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Chelsea boss Emma Hayes insists she has no time to monitor the Women’s Super League table, despite a scenario that could see her side seal a fourth straight title on Sunday. The second-placed Blues, fresh from lifting their third consecutive FA Cup, are one point behind Manchester United, but have a game in hand on the league leaders, who have just two remaining in their campaign. That means victory against West Ham on Tuesday and Arsenal on Sunday would be enough for Chelsea should United fail to beat Manchester City on the penultimate day of the season. Hayes was adamant she is unaware of how invested her players might be in potential permutations, saying: “I promise you I’ve got so much to do I’m not privy to some of their ridiculous conversations, thank goodness. “They don’t want me being part of them anyway. We’re all football fans too, but I know the dressing room and, as far as we’re concerned, we’re in control of what we want to do and that’s I think all we focus on. “I didn’t even realise we could go top if we won tomorrow until someone told me yesterday, so you’re asking the wrong person here about all of those things. I don’t pay attention to them because your head gets away with you, so I’ve learned now I never look at them.” West Ham are still in search of a first league win in 2023. Manager Paul Konchesky said: “It’s a tough time, for me, it’s a tough time for them and as a whole group at the club. We know we’re going through a tough time, but there are games where we have been really close to winning and we haven’t won. It even looks worse when we haven’t picked up points. “We haven’t been out of any game, we’ve been in most games we’ve played and it just hasn’t turned the corner for us.” Arsenal are fighting to retain their place in the Champions League for another season after selling out the Emirates Stadium for their semi-final against Wolfsburg earlier this month. With three European spots available, Jonas Eidevall will hope to put some distance between his third-placed side and Manchester City below them when the Gunners travel to Everton. Arsenal are level on 44 points with City but have played one game fewer and also have a better goal difference. Eidevall anticipates Tuesday’s opponents will be ready to bounce back from their thumping 7-0 defeat to defending champions Chelsea last time out. He said: “I always expect our opponents to be fully motivated. I expect us to be fully motivated as well, so my expectations are never different from that. I don’t want to draw too much conclusion on that result last week. “There were performances in that game that were good from Everton, and there were performances that were not so good, like in any football game you play, so we just need to prepare our way playing the game.” Everton manager Brian Sorensen assuaged fears that City loanee and England international Jess Park could be ruled out of World Cup consideration with the same shoulder injury that has forced her to miss the remainder of the domestic campaign. He said: “No, it’s a six-week injury and it was three weeks ago now. She should be ready to go on the pitch when we play the last game against City, I think that’s the time schedule. That’s the latest I’ve heard. She’s back at City, she’s in their hands. But last I spoke to her, it shouldn’t affect (it), so let’s cross our fingers for that.” The sixth-placed Toffees are assured of another top-flight season but, with 27 points, are well out of European contention. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Can Pep get the better of Carlo? – 5 talking points ahead of City’s semi-final Jon Rahm hoping to ‘ride the wave’ of success at US PGA Championship England are ‘hellbent’ on World Cup success, says head coach Jess Thirlby

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Pep Guardiola insists the coming weeks will not define his legacy at Manchester City because it is “already exceptional”. City are on the brink of their fifth Premier League title in six years under the Spaniard and could land the treble as they also chase FA Cup and the so far elusive Champions League glory. Wednesday brings the chance to reach the final of the European competition as they host Real Madrid in the second leg of a semi-final delicately poised at 1-1. Winning the Champions League has long been viewed as the club’s ultimate goal, but Guardiola – a two-time European champion with Barcelona who has collected nine major trophies in total with City – does not think his reputation depends on it. He said: “My legacy is already exceptional! “(We have been) here many times already. We are not stupid, (we) know how important tomorrow is – maybe the most important since we’ve been here. “I say to the players, live it, enjoy the moment and how fortunate we are. It’s in our hands, it depends on us. “We don’t have to do anything exceptional – be ourselves, give everything. I