The Champions League knockout rounds are set to be mapped out this week as the draw for the last-16, quarter-finals and semi-finals takes place in Nyon, Switzerland.
The outline of the draw has already been made, with teams grouped into small four-way pools of possible opponents based on their league placings.
Arsenal, who finished top of the league phase, are facing either a Bundesliga or Serie A team, with both Bayer Leverkusen and Atalanta progressing from the play-offs.
The Champions League last-16 draw will take place in Nyon at 11am GMT (12pm local time) on Friday 27 February.
How to watch online
The draw will be streamed live on Uefa’s website, YouTube channel and Champions League app.
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Which teams have qualified for the last-16?
The top eight sides in this season’s Champions League league phase await in the knockout rounds. They are:
Arsenal
Bayern Munich
Liverpool
Tottenham Hotspur
Barcelona
Chelsea
Sporting CP
Manchester City
Who has advanced via the play-offs?
The teams who finished between ninth and 24th in the league phase went into the play-offs. The second legs are being played this week:
Atletico Madrid 7-4 Club Brugge (after two legs)
Newcastle 9-3 Qarabag (after two legs)
Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2-0 Olympiacos (after two legs)
Bodø/Glimt 5–2 Inter Milan (after two legs)
Galatasaray 7–5 Juventus (after two legs)
Monaco 4–5 Paris Saint-Germain (after two legs)
Benfica 1–3 Real Madrid (after two legs)
Dortmund 3–4 Atalanta (after two legs)
Who can each team draw?
The teams have been grouped into seeded couplets according to how they finished in the league phase, so, for example, Arsenal (who finished top) or Bayern Munich (who finished second) will play the winners of either Bodo/Glimt v Inter Milan or Benfica v Real Madrid.
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Teams from the same national league can play each other in the knockout rounds.
Here are the possible last-16 draw permutations:
Barcelona and Chelsea will be drawn against:
Liverpool and Tottenham will be drawn against:
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AtleticoMadrid or Galatasaray
Sporting and ManchesterCity will be drawn against:
Bodo/Glimt or RealMadrid
Arsenal and BayernMunich will be drawn against:
Atalanta or BayerLeverkusen
What are the match dates?
The last-16 ties will take place in mid-March. Here are the remaining round dates:
Round of 16: 10/11 & 17/18 March 2026
Quarter-finals: 7/8 & 14/15 April 2026
Semi-finals: 28/29 April & 5/6 May 2026
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Final: 30 May 2026 (Budapest)
Who is favourite to lift the trophy?
Here’s the latest odds from UK bookmakers on who will win the Champions League this season.
Dimitrius Graham was arrested on Sunday, February 22, in Los Angeles on a Metro train. The former American Idol and The Voice contestant reportedly failed to show his ticket, which led to his being in jail for 24 hours.
TMZ reported that the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) arrested Dimitrius Graham in a Metro on Sunday. They also shared a video of the incident, where some cops were seen handcuffing the singer. He is also heard telling the cops that he is trying to buy a TAP card, i.e., a train ticket.
Blogger Perez Hilton has reacted to this incident on his website, writing:
“He said his phone died, so when police asked him to show a ticket, he wasn’t able to — which resulted in his arrest and trespassing charge. A big ordeal for a $1.75 card!”
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The LAPD told TMZ that Dimitrius Graham allegedly acted erratically and said that he would buy a ticket only when he was detained. The singer, however, has denied these allegations and claimed that he had bought the ticket. He said that his phone battery died, but he could show the date and time of his purchase.
Moreover, Graham uploaded a video on Instagram on Tuesday, claiming he was “racially profiled”. He also said that he’s gone through it multiple times, but expressed gratitude for the support from fans after the video of the incident went viral.
Dimitrius Graham alleges “racial profiling” against LAPD cops, gives advice to young people
In his video on Instagram, Dimitrius Graham opened up about his arrest and the support he’s received from fans. He also shared some advice for young people, especially from the black community. He told the young people to know their rights as Americans and not to carry any “crazy thing” in their bags, like marijuana.
