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Marine’s 2021 FA Cup run was so far detached from reality that their manager, Neil Young, remembers every kick like a vivid dream. He can still see the last penalty of the shootout which shocked League Two Colchester United on their own patch in the first round, “one of my greatest memories in football”. He can still picture Niall Cummins’ dramatic 120th-minute winner against Havant & Waterlooville in the second round which sparked “bedlam,” even in an empty stadium in lockdown. That result was their ninth knockout win of the competition and it put Marine AFC, a volunteer-led club playing in the Northern Premier League Division One North West, into the hat for the third round with some of the biggest teams in the world. It was only the second time an eighth-tier side had ever reached that stage of the FA Cup. On the face of it, the third-round draw is a ludicrous enterprise. Here was a team made up of plumbers, teachers, factory workers and a car salesman, paid a total weekly wage of £750, with the possibility of being competitively matched against some of the best footballers on the planet. “When you get to the third round, let’s be honest, it’s likely that you’re not going to go any further,” Young tells the Independent. “You are hoping for one of the big teams. “I go back to when I was growing up, the third round was always the one you were waiting for. I was a Liverpool fan and you were always wondering who you were gonna get. Now I was looking at it from the other side.” The possibilities were remote. The chances of drawing one of the so-called big six was around nine per cent. The chances of drawing the team on top of the Premier League and the manager he most wanted to pit his wits against, Jose Mourinho? Only 1.6 per cent. But after such a rare run into the cup’s deepest waters, Marine were desperate to get lucky. The draw itself was made in a studio, but the BBC’s programme was hosted by Mark Chapman at Marine’s ground, immediately after their televised second-round win over Havant & Waterlooville. “It was outside, and it was absolutely bloody freezing,” remembers Young. The manager was stood with his captain, Cummins, and the BBC production team, watching the draw on what turned out to be a slightly delayed picture on a giant TV screen. He watched as Robbie Savage fished out No 58, Marine, followed by No 39, Tottenham Hotspur. “Once the ball got drawn out, we heard a massive cheer go up,” Young says. “We didn’t just hear it from our directors in the stand below us - our ground’s got houses on top of it and you could hear the cheering from the houses. I could actually hear the cheer before the name came up on the bottom of the screen. “It was a surreal moment. And as soon as that draw was made, the phone never stopped ringing.” Young was live on Sky Sports News 15 minutes later, and hopped between radio shows all night. It was relentless, and Young was forced to take a week off work – he works for a local train operator – to cope with the buildup. Liverpool invited him to watch Spurs at Anfield the week before the tie and offered up their footage of Spurs and detailed analytics. He had hoped for an away trip, but on reflection: “You’re thinking, away at Tottenham, for example, it could be a bloody cricket score with the size of the pitch and everything.” The game itself is another crystal clear memory. The gap between the two clubs was 161 places, the biggest in FA Cup history, but Mourinho took the game seriously and named a strong side. International stars like Dele Alli, Joe Hart, Toby Alderweireld, Lucas Moura and Gareth Bale all graced Marine’s Rossett Park. Before kick-off, Mourinho sought out Marine’s one Portuguese player, a reserve goalkeeper, and gifted him a signed Spurs shirt with his name printed on the back. “He also got me a shirt with my name on the back which he signed for me, which is framed in my house,” says Young. “He came out of his way before the game to talk with me, we spent half an hour on the pitch making general conversation. He was a really nice guy, humble, not what people see on the telly. He assumed we’d only played two or three games to get there and was amazed it was our 10th game, he could not believe it. “He said, ‘I hope you know if you beat us today, I’ll be back here tomorrow morning looking for a job’.” Spurs were too good, of course, winning 5-0. Yet Marine hit the woodwork at 0-0 and fans still ask Young what might have been had that shot found the net. “I tell them we would have lost 5-1 instead,” he laughs. Young has great respect and appreciation for the way Tottenham approached the tie. “It was freezing, there were no supporters, but they sent a real strong team and then they brought Bale on. We were chasing after them for most of the game but what an experience for our players. And it’s changed our football club.” Tottenham fans bought “virtual” away tickets to raise £300,000 for Marine, and Spurs later treated Marine’s players and staff to a trip to north