Erik ten Hag is on the brink ahead of Man Utd’s trip to Aston VillaCredit: Rex
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Sir Alex Ferguson almost met his end at Villa ParkCredit: Alamy
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Man Utd kept faith with Fergie after the defeat, with the Scot going on to make historyCredit: Getty
Except, almost miraculously given the clamour for him to be sacked, Fergie time kicked in and he survived.
Steve Bruce, one of those who walked off to Holte End chants of “Fergie, Fergie on the dole!” believes, no matter today’s result, Ten Hag should be shown the same patience.
Now Blackpool boss, with two years in charge of Aston Villa on his CV, Bruce said: “Alex got time to turn things around and look what happened next.
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“The same should go for Ten Hag. Of course fans are desperate for success — but so were they then, too.
“United this summer decided to stick with Erik. They made their decision and should stick to it now because, as we found under Fergie, things can and do turn around. Just give the guy a bit of time.”
Whether the club listen is open to question, with Ten Hag’s side — like United were 25 years ago — wallowing in the bottom half of the table.
Thursday’s Europa League failure to hold on to a two–goal lead, with Harry Maguire grabbing an equaliser in a 3–3 draw in Porto, only underlined how lost Ten Hag’s team are.
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It came on the back of a 3–0 thumping at the hands of Spurs and the inability to beat FC Twente and Crystal Palace.
Indeed, some United fans might say Ten Hag should not even get the chance to have a quick drink before getting the boot should his side succumb to Unai Emery’s Villa.
Yet 35 years ago it was grim indeed for Ferguson as he left the place.
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Sir Alex Ferguson, 82, admits dementia fears as legendary Man Utd boss opens up on tragic death of wife Cathy
Nine managers Man Utd considered before keeping Erik ten Hag
ERIK TEN HAG appears to be safe as Man Utd manager, but the Dutchman edged dangerously close to the sack.
Here are nine managers Red Devils chiefs are reported to have considered for the job and what allegedly happened with each.
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Gareth Southgate
Enjoys plenty of support among Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos chiefs but made clear he wouldn’t talk to any clubs until after Euro 2024. There is yet to be any suggestion that contact was made with the England boss.
Kieran McKenna
Talks were opened with McKenna’s representatives before the FA Cup final, but the former Man Utd coach opted to sign a new deal with Ipswich after Ten Hag’s Wembley win.
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Roberto De Zerbi
Allegedly sounded out before the FA Cup final with salary expectations discussed. But Ineos chiefs concluded ex-Brighton boss was not the right fit for the project.
Thomas Frank
Brentford boss met Man Utd representatives the day before the FA Cup final. The Dane also dined with Ratcliffe, Roy Hodgson and Frank Lampard at the launch of a new Ineos car in February.
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Marco Silva
Fulham boss reportedly met Man Utd representatives face-to-face two days before the FA Cup final, around the same time as Ten Hag was conducting his press conference.
Mauricio Pochettino
Fell out of Man Utd’s thinking in the first week of June, despite being a favourite of Sir Alex Ferguson.
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Thomas Tuchel
Made a very strong impression and came across well during a Monaco meeting. Personal terms were discussed before the ex-Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss decided to step back from the process.
Ruben Amorim
Sporting boss was discussed by the Man Utd hierarchy but did not make the final reckoning.
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Roberto Martinez
Portugal manager was considered in the early stages.
Two weeks before that debacle there had been a shocking 2–1 home loss to Crystal Palace. And one United fan’s banner read: “Three years of excuses and it’s still c**p. Ta-ra Fergie.”
After that Villa loss, Sir Alex kept his players in the dressing room for a 40-minute hairdryer special.
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Bruce, 63, said: “What took place in that dressing room was normal at the time. The defeat came at the end of two very tough years at the club when nothing seemed to be going right.
“The fans were up in arms, the gaffer was under big pressure.
“To say things were difficult would be a real understatement. At the time there seemed no way out.”
“Three years of excuses and it’s still c**p. Ta-ra Fergie.”
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Ex-England full-back Viv Anderson, 68, Ferguson’s first signing after he arrived from Aberdeen in November 1986, also played against Villa in ’89.