Graham explained that the police didn’t care who he was, despite his appearing on numerous TV shows, saying:
“I told them, I said, yo, I’m a I have a bachelor’s degree. I have been on multiple TV shows. I’m an opera singer. They didn’t care, so if they don’t care about what I’m saying, do you think they care about what you’re saying?”
He also referenced the likes of Emmett Till and George Stinney, who were victims of alleged racial violence and wrongful conviction. He explained that it was a “blessing from God” that he wasn’t “killed”. He added:
“That was a public humiliation on yesterday. Public humiliation, bro. I’ll be Because of what? $1.75? I took a 20 out my pocket. I said, here, y’all can have that. Bro. Like, it’s consequences, bro. Things happen. Know your rights.”
Dimitrius Graham also urged the American authorities to pay their police officers more, saying:
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“Last but not least, America, take care of our police officers so they can stop being so damn mad and trying to take out all their anger out on us, ’cause y’all ain’t paying them nothing.”
Dimitrius Graham appeared on Season 17 of American Idol and reached the Top 10 in 2019. He was also on Michael Bublé’s team in Season 27 of The Voice, before being cut in the battle round.
Man Utd announced their financial results for the second quarter on Wednesday afternoon – and something big is at stake.
06:00, 26 Feb 2026
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s cost-cutting was radical at Manchester United after his acquisition of a minority stake, but club chiefs believe the latest financial numbers vindicate the wide-ranging decisions.
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On Wednesday, United announced their second quarter financial results, revealing an operating profit of £32.6million in the first six months of fiscal 2026, compared to £3.9m operating loss in the same period in 2025.
United believe they have effectively managed their structural cost base to increase profitability, along with putting the club in a strong position should they qualify for the Champions League.
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Omar Berrada said: “We are now seeing the positive financial impact of our off-pitch transformation materialise both in our costs and profitability. We continue to take a football first approach and invest in both our men’s and women’s first teams.
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“On the pitch, our men’s team sits fourth in the Premier League and our women’s team are second in the Women’s Super League, as well as reaching the League Cup final and the quarter-final of the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
“Today’s results demonstrate the underlying strength of our business as we continue to push for the best football results possible for our men’s and women’s teams.”
United are still burdened with more than £1bn worth of debt. Wednesday’s numbers also confirmed that commercial and matchday revenue are both down on the same period last year, but the Ineos hierarchy feel their decisions have put the club on a firm financial footing.
The Reds must return to the Champions League, though. The press release for the second quarter financial numbers highlighted United’s position in the table, and sources privately mentioned the competition.
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It looks like fifth place in the Premier League will be enough to secure Champions League qualification this season, and United’s win against Everton meant they are three points clear of Chelsea and Liverpool.
Before United’s visit to the Hill Dickinson Stadium, Carrick discussed the prospect of guiding the club back into Europe’s competition, saying: “It‘s good that everyone’s asking that question. It shows that we’ve put ourselves in a good position to start with.
“I think going back to what I’ve just said before really, we’re not getting too carried away now all of a sudden after a few weeks. We know where we’re at, we’re in a good position.
“I’d still like to be in a better position, mind you, but we’re in a good position. We’re positive, I think we should be. I think there’s a lot of good things to take and look forward to. But then again, it’s up to us and putting it into play really. It’s possible, it’s up to us to take the opportunity.”
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When it was put to Carrick that a two-year absence from the Champions League was too long for a club of United’s size, Carrick said: “Yeah, of course, it’s where we want to be. It’s where we want to be. We’ve had success in this competition before, and some great experiences in this competition. For all sorts of different reasons, it’s where we want to be. So it’s definitely what we’re pushing for.”
United need to qualify for the Champions League for commercial and footballing reasons. The best players want to play in the competition, and securing Champions League football will help in the transfer market.
The competition would also provide United with close to £100m from prize money and broadcast revenue. That hefty sum would certainly help to balance the books more kindly.
In the summer, club sources explained a return to Europe was the target for this season. Ruben Amorim refused to outright say Champions League was the target, but Darren Fletcher broke ranks during his stint as caretaker and said United needed to return to Europe’s most lucrative competition.