London to watch their FA Cup third-round tie the following season. Marine’s old facilities essentially made it a part-time social club; now they have two restaurants open all day, every day, generating life-giving revenue for the club. So does the new 4G pitch which is used by local teams and schools. The average gate has jumped from around 200 before the Cup tie to around 1,300 now, and buses full of travelling supporters follow the team on the road. The magic of the FA Cup is a well-worn cliché but there is little else in sport quite like the third round, little that can replicate the sheer otherworldly possibility of that draw. That moment, stood in the bitter cold as cheers rang out from the houses and Tottenham Hotspur flashed up on the screen, will live with Young forever. “It was a special moment in my life. I played a bit myself non-league, and then I got a bad injury and took the decision to pack it in at a very early age and go into the management side. My career started on Sunday mornings at Birkenhead. Things progressed and for that to all come together, in the third-round draw of the FA Cup against Tottenham Hotspur, to be playing against a guy who’s won everything and one of the best that’s ever done it in Jose Mourinho… it was unbelievable.” Read More When is the FA Cup third round draw? What time is the Euro 2024 draw and what are the pots? Uefa announces changes to Women’s Champions League and second European competition When is the FA Cup third round draw? What time is the Euro 2024 draw and what are the pots? Uefa announces changes to Women’s Champions League and second European competition

There are still three places in the Euro 2024 finals up for grabs following the end of the group-stage of the qualifying campaign. Wales could yet join England and Scotland in the hat for the Euro 2024 draw, but Rob Page’s side will need to navigate the play-offs if they are to reach a fourth major tournament in eight years. That’s because Wales finished behind Turkey and Croatia in qualifying from Group D, but the Dragons have been afforded a second-chance thanks to their performance in the Uefa Nations League. Wales are guaranteed a home semi-final after taking their place in play-off ‘Path A’ - but Thursday’s draw will determine who they face in March’s play-off rounds, while Poland and Robert Lewandowski could be waiting in the final. Here’s everything you need to know. Who has qualified for Euro 2024? Pot 1: Germany (hosts), Portugal, France, Spain, Belgium, England Pot 2: Hungary, Turkey, Romania, Denmark, Albania, Austria Pot 3: Netherlands, Scotland, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Czech Republic Pot 4: Italy, Serbia, Switzerland, Play-off winner A*, Play-off winner B*, Play-off winner C* Who could still qualify? Semi-finals – Path A: Poland (1) vs Estonia (4) / Wales (2) vs TBC* Semi-finals – Path B: Israel (1) vs TBC* / Bosnia and Herzegovina (2) vs TBC* Semi-finals – Path C: Georgia (1) vs Luxembourg (4) / Greece (2) vs Kazakhstan (3) TBC* = one of Finland, Ukraine or Iceland How do the Euro 2024 play-offs work? There is still space for three teams to join the Euro 2024 draw, with three separate ‘paths’ offering those sides who qualified for the play-offs a way into the tournament finals. There will be six semi-finals on 21 March 2024 and three finals on 26 March, with the winning teams entering the Euro 2024 group stage. When is the play-off draw? This will be held from 11am GMT on Thursday 23 November. The only thing to draw is which side from Finland, Ukraine or Iceland goes into ‘Path A’ and which of the other two go into ‘Path B’. The draw will also determine which winner of the semi-final hosts the play-off final. *If Finland are allocated to Path B by the draw, as the higher-ranked team they would play Bosnia and Herzegovina, and whichever of Ukraine or Iceland are allocated to Path B would play top-ranked Israel. If Ukraine and Iceland are both allocated to Path B, the higher-ranked Ukraine would play Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Iceland would play Israel. Read More What time is the Euro 2024 draw and what are the pots? Euro 2024 draw: Top seeds England could face Scotland and Wales What are Scotland’s best and worst scenarios in the Euro 2024 draw? What are England’s best and worst case scenarios in Euro 2024 draw? Euro 2024: The cheapest ways to follow England and Scotland in Germany next summer Why winless Iceland are in Euro 2024 play-offs and 10-point Norway are not

