time to properly assess where World Cup-winner Alexis Mac Allister fits into their side. The Argentina midfielder has started all seven of the club’s Premier League fixtures since arriving from Brighton in a cut-price £35million deal, but has been deployed in the nominal holding role after the departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to Saudi Arabia left them short in that department. Mac Allister has shown he is far more effective further forward in one of the attacking midfield positions, and while he has done a job for Klopp, it appears unlikely he is the long-term solution. He was even substituted at half-time of the win at Wolves, having flown back from Bolivia after the international break after looking well off the pace. Nevertheless Klopp is satisfied with what he has had from the 24-year-old so far. “We didn’t even look for his best position yet. We just use him,” he said. “He is a fantastic player, I love everything about him: super-smart tactically and off the pitch as well, so that is really nice to work with. “If we as a team defend well, he can play definitely the number six. Did I know that before? I had a guess but I was not sure because I did not know exactly how all the other boys would do defending. “Because we defend more compact and better than in our bad phases last year, we have small spaces and then it is really good because he sees the situations really well. We didn’t even look for his best position yet. We just use him Jurgen Klopp on Alexis Mac Allister “We have a really good footballer and it is really cool but best position? He is too young for me to know it but he is a midfielder, I can tell you that. “He is a midfielder and I am happy about having him.” Mac Allister is one-third of a midfield rebuild this summer with Dominik Szobozslai the other mainstay after his £60m arrival from RB Leipzig. Forward Cody Gakpo, another new signing Wataru Endo – the one genuine number six in the squad – and Curtis Jones have filled the other space in midfield in Premier League matches this season. However, the gradual emergence of Ryan Gravenberch, a deadline-day arrival from Bayern Munich, points towards the 21-year-old staking a claim to be the third man alongside Mac Allister and Szobozslai, who are destined to be locked in for the long term. The Dutchman scored his first goal in the 2-0 Europa League victory over Union Saint Gilloise as his integration into the side – he has started three non-Premier League games but has only been a substitute at weekends – continues to grow apace. For a relative youngster, Gravenberch has a certain presence on the pitch and Klopp expects him to grow further with more experience. “Raw power – I am not sure a lot of people would have described him in the past like that,” said the manager. “He is technically incredibly good. The first touch is insane, the speed is top class, really good shooter. “Yes he came late and yes we play slightly different and yes he needs time to adapt, and that is what we can give him, thank God. “He is completely happy with that and in the groove; he realises in each training sessions he is treated completely like others, if he starts or not. “He gets even more information in specific moments. He can see what the other boys do in similar positions, he can watch it, he learns, he is a smart boy, everything goes in the right direction and that is really nice to see. “He has had assists in the other games and now he has his first goal. Now it is good, long may it continue, he is very important for us.” Read More Willie Peters wants Hull KR to become established top-four Super League club James Lowe insists Ireland are far from ‘invincible’ ahead of Scotland showdown Wigan using Challenge Cup ‘heartbreak’ as motivation ahead of Hull KR play-off Mike Forshaw expecting ‘ferocious 80 minutes’ when Wales face Georgia Eddie Howe says becoming Newcastle head coach was ‘life-changing’ Newcastle defender Tino Livramento returns to England Under-21s squad

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