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Carrick has made a remarkable impact, meaning United are now well-placed to return to the Champions League. Ineos have steadily improved the club’s financial position, but their work would be undermined if United fail to qualify for the Champions League again this season.
Have Formula 1’s new rules this year damaged its status as the ultimate challenge for a racing driver?
Listen to the sport’s top drivers, and it would be easy to get that impression.
“Not Formula 1,” says Max Verstappen of the need to manage energy in the new cars. “Ridiculously complex,” says Lewis Hamilton. “The chef could drive the car at that speed,” says Fernando Alonso. “Not the purest form of driving,” says Lando Norris.
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When the sport’s four active world champions make comments like that, it would be foolish not to listen.
But before jumping to a conclusion that F1 has been ruined by what amounts to the biggest rule change in the sport’s history, it’s important to establish a frame of reference.
What, in essence, is the job of a racing driver? It is to get a car around a race track in the shortest possible time.
In its purest form, this means braking as late as possible for a corner, driving around it at the highest achievable speed, exiting it as fast as one can and reaching the highest speed on the straight before doing the same again, lap after lap.
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But that’s not what a racing driver does all the time. It can’t be. The way they drive on a qualifying lap, for example, is not the same as over a 200-mile grand prix distance.
Tyres and fuel need to be managed, there might be problems with the car to take into account, and so on. That’s still getting the car around the track as fast as possible, but it’s doing so within the constraints presented at the time. Flat out in motorsport is only sometimes.
So when Verstappen, Alonso and co talk about the degree of energy management required with this year’s new hybrid engines, are they saying that they are no longer ever driving on the limit of grip in the corners?
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At last week’s pre-season test in Bahrain, I asked that question to all of the above drivers, as well as Mercedes’ George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, and Haas’ Oliver Bearman. They all said they were still on the limit of the grip the vast majority of the time, that skill still mattered, that a faster driver would still beat a slower one.
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The new cars have less downforce than last year, so they have less grip, but the drivers are still on the limit of that grip in the corners.
Bearman said: “Some corners on this track, which were last year limitations or places that you have to be aware of, are not really corners any more, they’re more power-limited. Like Turn 12 and Turn Seven.
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“So you do change the way that you approach those corners. And where last year Turn 12 you were 40km/h faster this year, it’s not really a corner any more. And that is a bit strange.
“But for the rest, you’re still pushing to the limit even if the limit is a bit lower at the moment. But it’s not feeling out of this world. Once we get used to the differences in some corners, you just adapt your driving style. And then it feels like normal.”
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The balance of going flat-out and ‘harvesting’
Max Verstappen in his Red Bull during pre-season testing in Bahrain, where the slower corners allow drivers to recover energy more easily than faster circuits [Getty Images]
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has an intimate knowledge of what it takes to be a top driver, having worked as a race engineer with Michael Schumacher, Kimi Raikkonen and Alonso. He is also interested in this topic for the good of the sport.
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He says: “What we’ve seen in Bahrain definitely confirms that it’s the ultimate challenge.
“Probably this is because Bahrain is a harvest-rich circuit, so you drive in a very normal way. And if anything with these regulations the cars slide quite a lot more and the role of the driver if anything is even more involved in extracting the most out of the car.
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“Barcelona was a slightly different situation because, being a relatively harvest-poor circuit, there were some special manoeuvres that needed to be made, like not being flat-out in high-speed (corners) in order to balance the level of harvesting and produce the fastest lap time. That meant that in Barcelona not necessarily you could be at the fastest speed in high-speed corners.”
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Stella’s remarks refer to the drivers’ need to perform what McLaren’s Oscar Piastri has described as “counter-intuitive” driving techniques.
The combination of a near 50-50 split between the internal combustion engine (ICE) and electrical components, three times the amount of electrical power compared with last year’s engines and a battery about the same size means the new engines are energy starved.
With the battery emptying itself within about 11 seconds of full power, it is emptying and being recharged constantly around a lap. The engineers have to work out how best to deploy whatever energy they can recover through a lap for the optimum performance.