England have ensured a high seeding for next summer’s Euro 2024. Gareth Southgate’s side topped qualifying Group C unbeaten, securing a tally of 20 points to finish as one of the five best group winners. That ensured that they are in Pot 1 for the draw alongside Germany, Portugal, France, Spain and Belgium. It means that the Euro 2020 runners-up will not face any of those five sides in the group stages. That makes England’s path to knock-out stage qualification easier, though there are still plenty of strong sides in the other three pots. With three play-off qualifiers still to be confirmed, the pots look like this: Pot 1: Germany (hosts), Portugal, France, Spain, Belgium, England Pot 2: Hungary, Turkey, Romania, Denmark, Albania, Austria Pot 3: Netherlands, Scotland, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Czech Republic Pot 4: Italy, Serbia, Switzerland, Play-off winner A, Play-off winner B, Play-off winner C So what is the toughest possible draw for England? While the pots are based on qualifying form, and thus a useful gauge of team quality, we will go by Fifa’s world rankings to determine the best and worst case scenarios for Southgate and his side. The toughest possible draw for England (current world ranking 3rd) would be: Denmark (19th), Netherlands (6th), Italy (9th). The simplest draw, meanwhile, would comprise of: Albania (62nd), Slovenia (54th), Kazakhstan* (100th). *Kazakhstan are part of qualifying play-off Path C When is Euro 2024? The 17th edition of the men’s Euros will be held in Germany between 14 June and 14 July. Which cities are hosting fixtures? Berlin Munich Hamburg Dusseldorf Frankfurt Cologne Stuttgart Gelsenkirchen Leipzig Dortmund Read More What time is the Euro 2024 draw and what are the pots? Euro 2024 draw: Top seeds England could face Scotland and Wales What are Scotland’s best and worst scenarios in the Euro 2024 draw? Euro 2024: The cheapest ways to follow England and Scotland in Germany next summer Why winless Iceland are in Euro 2024 play-offs and 10-point Norway are not Wales to host Finland in Euro 2024 semi-final play-off

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England must beat the Netherlands at Wembley to keep their hopes of topping their Women’s Nations League group and qualifying for next summer’s Olympics alive. The Lionesses suffered a shock defeat to Belgium last month, having also been beaten by the Dutch in September, and sit third in Group A1 after four games. The Lionesses have suffered a World Cup hangover and their first real dip in form after going unbeaten in their first 30 matches under Sarina Wiegman. It means England face must-win games against the Netherlands tonight and Scotland at Hampden on Tuesday to have any hope of topping Nations League Group A1- but they also need results to go their way. England sit three points behind the Netherlands and one point behind Belgium with two games remaining and the Lionesses must reach the Nations League final to secure Great Britain a place at next summer’s Games. Follow all the live action in the blog below and here are the England vs Netherlands latest odds. Read More What do the Lionesses need to do for Team GB to qualify for the Olympics? The Lionesses are back in ‘must-win’ mode: Here’s why it can suit them Beth Mead on her England return: ‘The things I’ve dealt with have made me a stronger person’

It was a pre-season friendly with a legacy, one that sparked an interest in Pep Guardiola. As he did his research – even with nothing at stake, he wanted to be prepared – he took heed of a manager who plied his trade almost 6,000 miles away, in a league that attracts little attention in England. On Sunday, for Manchester City vs Tottenham Hotspur, he will share a touchline with Ange Postecoglou as peers: in 2019, they worked within the same wider footballing family, but the similarities may have ended there. Postecoglou coached Yokohama F Marinos; the City Football Group have a stake in the Japanese club and as Manchester City prepared for the 2019-20 season, they faced Yokohama, part-way through a J1 League campaign that saw them crowned champions. “I saw some games before,” Guardiola recalled. “And I said, 'wow, there are things that I like'. I said to the players that I know we are not ready because it is pre-season but we are going to face a good team who can challenge us.” City won 3-1; as Guardiola readily recalled, they had better players. Kevin de Bruyne and Raheem Sterling scored that day. The starters also included Kyle Walker, John Stones, Aymeric Laporte, Rodri, Leroy Sane and David and Bernardo Silva. But it formed a conviction in Guardiola that it was worth keeping an eye on the Australian manager in Japan. “He makes football a better place,” the Catalan explained. “Because I'm a manager but I'm also a spectator and I enjoy watching them a lot with the approach they have.” Now they meet as two treble winners, and if Guardiola’s trio of trophies includes the more prestigious prize of the Champions League, Postecoglou did a clean sweep of the Scottish silverware with Celtic. But there is one triple manager of the month this season, and it is the Tottenham head coach. “All Spurs fans and people in England can admit the impact has been big,” Guardiola said, and if, after a stunning start, Postecoglou has suffered three straight defeats, Tottenham are unlikely to go on the defensive at the Etihad Stadium. “If you ask him whether he will change because they are playing against us? Absolutely not. This is not going to happen,” Guardiola said. “I know they