have an incredible feeling about the team. Whatever happens, thank you for bringing us here again. “The legacy is that we’ve had one hell of a time and for many years they (the fans) will remember a generation of players who for five or six years scored lots of goals and conceded very few, and that we won lots of things and won very well, and people should remember that. It would be a good book. “Whether or not they will remember us I don’t know, but we have had a good time.” City dominated for large spells of last week’s first leg at the Bernabeu but Real were more incisive on the counter-attack and created more clear-cut opportunities. City now have home advantage for the return but Guardiola feels his side will have to take their performance up a level. He said: “The emotion is there and will be high – (it) has to be high – but just this is not going to beat a team like Real Madrid. “We need a bit better gameplan, to adjust a little bit, create more chances for our strikers. “We play against Real Madrid in the semi-final of the Champions League, the toughest opponents. It’s a challenge but we go for it. “We arrive really good. We’re in the FA Cup final, one game from the Premier League, but we have to play better than Madrid. We have to perform well, not just have the desire.” City are again without defender Nathan Ake due to a hamstring injury but otherwise have a fully-fit squad. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Rory McIlroy lowers expectations for US PGA Championship after his Masters agony Manchester City ‘owe’ club’s owners Champions League success – Kyle Walker Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun’s switch from England to USA approved by FIFA

Kyle Walker feels Manchester City owe it to club owner Sheikh Mansour to win the Champions League. City are eyeing up European club football’s top prize once again after years of near misses in their quest to land the trophy for the first time. Losing to Chelsea in the final two years ago is the closest they have come, but Wednesday brings another opportunity to reach the showpiece fixture as they host Real Madrid in the second leg of their semi-final. The tie is delicately poised after a 1-1 draw in the Spanish capital last week. City have won the Premier League six times since the sheikh bought the club in 2008 – and are on the brink of a seventh domestic title – but the Champions League has long been viewed as their ‘holy grail’. Right-back Walker said: “The club is missing that one and, (with) the owners and the amount of money they have pumped into this club and the investment they have done, we owe that to them. “To get to the Champions League final against Chelsea and not perform as well as we can, we owe that to ourselves and get some revenge for ourselves because we know that was below par on that day. “But we have a tough opponent to get past to get to the Champions League final. It’s a ‘final’, anything can happen. The first thing is getting past Real Madrid and then let’s see about the final.” City dominated the first leg at the Bernabeu in terms of possession, but Real were incisive on the counter-attack and created more clear-cut opportunities. Walker was involved in a tough battle with the pacey Vinicius Junior, who scored Real’s goal, and the City defender is relishing another encounter with the Brazilian. The pair embraced in a sign of respect after last week’s meeting, but Walker has revealed there was also extra significance in the gesture. He said: “I went to hug him because he tried to rainbow flick me, so it was kind of like, ‘Please don’t try that again – I don’t want to be a meme’. “But boxers fight, have a good battle, and then they shake hands after, and that is the level of respect I do have for him. I will give him the respect he deserves (after the final whistle), but before then it is dog eat dog Kyle Walker on Vinicius Junior “It’s the same with any other player, when it is a good game, you go and give them that level of respect because they deserve it. “I will give him the respect he deserves (after the final whistle), but before then it is dog eat dog. “It is a personal battle where you are coming up against one of the best players in the world. “I have faced many over the years who have been just as good as him, but I think he is in the best form of his life, so whoever is picked to play in that position to defend against him it is going to be a great battle.” It could be a memorable week for City, who will also retain the Premier League title if they beat Chelsea on Sunday. Walker said: “I think it is big to everyone in that dressing room. We know the goals at the end of it – it is a massive week for the club.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun’s switch from England to USA approved by FIFA Forest fined over pitch invasion after 2022 play-off semi against Sheff Utd England agonised over dropping Ben Foakes for Jonny Bairstow – Rob Key