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This has led to unnatural techniques, such as not accelerating at full speed out of a corner before starting a qualifying lap until some way down the straight, choosing not to deploy energy for maximum speed in some high-speed corners, even not deploying on the straight at the end of a qualifying lap because the energy was better used exiting a corner elsewhere on the lap.
Other energy-recovery tasks include:
Lift and coast, a feature for many years, where drivers lift off for a short time before applying the brakes for a corner
Using a lower gear than would be optimum for performance in corners so the turbo can be kept spooling fast to recharge the battery
‘Super clip’, where the electric motor is run against the engine at full speed on the straights to recovery energy
But how much of a difference is this really making?
BBC Sport has seen a telemetry data overlay of a quick lap from Bahrain with last year’s cars compared with one from this year.
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There are differences. The slow corners are now taken slightly faster, the quick ones slightly slower. Acceleration is initially much faster, but so is the rate at which it tails off later on the straights. The lap time is a couple of seconds slower overall – as is always intended in the case of an F1 rules reset. But fundamentally, the traces look very similar.
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And on track? Well, they still look like F1 cars, is the bottom line. It takes a very well trained eye to notice the differences.
Why overtaking is expected to be difficult
Melbourne’s Albert Park, which stages the season-opening Australian Grand Prix from 6-8 March, is an energy-starved circuit because of its long straights and fewer braking zones [EPA]
Nevertheless, there is an ongoing debate in F1 as to whether the new cars have moved the sport too far away from the purity of the driving challenge, and some think changes could be made to reduce the levels of energy management.
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At the moment, the rate of energy recovery with the ‘super clip’ – frankly, jargon that would be better kept away from public consumption because of the potential for confusion – can be a maximum of 250kw.
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But the engines are capable of recovering energy at 350kw, and do so when a driver has lifted off the throttle. So why not let them do that when flat out?
Another proposal is to reduce the output of the electrical part of the engine, currently limited to 350kw (470bhp), to about 300kw (402bhp) or even 250kw (335bhp). The idea being to cut overall power but allow it to be applied for longer, to make driving feel more natural.
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Going even further, some would wish to increase the amount of fuel the engine is allowed to use, and rebalance the ratio between the ICE and electrical, perhaps to 65:35 or 70:30.
The opposing view is that these last two would require wholesale changes to the engine design and other aspects of the car such as gear ratios. Opponents also argue it would not have the effect required.
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A related problem is the new ‘overtake’ button. This replaces the drag reduction system (DRS) overtaking aid, which no longer exists because both front and rear wings open on the straights, part of a series of tweaks made as a consequence of the new engine formula.
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‘Overtake’ mode provides the drivers with electrical energy for longer. It does not create more power or, as DRS used to, more speed. As a result, overtaking is expected to be difficult.
Herein lies another argument for reducing the electrical output to 300kw – then, the remaining 50kw could be used for overtake mode.
An added complication is that the circuits all require different levels of energy management.
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In Bahrain, the above techniques were not really needed because there are a lot of braking phases into slow corners to recover energy in the standard way.
But Albert Park, which hosts the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on 8 March, is an energy-starved circuit, and lift and coast and super clip are expected to be needed extensively, even in qualifying.
Melbourne joins Saudi Arabia, Austria, Silverstone, Monza, Azerbaijan and Las Vegas among the worst circuits for energy – tracks with long straights but not much facility to recover in braking zones.
The teams are in ongoing discussions about whether to take action, and if so, what form it should take, with governing body the FIA and F1.
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Stella says: “Definitely there could still be cases in which the driver needs to approach driving in what is not a common way – (where) we just drive as flat as possible, brake as late as possible, go as fast as possible in every corner.
“When it comes to improving the balance between the regulations in their current format, and some other driving challenges, there is time to fix this.
“For instance, there is a way of changing the way in which we deploy the electrical engine such that this requirement to do these special manoeuvres is reduced.
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“So there are things that can be done in the future, but I think we should monitor a little bit more in some other circuits (before deciding what to do).”
Jeff Galloway, a renowned coach, mentor, and innovator whose training methods and programs helped hundreds of thousands of runners reach their racing goals, has died. He was 80.