lost their last games but you see how they play: courage, high line. It doesn’t matter who jumps to the ball, a lot of combinations, using the keeper for the build-up and arriving in the sides, incredible runners from everywhere, so dynamic. In a few months, you recognise perfectly his team.” All of which reminded him of his initial impression in Japan – “the build-up, how intense their high-pressing, how they use the keeper for the build-up; it was true,” he enthused – and sounds distinctly familiar. They are all traits of Guardiola’s football. A few weeks ago, explaining his tactics, Postecoglou deadpanned: “I’m just copying Pep, mate.” As Guardiola realised, he was not being entirely serious. “It was a joke,” he said, outlining a couple of differences. “I'm not the only person when I was born to become a manager to play a high line. It belongs to him. I would say that sometimes my full-backs go inside [into midfield] but their full-backs go to the pockets, they are attacking midfielders. I never seen that before or use that. It belongs absolutely to him.” That use of full-backs to get into the inside-forward positions, ahead of the midfielders, is an indication of Postecoglou’s boldness. He is an idealist after the trio of pragmatists, an adventurer after the dullards, the Antipodean antithesis to Antonio Conte, Nuno Espirito Santo and Jose Mourinho. And yet, even amid a decidedly mixed few years for Tottenham, they have often had the habit of beating City with the kind of approach – deep defending and quick counter-attacking – that is scarcely the Postecoglou ethos. “You see his team and the influence from the manager is there, compared with the past,” Guardiola said. “You see Antonio Conte's Spurs: you see his stamp, [they] play the way he wants.” The difference does not just lie in the dugout. Guardiola infamously branded Tottenham “the Harry Kane team”. There is no Kane now, and he is reluctant to attach another label to them. “I wouldn't do the same mistake, otherwise my colleagues are angry at me and I don’t want that,” he said. In a way, though, they are the Son Heung-min team: the South Korean has seven goals against City. But with their reinvention as attackers, they are the Postecoglou team. It is a reason why Guardiola is so excited by Sunday. “I think that is such an incredible advert for our game and for our sport,” he said. “When two teams want always to go forward, it's always nice to watch, all the time. It's impossible not to see an interesting game when both teams want to try to do it.” And this time, he won’t have to seek out footage from Japan to watch Angeball. Read More Man City boss Pep Guardiola praises Ange Postecoglou’s impact at Spurs Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou provides Rodrigo Bentancur injury update The answers to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter quiz Guardiola urges Man City fans to come to Spurs clash because it will be ‘fun’ Postecoglou up for challenge of taking injury-hit Spurs to Man City Tottenham boss Postecoglou provides Bentancur injury update

Newcastle United host Manchester United on Saturday night with just one point and one place between them in the Premier League table. Their relative standings might be in close proximity but the two clubs feel worlds apart right now – even as they share a curious overlapping in many factors this season. Both clubs drew in midweek, in Champions League matches with a huge amount resting on the outcomes. The Magpies, of course, earnt the better result but perhaps ended up feeling worse; such is the rollercoaster of emotions within football, holding Paris Saint-Germain to a 1-1 draw but conceding in the final minutes to a hotly debated penalty. The Red Devils, meanwhile, threw away a two-goal lead much earlier in the game and still could have won their match, eventually leaving Galatasaray with a 3-3 draw. Neither currently stand to progress in their groups, and both face an uphill battle domestically to regain a top-four place to return and try again among Europe’s elite in 2024-25. It’s the visitors to St. James’ Park who seem to have a host of problems stacked against them: an underperforming, big-money goalkeeper, a manager facing increased scrutiny, a litany of off-field problems this season, an ongoing takeover moving at glacial pace and mutiny among the fanbase towards the current owners, who now look like staying in place. Against that, Newcastle as a club look cohesive and together: a coaching group who have clearly improved the squad, remaining progressive in competitive terms compared to only two years ago and gradually adding to the memorable occasions on home soil. And yet, it’s Man United who come into the game ahead in the table, United who have taken more points across the last four league fixtures and United who have a far shorter injury and absence list to contend with. Such a convoluted mix of truths and perceptions is not uncommon, but this head-to-head in particular looks a potentially defining one in the battle for