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He said: “The year before, we went to Hartlepool for a pre–season friendly and were 5–0 down at half-time.
“Sir Alex was trying to pull a team together, struggling like Ten Hag is now. So there were plenty of rants, yet THAT one really was a bit special.
“I remember Paul McGrath saying to him as he screamed in his face, ‘It’s OK, I’m just here, you know gaffer’.
“Well, it really kicked off then. The veins were sticking out of his neck as he went for us and, strangely enough, Paul was off to Villa the next season — and played in that 3–0.
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“Mind you, we did better in the second half against Hartlepool. We only lost that 1–0!”
Welsh midfielder Clayton Blackmore, 60, another of the Villa Park culprits, said: “I’ve a good idea how hard it is for Ten Hag and the players as there’s no hiding place at Old Trafford.
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Steve Bruce admits it felt like the walls were caving in following Villa’s wniCredit: Getty
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Viv Anderson opened up on Fergie’s famous rantsCredit: Action Images
“With Sir Alex in his first years it was always a bumpy ride. We were hit and miss, like United are now.
“For instance, before we got battered at Villa Park, we left Anfield with a 0–0 draw that everybody — including the gaffer — was pleased about.
“It’s how you handle the strain as a player, it’s not just about the manager. Sir Alex often went ballistic back then, even after we were winning.
“All we could do was keep trying to believe in ourselves. But those days were hard, just as they are for the current lot.
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“It’s how you react that counts in the end — whether you pull yourself and your team-mates together that makes or breaks you.”
Sir Alex was trying to pull a team together, struggling like Ten Hag is now. So there were plenty of rants, yet THAT one really was a bit special.
Viv Anderson
United had looked broken after that Villa Park defeat.
Ian Ormondroyd, 60, one of the stars of that victory, revealed: “Our manager, Graham Taylor, was a good motivator. And he said to us, ‘They’re struggling, they’re a poor team’.
“We felt pumped up, went out with our shoulders back and full of confidence.
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“We believed that we could beat anybody — it’s a very similar situation for Villa ahead of this game.”
That Ferguson did survive was still a close-run thing. After Villa, Alan Cork grabbed a last-minute equaliser for Wimbledon at Plough Lane to deny United in a 2–2 draw.
Then another miserable performance allowed QPR to leave Old Trafford with a goalless draw.
Red Devils fans were by now clamouring for the head of Ferguson — and chairman Martin Edwards was preparing to give it to them.
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Clayton Blackmore admits it was always a ‘bumpy ride’ under FergieCredit: Getty
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The rest is history with Sir Alex going on to win 13 titlesCredit: Getty
But 15 days after Fergie’s 40–minute dressing-room rant, Mark Robins scored to give him a 1–0 FA Cup third-round win at Nottingham Forest.
And Bruce added: “The rest, as they say, is history. We went on to win the Cup that season and everything began to change.
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“The most important thing about that period was that Sir Alex WAS given time — and the same should apply now.
“It was six years ago last Tuesday that Villa sacked me and that was a tough time, too.
“There was no money in the club. Me and some of the office staff were basically running it on our own.
“Now look at them — and I’m delighted for them. Beating Bayern Munich the other night was fantastic.
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“The way Villa are back shows how fortunes can change in this game.
“Things got a whole lot better for Sir Alex and us. They can still get better for Ten Hag, too.”
Former Villa full-back Kevin Gage remembers that Boxing Day win — and his goal — with great pride.
Ian Olney and David Platt also netted that day for the hosts.
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And Gage, 60, said: “It does seem amazing Fergie might well have been on the brink after this game and yet went on to win 13 top-flight titles.
“You could never have imagined it after this defeat.”
Taylor’s reputation was tarnished — in many ways unfairly — by his disastrous spell as England manager.
But Taylor, who sadly died in 2017, aged 72, was arguably at the peak of his powers that season before taking the Three Lions job in 1990.
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Ormondroyd said: “He got slaughtered because of the TV documentary but he was the best manager I had. Graham was just tactically brilliant.”
Why NOBODY is the right man to replace Erik ten Hag at Man Utd
SunSport’s DAVE KIDD says Erik ten Hag’s time at Man Utd is up… and explains what’s wrong with all the potential candidates to replace him.