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Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun has switched allegiance from England to the United States, FIFA has confirmed. The New York-born 21-year-old, who is currently on loan at French club Reims, has represented England at Under-21s level but has opted to play his senior international football for the country of his birth. A FIFA spokesperson told the PA news agency said: “The change of association of the player Folarin Jolaoluwa Balogun from England to the USA has been approved.” The news comes just weeks before England are due to launch their European Under-21 Championship finals campaign in Georgia and Romania. Balogun has made 13 appearances for Lee Carsley’s side, but withdrew from the squad in March due to injury. Having been born in America, Balogun moved to England when he was two years old and also qualifies for Nigeria through his parents. Qualifying players are allowed to switch associations before they have played a competitive match for a nation’s senior team. Balogun has made 10 first-team appearances and scored two goals for the Gunners, and spent the second half of the 2021-22 season on loan at Sky Bet Championship Middlesbrough. However, he has made a name for himself in Ligue 1 this season with 19 goals in 34 appearances to date. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

A senior treasurer of the Conservative Party looks set to become one of the biggest investors in football in the US on the brink of buying a Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise in a record $500m (£400m) deal. Mohamed Mansour, who has donated £600,000 to the Tories since 2016 and was appointed treasurer by Rishi Sunak last December, is expected to be officially awarded the new franchise, based in San Diego, California, on Thursday. The £400m price tag would be the sixth biggest football deal in the world, behind Chelsea, AC Milan and Manchester United, but less than the £300m Saudi takeover of Newcastle in 2022. He is expected to create the club from scratch by recruiting a full set of players, staff and an academy, which sources suggest could add an extra $200m to the bill. Mansour, a 75-year-old British-Egyptian billionaire Manchester United fan who was an early backer of Facebook and Twitter, has already invested in football with Right to Dream, a group of football academies based in Ghana, Egypt and Denmark. His company Man Capital – the London-based investment group of which he is the founder and chair – became the majority shareholder at Danish Superliga club Nordsjaelland in January 2021. Mansour has previously admitted in an interview with The Daily Telegraph that he was looking to add an English club to his portfolio following the success at Nordsjaelland. “Is England on our radar screen? Definitely,” he explained. The new MLS team in San Diego will be jointly owned by Mansour and the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, an indigenous American tribe which is believed to have lived in the San Diego area for more than 12,000 years. According to Forbes, Mansour’s net worth is $3.6bn (£2.9bn). The San Diego franchise look set to join MLS in 2025, ahead of the 2026 World Cup being jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, but the $500m price tag is the most that has ever been paid for a US football franchise. It will take the number of teams in the MLS to 30. The previous record was the $325m for the team based in Charlotte, North Carolina and, by contrast, David Beckham paid just $25m for Inter Miami following a deal he negotiated when signing for LA Galaxy as a player. MLS recently signed a global $2.5bn, 10-year TV deal with Apple TV, which starts this summer, while San Diego plan to rent the 35,000-seat Snapdragon Stadium, owned by San Diego State University, which has previously hosted international matches. Read More Budget 2022: Hunt says UK in recession as he announces huge tax rises Jeremy Hunt increases energy windfall tax in budget Jeremy Hunt freezes tax allowances and hits 45p rate payers Lionel Messi's next move fuels frenzy of speculation Ceferin would not rule out a Champions League final being held in United States Messi the latest pawn in proxy rivalry in Middle East