top-four places. Despite initial appearances, it’s tough to go against Newcastle as being in the better frame of mind to emerge with precious points. Their work rate, team chemistry and near-impeccable home form are all big factors for this fixture in isolation against Ten Hag’s team, who still appear tactically fractured and very brittle mentally when periods of matches go against them. Add in the fact they do not score a shed-load of goals – just 16 is the lowest in the Premier League’s top 12 – and that their away wins this term have all come at teams ranked 14th or lower, and it becomes even more difficult to see the Red Devils pulling off a morale-boosting victory. Looking in more granular detail at the head-to-head battles which might shape the match brings up a wider-lens, longer-term rivalry: players up against each other for places in England’s Euro 2024 squad. With Mason Mount well out of the picture for now, Man United hold perhaps three who would be seen as general certainties under Gareth Southgate: Harry Maguire, now a first-teamer again at club level; Marcus Rashford – woefully out of form and shifted to the right flank recently – and Luke Shaw, just returned from injury at left-back. Maguire appears untouchable, in part due to a lack of elite-level alternative candidates, but arguably the same cannot be said for the other two. Having switched wings, Rashford may now be in direct confrontation with two names of interest to the Three Lions, including one player suggested in some quarters as being so in-form that he cannot be continually overlooked: Anthony Gordon, Newcastle’s left-sided forward, as well as Tino Livramento, nominally a right-back but excellent on the left against PSG. It might be fanciful to suggest Livramento might usurp a senior so quickly and outside his normal role, but with a dearth of consistently available and excellent left-back options around for Southgate, it’s not an impossibility either, particularly if he defends the way he did at the Parc des Princes with regularity. Further forward it’s a different story. By the numbers, Rashford is still having an effect on United’s attack in terms of the basic dribbling and shooting traits he brings, but his end product has been woeful. He takes more shots than Gordon – total number and per 90 league minutes – yet fewer are on target. His decision-making can come into question at times too, with more shots blocked this term than anyone else at Man United has even attempted, Bruno Fernandes aside. And there’s the fact he has tallied just two goals total across all competitions, one a penalty, against Gordon’s five. The Newcastle man has found the finishing touch which had previously been conspicuously lacking, even thriving when asked to lead the line for the team – while Rashford, who has had several stints at the same job at Old Trafford, appears further away than ever at being a regular centre-forward, now even shifted away from his preferred left flank. As considerations for the national team, they overlap in plenty of attributes: ball-carriers at pace, direct runners behind the defence, hard workers defensively and a goal threat in central areas. Form, by its very nature, will ebb and flow. It’s no secret which of the two is nearer their peak right now, and if April and May – a time of trophies and international selections – seems a long way away, one team appears to be far better placed to give their forward a platform to consistently succeed. One game in isolation won’t decide the fate of these clubs, who pushes for a top-four finish or indeed who makes the final 23 for England. But if the game is decided by the in-form Gordon in particular, expect the calls for inclusion to only grow louder – and Rashford is the obvious candidate who would need to make way. Read More Newcastle boss Eddie Howe believes more VAR ‘would ruin the game’ Newcastle did not deserve penalty heartbreak - they were robbed by VAR Champions League: What do Man United, Arsenal and Newcastle need to reach last 16? Alan Shearer rages at ‘disgusting’ penalty decision as Newcastle denied famous win Newcastle let down by ‘poor’ penalty call to leave Howe ‘hugely frustrated’ PSG vs Newcastle LIVE: Champions League result and reaction

Pep Guardiola has encouraged Manchester City fans to come and support their team during their fixture against Tottenham Hotspur, because it will be a “fun” match. The Spaniard also admitted he was wowed by Ange Postecoglu when he first came up against him as a coach during a pre-season tour back in 2019. “I met him just once - three or four pre-seasons ago against Yokohama,” Guardiola said of his opposite number, previewing this weekend’s fixture. “Ange was the manager. It was the second pre-season game and I said wow, there are things I like... I encourage our fans to come to the stadium, because we will have fun.” Postecoglu, meanwhile, is relishing the challenge of taking injury-hit Spurs to Man City. Read More Guardiola admits concern after Man City’s 3-2 comeback Champions League win Pep Guardiola pays tribute to Terry Venables: ‘A true gentleman’ Postecoglou up for challenge of taking injury-hit Spurs to Man City