THIS is a mid-table squad at an underachieving club, with a lot of unwanted players on big money.
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And Ratcliffe is an instinctive cost-cutter who may not pay top dollar to the next manager.
If this club wasn’t called ‘Manchester United’, it wouldn’t be an especially desirable job.
The good news for United is that their new sporting director, Dan Ashworth, is a very decent judge of a manager.
He has been instrumental in three previous managerial appointments — Gareth Southgate for England, Graham Potter for Brighton and Eddie Howe for Newcastle.
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None were wildly popular at the time, all were conspicuous successes.
Interestingly, Ashworth’s No 1 choice for the Newcastle job was Unai Emery, who turned him down to stay at Villarreal but has since proved that judgment right by excelling at Aston Villa.
Emery may well deliver the coup de grace to Ten Hag on Sunday — especially with Bruno Fernandes suspended and Kobbie Mainoo an injury doubt.
And the Spaniard would be an excellent fit for United — yet there is next to no chance that he would abandon Villa’s Champions League campaign to take the Old Trafford job, not least because he isn’t a stark raving madman.
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Howe would be another good candidate to succeed Ten Hag but, although he has become frustrated on Tyneside, the Saudis would surely not allow Ratcliffe to poach Howe, as they reluctantly did with Ashworth.
Potter is available but his Chelsea experience and lack of charisma would make him a tough sell.
Which brings us to Southgate, who remains close with Ashworth and is an excellent man-manager who was seriously considered by United last spring.
Yet, despite having led England to two of their three major finals, Southgate’s reputation for over-caution was only enhanced during the Euros.
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Mauricio Pochettino, passed over twice by United, is out of the equation having taken the United States job.
Thomas Tuchel would be a popular and gettable option but, despite being a fine coach and a very engaging man, he is considered something of a loose cannon.
Likewise, Roberto De Zerbi, now at Marseille after his brief Brighton stint sparkled then fizzled out.
Kieran McKenna — a gifted former United coach who has won back-to-back promotions with Ipswich Town — is an intriguing candidate but the imminent vacancy may come a year or so too soon.
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Marco Silva, the extremely under-rated Fulham boss, has been on United’s radar and should not be discounted.
Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim, last season’s ‘next big thing’, was passed over by West Ham as well as Liverpool this summer and is not an easy man to pin down.
Zinedine Zidane, who has taken over from Alan Curbishley as a 20-1 shot for every Premier League job, is a ‘figurehead’ manager and not an Ashworth type.
Ruud van Nistelrooy, the former United goal machine who joined Ten Hag’s coaching team in the summer is the bookies’ favourite. Simply because he’s in the building and he’s Dutch.
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COME ON YOU SPURS (4.10 Yarmouth, nap)
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She won back-to-back races over this trip on soft ground when held up so it was a surprise to see her front-running when coming home in fifth at Musselburgh last time. Neil Callan won the last time he rode Richard Spencer’s filly and the experienced pilot will surely ride a more measured race this time.
JACKPOT DES BORDES (2.10 Exeter, nb)
Did well in two bumpers last season and has a bright future over hurdles. Harry Cobden has an excellent strike-rate at Exeter too.
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BALMORAL LADY (4.45 Yarmouth, treble)
Didn’t break sweat when scoring in the mud at Windsor last week. She is best over this trip and can defy a 6lb penalty for that impressive success.
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BARNABY (7.25 Newcastle)
Completes the Lucky 15. He had plenty in the tank when winning over course and distance last month. That was his first crack over seven furlongs and it brought major improvement.
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The UFC’s year-end pay-per-view event has taken its first significant hit just one week after the lineup was officially announced as Tatiana Suarez vs. Virna Jandiroba is no longer happening.
X user MMA Melotto reported Monday that Suarez suffered an injury that has forced her out of the UFC 310 matchup on Dec. 7 in Las Vegas. A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the news to MMA Junkie. It’s unclear if Jandiroba will remain on the card against a replacement opponent.
The fight between Suarez and Jandiroba, who are ranked No. 1 and No. 3 in the strawweight division, respectively, was widely viewed as a title eliminator to determine the next challenger for champion Zhang Weili.