Pep Guardiola has claimed his legacy at Manchester City is “exceptional” whether or not he wins the Champions League. The Catalan needs one more victory to secure a fifth Premier League trophy in six seasons and became the first manager to do a domestic treble in 2018-19, as well as setting a top-flight points record of 100 the previous year. But this is his seventh attempt to win the Champions League with City, who lost the 2021 final and host Real Madrid on Wednesday after drawing 1-1 in the first leg of their semi-final in what Guardiola accepted is one of the most significant games of his reign. Guardiola believes his side do not need to do anything incredible to beat Carlo Ancelotti’s side but feels he will be remembered more for the quality of football his side have played. “My legacy is already exceptional already,” he said. “We have been here many times, we are not stupid to know how important it is. It is one of the most important [matches], with the competition and the rival. “I’ve told the players to enjoy the moment, we are incredibly lucky to be here. It’s in our hands. It depends on us. We don’t have to do anything exceptional, [just] win one game to reach the final and we’ll do everything. I have incredible feeling about the players: whatever happens, thank you so much to them for getting us here again. “My legacy: there has been a great generation of players that has been here. My legacy: maybe we could have a book about it one day but you won’t be judged on whether we won the Champions League or not. The legacy is we had a great time and played great football and the best legacy you can have is you have performed well and played well.” City will be without the injured Nathan Ake but Kevin De Bruyne, who was an unused substitute for Sunday’s win at Everton, is fit. City beat Real 4-3 in the first leg of last season’s semi-final and Guardiola would happily settle for a repeat scoreline. He added: “We’d like to have the game we had last season, I’d sign for it right now but I don’t think it will happen.” Real have won the Champions League a record 14 times and Guardiola searched for an explanation as to why they are the kings of Europe. “If I knew that I would know the method of beating them,” he said. “Basically the reason is they have always had great quality players, without players of that standard, they would not be able to achieve that.” Read More Man City being driven to title by man of the moment – and it’s not Erling Haaland The no-impact substitute: Kalvin Phillips’ ongoing humiliation gives Man City a problem What do Manchester City need to win the Premier League title? The no-impact substitute: Kalvin Phillips’ humiliation gives Man City a problem Rising stars have chance to emulate footballing greats at FIFA youth tournament ‘A dream come true’: Pep Guardiola elated at position of treble-chasing Man City

Nottingham Forest have been fined over the pitch invasion at the end of their Championship play-off semi-final against Sheffield United almost a year ago. A Forest fan was jailed after headbutting Blades striker Billy Sharp during the incident at the end of the second leg at the City Ground on May 17 last year, while Sheffield United’s Oli McBurnie was cleared last December of stamping on another pitch-invading Forest fan. The Football Association had charged Forest with failing to ensure their supporters conducted themselves in an orderly fashion and refrained from using threatening or violent behaviour while encroaching onto the pitch following the final whistle. The charge was partially admitted by Forest, and a £50,000 fine was imposed by an independent regulatory commission. The FA said half of the fine had been suspended by the panel until the end of next season, provided there were no further breaches of FA rule E20. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Kyle Walker believes Manchester City’s players owe it to Sheikh Mansour to win the Champions League. City host Real Madrid in the second leg of the semi-final after drawing 1-1 in the Bernabeu last week, still looking for a first European trophy since their 2008 takeover. Owner Sheikh Mansour has invested around £1.5 billion in the club in the last 15 years and Walker, one of a host of expensive signings, feels City can still be overshadowed by their neighbours Manchester United until they emulate them by becoming champions of Europe. The right-back said: “You have to just look over the road at Manchester United and what they have accomplished and when we get compared to that team they won countless titles. “We have done five [Premier League titles] in six years if we can cross the line on this one, which still isn’t over, but the club is missing that one [the Champions League] and the owners and the amount of money they have pumped in and the investment they have done we owe that to them.” United have won the European Cup three times, including in 1999 when they did the treble of the Champions League, the Premier League and the FA Cup that City hope to accomplish now. City are in their fourth Champions League semi-final and have reached one final, losing 1-0 to Chelsea in Porto in 2021. And Walker added: “To get to the Champions League final against Chelsea and not perform as well as we can, we owe that to ourselves and get some revenge because we know that was below par on that day.” Read More Inter vs AC Milan line-ups: Team news ahead of Champions League semi-final as Rafael Leao to return The no-impact substitute: Kalvin Phillips’ ongoing humiliation gives Man City a problem What do Manchester City need to win the Premier League title?