The FA Cup reaches the third round proper as clubs from the Premier League and Championship enter the competition. 64 balls will be in the hat as English football’s most prestigious cup competition intensifies. Manchester City are the defending champions after beating cross-town rivals Manchester United in an historic derby final at Wembley in June. The club’s seventh FA Cup triumph was followed a week later by Champions League success as Pep Guardiola’s side secured a treble. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the draw. When is the FA Cup third round draw? The draw for the third round proper of the 2023/24 FA Cup will be held at about 1pm GMT on Sunday 3 December. The proceedings will be conducted in advance of the second round tie between Eastleigh and Reading, which kicks off at 1.30pm. How can I watch it? Viewers in the United Kingdom will be able to watch the draw live on ITV1 as they build-up to live coverage of the Eastleigh vs Reading match from 12.40pm GMT. Registered users will be able to stream via ITVX. Which teams are in the draw? The ball numbers are as follows: 1. AFC Bournemouth 2. Arsenal 3. Aston Villa 4. Birmingham City 5. Blackburn Rovers 6. Brentford 7. Brighton & Hove Albion 8. Bristol City 9. Burnley 10. Cardiff City 11. Chelsea 12. Coventry City 13. Crystal Palace 14. Everton 15. Fulham 16. Huddersfield Town 17. Hull City 18. Ipswich Town 19. Leeds United 20. Leicester City 21. Liverpool 22. Luton Town 23. Manchester City 24. Manchester United 25. Middlesbrough 26. Millwall 27. Newcastle United 28. Norwich City 29. Nottingham Forest 30. Plymouth Argyle 31. Preston North End 32. Queens Park Rangers 33. Rotherham United 34. Sheffield United 35. Sheffield Wednesday 36. Southampton 37. Stoke City 38. Sunderland 39. Swansea City 40. Tottenham Hotspur 41. Watford 42. West Bromwich Albion 43. West Ham United 44. Wolverhampton Wanderers 45. Maidstone United or Barrow 46. Wycombe Wanderers or Morecambe 47. Notts County or Shrewsbury Town 48. Chesterfield or Leyton Orient 49. Aldershot Town or Stockport County 50. Alfreton Town or Walsall 51. Blackpool or Forest Green Rovers 52. Cambridge United or Fleetwood Town 53. Bolton Wanderers or Harrogate Town 54. Wrexham or Yeovil Town 55. Crewe Alexandra or Bristol Rovers 56. Peterborough United or Doncaster Rovers 57. Eastleigh or Reading 58. Gillingham or Charlton Athletic 59. Stevenage or Port Vale 60. Newport County or Barnet 61. Oxford United or Grimsby Town 62. York City or Wigan Athletic 63. Sutton United or Horsham 64. AFC Wimbledon or Ramsgate Read More Barnsley kicked out of FA Cup over rule violation Guardiola urges Man City fans to come to Spurs clash because it will be ‘fun’ Tottenham’s evolution represents a gift and a curse against Man City Guardiola urges Man City fans to come to Spurs clash because it will be ‘fun’ Tottenham’s evolution represents a gift and a curse against Man City Postecoglou up for challenge of taking injury-hit Spurs to Man City

Everton have appealed against the club’s 10-point deduction in the Premier League. An independent commission imposed a 10-point deduction on Everton with immediate effect after breaching the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules. The club were sanctioned on November 17 for a breach of the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules and have 14 days to lodge an appeal. The club confirmed they were “shocked and disappointed” by the ruling, which left them in the relegation zone, having previously sat 14th in the table and eight points above the bottom three. A statement from the club read: “Everton Football Club has today lodged with the Chair of the Premier League’s Judicial Panel its appeal of the decision by a Premier League Commission to impose a 10-point deduction on the Club. An Appeal Board will now be appointed to hear the case.” The decision has been criticised by many, including mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, who hit out at the Premier League by claims that it is guilty of “regulatory malpractice” and “abuse of process”. The league responded by insisting that it “entirely refuted his allegations.” Burnham, an Everton season-ticket holder, wrote an open letter to Premier League chair Alison Brittain in which he said there had not been a fair process when enforcing the deduction. Everton were deemed to have breached Profit and Sustainability Rules by an independent commission, which determined they had losses of £124.5m over three years – £19.5m over the permitted threshold. But Burnham, a former Secretary of State for Health, was critical of the Premier League for adopting a sanctions policy in August, after Everton had been charged and before their case was heard. “The fact that the Premier League sought to introduce a new sanctions policy in the middle of this process amounts, in my view, to an abuse of process,” he wrote.