Suarez (10-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC), who hasn’t lost as a professional, most recently competed in August 2023 when she submitted former champion Jessica Andrade. Her other notable UFC wins include former champions Carla Esparza and Alexa Grasso. Suarez’s career has been riddled with injuries, which kept her out of action for three-and-a-half years before she returned in February 2023.
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Jandiroba (21-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC), a former Invicta FC champ, is on a four-fight winning streak after consecutive victories over Angela Hill, Marina Rodriguez, Loopy Godinez, and a Submission of the Year candidate armbar against Amanda Lemos in July.
With the change, the UFC 310 lineup includes:
Belal Muhammad vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov – for welterweight title
Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura – for flyweight title
Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov
Nick Diaz vs. Vicente Luque
Movsar Evloev vs. Aljamain Sterling
Dominick Reyes vs. Anthony Smith
Virna Jandiroba vs. opponent TBD
Clay Guida vs. Chase Hooper
Michael Chiesa vs. Max Griffin
Cody Durden vs. Joshua Van
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.
Crystal Palace spent much of the summer fending off interest in their best players, but while Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi both stayed, they were unable to keep hold of star man Michael Olise.
Bayern Munich spent about £50m to lure him from south London and he has proved impossible to replace.
The 22-year-old scored 10 goals in 19 league appearances for Palace last season and was key to their strong finish. Indeed, Glasner has only won one game without Olise in his team – a 3-0 victory over 10-man Burnley.
“Olise is a massive miss. What he’s doing now for Bayern Munich and the quality of player that he is,” former Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey said on Sky Sports. “He’s maybe one of the best that’s ever come out of Palace.
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“The impact he had on that team last year was remarkable, so that’s not so easy to replace.”
While the departure of centre-half Joachim Andersen to Fulham did not attract the same attention as Olise’s move, it has arguably had as big an impact.
They conceded just 14 times in 13 matches under Glasner last season, with the 28-year-old key to a stingy Eagles defence. This season, they have already let in 11.
At both ends of the pitch Palace are not the team they were six months ago.
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“When you’re losing one of your best defenders and one of your best attackers, no matter what your set-up is as a manager, it’s difficult to replace that quality,” added former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher.
Top ranked strawweight contender Tatiana Suarez will have to wait until 2025 to make her return after she was forced out of her upcoming fight against Virna Jandiroba, which was scheduled for UFC 310 on Dec. 7 in Las Vegas.
Sources told MMA Fighting on Monday that Suarez is dealing with a health issue that will prevent her from competing in December in what was expected to be a No. 1 contender’s bout at 115 pounds. MMA Melotto first reported the news.
It’s an unfortunate setback for Suarez, who has long been considered a popular pick as a future champion in the UFC but health problems have continued to plague her career. After she dispatched Nina Nunes back in 2019, Suarez appeared on the cusp of title contention but injuries kept her sidelined for more than three years.
When she finally returned to action, Suarez jumped right back into the deep end of the waters with a submission win over Montana De La Rosa at flyweight and then finishing former UFC champion Jessica Andrade to earn a Performance of the Night bonus back in August 2023.
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Suarez was then scheduled to face Amanda Lemos in February but an injury knocked her out of that matchup before she was then set to clash with Jandiroba in December.
Sadly now that fight has also been cancelled.
There’s no word yet on how long Suarez is expected to be sidelined after falling out of her upcoming fight in December. It’s unclear if Jandiroba plans to remain on the UFC 310 card against a new opponent or potentially wait for a future date to compete again.
If LeBron James Sr. and his son, Bronny, make NBA history Tuesday night by playing in the same game for the Los Angeles Lakers, Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. will be there to witness it.
The first father-son duo to play together in Major League Baseball plans to be in attendance at the Lakers’ season opener in their downtown arena, where the entire crowd will be hoping the James family accomplishes the same rare sporting feat for the NBA.
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“First father and son to play baseball, (and) now the first father and son to play basketball,” the younger Griffey told MLB Network Radio. “It’s a big deal for my dad and I to be there. We made history. Now we get to watch history, so that’s what’s going to be cool about it.”
Bronny James is already excited to make his official NBA debut, but the Griffeys’ presence adds an extra layer of anticipation for the Lakers’ second-round pick.