Arsenal sit at the top of the Premier League, but with Liverpool and Manchester City hot on their heels, trying to decide on a Fantasy Premier League captain has become a more complicated task than simply giving it to Erling Haaland every week. With multiple teams contending with seemingly ever-increasing injury lists, the pool of available players has also taken a hit, and if available, a wildcard could come into contention. Here are five players we think could impress in gameweek 14, and perhaps even into the festive period, with managers needing to decide how big their injury lists can be, and perhaps hold a couple of transfers over before the matches start coming thick and fast. Bukayo Saka, Arsenal (8.7) The Arsenal man has four assists in the last five gameweeks, and remains the Gunners’ first-choice penalty taker. When it comes to assured points, Saka is also a safe bet having played 90 minutes in three of the last five games. The next few weeks starts with a seemingly easy home match against Wolves before trophy to Luton and Aston Villa come up, which could be slightly more problematic, but neither suggest Arteta might consider rotating his side, especially after Liverpool were held to a draw at Kenilworth Road before the international break. Pedro Porro, Tottenham (5.3) Porro is an attacking, relatively cheap defender who has the added bonus of being on all set pieces in the absence of James Maddison. However, it might be a solid rotation option, with Spurs due to travel to Manchester City on Sunday, but then there are matches at home to West Ham and Newcastle, before a trip to Nottingham Forest is followed by the visit of Everton. Bryan Mbeumo, Brentford (7.0) He has consistently been a part of Brentford’s team and is likely to get at least two points, when taking into account Brentford’s upcoming fixtures of Luton, an injury-hit Brighton and Sheffield United, he looks certain to have an impact. It is time to look past the fact that his last club goal came in October against Brentford, and embrace that he has six club goals already this season, and with the fixtures coming up, is likely to add to that tally. Antony Gordon, Newcastle United (5.9) Who could resist selecting Gordon, especially with a match against his former club Everton to come, although admittedly in between Manchester United at home and Tottenham away. But Eddie Howe’s team remain solid picks and at the very least, with their mounting injury concerns that threaten to leave them unable to fill the bench, Gordon will be involved. Kostas Tsimikas, Liverpool (4.7) With Andy Robertson injured, is it time to go for an unconventional Liverpool defender? The Scotland left-back could be out until the new year, giving the still relatively cheap Tsimikas a solid run of games, including the festive period. Taking the draw at Luton aside, and the difficulty of playing in Europe and the Premier League, Jurgen Klopp’s side are in for an easy run. Home to Fulham, a trip to Sheffield United and then another one to Palace are up next. Read More Gabriel Jesus responds to Arsenal rumours of signing new striker Arteta praises ‘really convincing’ Arsenal after Champions League rout Mikel Arteta hails Aaron Ramsdale despite errors in Arsenal’s win over Brentford Declan Rice urges England to finish 2023 with a ‘bang’ in North Macedonia Talking points ahead of England’s clash with North Macedonia I always want more for myself – Phil Foden targets England goals and assists

Only one to go now. Mohamed Salah is a goal away from becoming the fifth player to score 200 for Liverpool. The Egyptian showed few signs he finds the 190s nervous, driving in a penalty to reach 199 as he captained Liverpool at Anfield for the first time. Jurgen Klopp delayed another kind of celebration, taking off Salah with 35 minutes remaining and the opportunity to bring up his landmark against an outclassed LASK side. It may simply prove a case of postponing the inevitable. Salah has 13 goals for the season, seven of them in his last five outings at Anfield, and Sunday’s match against Fulham could see him join Ian Rush, Roger Hunt, Gordon Hodgson and Billy Liddell in a select group. In the list of Salah’s achievements, qualifying from a Europa League pool ranks fairly lowly but victory over LASK ensures there will be European football on Merseyside in 2024. With Toulouse being held by Union Saint-Gilloise, Liverpool won the group to spare themselves a play-off round against a team that drops out of the Champions League. While they head straight for the last 16, the immediate benefit is next month’s game in Brussels becomes meaningless. And, as it is three days before they face Manchester United, Klopp could leave several regulars at home. So defeat in Toulouse did not come at a cost. This result was not in doubt after a quarter of an hour, progress clinched by Salah’s spot kick early in the second half. It all felt predictable, Liverpool taking their return on home soil this season to 10 wins out of 10. But there was a twist on a familiar theme. Many a victory in the Klopp years has seen each of his forward trio on the scoresheet and if this is not the classic Liverpool front three – not with Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino in the distinctly warmer climes of Saudi Arabia these days – a different group were on the scoresheet together. They dovetailed beautifully, too, for the second goal, Luis Diaz and Salah setting up Cody Gakpo. If Liverpool’s attackers have been sufficiently prolific that none exactly needed a goal, Diaz and Gakpo were outscored by the other three. Diaz got his fifth of the campaign, Gakpo’s brace took him to six and each was a terrific goal. First Diaz plunged to head in Joe Gomez’s volleyed cross. The Colombian had scored in the reverse fixture, too, and as LASK left him unmarked, it felt too easy. Then came a combination of the attacking trident. Diaz fed an overlapping Salah whose cross was so inviting that Gakpo had a tap-in. The Dutchman turned provider in a way for Salah’s strike: his burst into the box was interrupted when he was upended by the goalkeeper Tobias Lawal. Salah struck the penalty with sufficient force that the goalkeeper did not dive. He departed soon after but it was typical of his hunger that he played: if Europa League campaigns can afford chances to rest players more accustomed to Champions League finals, Salah is an ever present, either as a starter or a substitute. With Liverpool’s pace and movement too much for LASK, a fourth goal could have arrived before injury time, when the substitute Trent Alexander-Arnold picked out Gakpo with an incisive pass and he powered a shot in. As he had struck the post earlier, it was almost a first Liverpool hat-trick. Kostas Tsimikas, who rattled the bar with a thunderbolt, was also thwarted by the upright. There were a host of other opportunities. Gakpo skewed a shot wide. Diaz skied one after being released by Gomez, with a ball over the visitors’ defence. Able to venture forward from right-back, Gomez sought a belated first goal of his career and drilled a shot just wide. The overworked Lawal denied Harvey Elliott and the substitute Darwin Nunez. Liverpool were sufficiently open that, with a better final ball and a finer appreciation of the offside law, LASK could have had more chances. As it was, Marin Ljubicic skied a shot and Ibrahim Mustapha was denied by Caoimhin Kelleher. It was one of three fine late saves by the Irishman, starting his spell standing in for the injured Alisson; if Liverpool kept him too occupied, it may help him. LASK’s vocal, scarf-twirling fans did not have a goal to cheer but enjoyed the night, however. Liverpool’s three home games have been a reminder that, for clubs who rarely qualify for the Champions League and who are unaccustomed to visiting Anfield, such matches are special. For Salah, however, the special occasion may come on Sunday if he enters the 200 club. Read More Liverpool, Brighton and West Ham all reach the Europa League knockout stages Mohamed Salah ‘a completely different animal’ for Liverpool before Man City clash Joao Pedro penalty sends Brighton through to Europa League knockout stages