“Yeah, it’s gonna be insane,” the 20-year-old Bronny said after practice Monday at the Lakers’ training complex. “I mean, only two families to do it, so it’s going to be a crazy experience, especially (with) what they’ve done.”
Bronny made it clear that he doesn’t know if he’ll actually get to play against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Lakers coach JJ Redick said “nothing has been finalized or anything” about Los Angeles’ playing rotation.
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Yet it seems unlikely the Lakers will wait to make the moment of history they’ve been planning ever since the franchise chose Bronny with the 55th overall pick this summer to play with LeBron, the 39-year-old top scorer in NBA history. The father and son already played together in the preseason, first taking the court together outside Palm Springs earlier this month.
A father and son play together roughly once in a generation in North American professional sports. The Griffeys accomplished the feat in 1990 and 1991, playing in 51 games for the Seattle Mariners — and even homering in the same game on Sept. 14, 1990.
Tim Raines and his namesake son also played four games together for the Baltimore Orioles at the end of the 2001 season. Before that, Gordie Howe suited up with his sons Mark and Marty in the WHA and the NHL and for Team Canada in the 1970s.
LeBron and Bronny share court for 1st time in preseason | The Facility
Bronny grew up in his father’s locker rooms and arenas in Cleveland, Miami and Los Angeles, so he’s more than ready to get beyond the historic moment and into the day-to-day grind of becoming a contributing NBA player. The Lakers begin the season with three home games in five days.
“I think it will be different,” Bronny said of the opener. “No different than me getting ready for any other game, but just a feeling of being in our home arena for the first time and playing a game will be a special experience. … I’m just trying to come in and get better every day, learn from the guys that have been here before me. Just take it all in and enjoy the experience.”
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Bronny played in all six of the Lakers’ preseason games, but his 4.2 points per game average was boosted greatly by his 17-point performance in last week’s preseason finale in which the Lakers and Warriors both rested most of their key players.
Bronny hit 29.7% of his shots in the preseason while averaging 1.7 rebounds and 0.3 assists, playing 16.2 minutes per game. His defensive work was praised by Redick, who sees the 6-foot-2 guard becoming a solid perimeter player in the future.
“Had some bad games, some rough starts, so (I’ve been) just continuing to play my game and play hard,” Bronny said.
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Bronny isn’t expected to be an immediate rotation player for the Lakers, who already have D’Angelo Russell, Gabe Vincent and 2023 first-round pick Jalen Hood-Schifino ahead of him at point guard. There’s a good chance Bronny will begin the season with the Lakers before heading to the G League to get the consistent playing time he probably needs to improve.
But he’s still thrilled to reach this milestone moment — and he’s even pretty sure what he’ll call his father on the court after LeBron prohibited him from using “Dad.”
“Probably Bron,” Bronny said with a smile. “That will probably be the easiest one.”
Gary O’Neil is facing a probe after his commentsCredit: Reuters
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Bernardo Silva was judged to have not impeded Jose SaCredit: Sky Sports
Referee Chris Kavanagh ruled out Stones’ header for offside against Bernardo Silva — but changed his mind in a pitchside review after VAR intervened to hand City a 2-1 win.
Now O’Neil will have to explain his remarks before the FA decide on any further action.
O’Neil said: “There’s no chance people are purposely against Wolves.
“But is there something in the subconscious around the decision-making, without even knowing it? Are you more likely to give it to Man City than Wolves?
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“My senses are heightened when we are facing Man City. Are the officials the same?
“If I had to upset someone and there’s a big and a little guy, I’m upsetting the little guy.”
City’s winner hinged on whether Silva, who was standing in an offside position, had unsighted Sa as he attempted to keep out Stones’ bullet header.
The Premier League explained the decision in a statement that read: “Stones’ goal was disallowed on-field due to Bernardo Silva being in an offside position and in the goalkeeper’s line of vision.
“The VAR deemed Bernardo Silva wasn’t in the line of vision and had no impact on the goalkeeper and recommended an on-field review.
“The referee overturned his original decision and a goal was awarded.”
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Man City match-winner John Stones reflects after controversial win against Wolves
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