According to Runner’s World, Galloway died from complications following a stroke and brain bleeding.
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A native of Raleigh, North Carolina, Galloway began his competitive running career at Wesleyan University. He gained fame as a long-distance runner after graduating.
Galloway represented the United States in the 10K at the 1972 Olympics. The following year, he finished fifth in the Boston Marathon.
Galloway gained his biggest following as a guru for amateur runners. He shared his running philosophies — namely, the “run-walk-run” method — through books, websites, retreats, and as a training consultant for runDisney, a series of races at Disney-branded resorts.
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Galloway believed walking during a run reduced the risk of injury, conserved energy and kept confidence afloat, according to his Associated Press obituary.
“I’ve been using them ever since,” he said, “continuing to fine-tune the ratios of running to walking based upon pace per mile and individual needs.”
A message posted on Galloway’s instagram account Wednesday informed followers of his death.
“Jeff spent his life proving that anyone could cross a finish line,” the message read. “He celebrated every mile, every walk break, and every finish. He coached millions, but found fulfillment in each of your stories of personal accomplishment.
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“Jeff had an almost supernatural ability to look at any person, any age, any fitness level… and see not what they were, but what they could become, in fitness and in life.”
Galloway is survived by two sons and six grandchildren, according to the AP.
2 min read Last Updated : Feb 26 2026 | 12:02 PM IST
Real Madrid is hoping Kylian Mbappe will be back in “a matter of days” after he missed its 2-1 victory over Benfica in the second leg of the Champions League playoffs. The result sent Madrid to the round of 16 with a 3-1 aggregate result.
Mbappe was not included in the squad for the game at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium because of a left knee injury he has been nursing for some time.
“He had to leave training and had been feeling some discomfort,” Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa said. “We spoke with the doctors and with him, and we agreed that the best thing was for him to stop for a while. Now we’ll have to wait. Hopefully, it’s just a matter of days.”
The France star, who scored nine goals in his last eight matches for Madrid, was replaced in attack by Gonzalo Garcia. The other forwards in the starting lineup were Arda Guler and Vinicius Junior, who scored the team’s second goal in the 80th minute.
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Madrid’s forwards on the bench included included Franco Mastantuono and Brahim Diaz.
Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham also won’t be available because of injuries. In defense, Arbeloa was without Dean Huijsen.
Madrid won the first leg 1-0 last week in Benfica and only needs a draw to advance to the round of 16.
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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Alejandro Garnacho left Manchester United in bitter circumstances last summer before sparking “concern” with something he did
Alejandro Garnacho was once tipped to spearhead Manchester United’s attack into a new and more fruitful era.
The Argentine joined United in 2020 as a mere 16-year-old from Atletico Madrid. Determined to follow in his idol Cristiano Ronaldo’s footsteps, the youngster broke into the first-team fold, playing alongside the aforementioned veteran and exciting Old Trafford with his wing play.
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Garnacho went from strength to strength under Erik ten Hag and helped save the Dutchman’s job, at least temporarily, with a goal against Manchester City in the FA Cup final. Along with Kobbie Mainoo, he was seen as a key player for the club for the next decade, only to end up joining Premier League rivals Chelsea last August for £40million.
The Manchester Evening News now takes a look at how it came to be that such an exceptional talent left United, his current relationship with the team and how he is faring in west London.
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Bitter exit
The beginning of the end for Garnacho at United was the arrival of Ruben Amorim. Early signs of friction between player and head coach appeared in December 2024 when the Argentina international was dropped, along with Marcus Rashford, for a Manchester Derby after apparently performing poorly in training.
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Their relationship soured as the season went on, and he was left out of the starting line-up for last season’s Europa League final, which United lost. He was openly critical of the decision, which all but confirmed he would have no further part to play under the Portuguese boss, as he was relegated to the ‘bomb squad’ over the summer and sold to Chelsea.
Garnacho made 144 appearances for United, netting 26 goals and providing 22 assists. He left United with a farewell message that indicated he held some fondness for his previous club.
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But he also expressed little remorse about departing the red half of Manchester in bitter circumstances. Garnacho even suggested leaving United was an essential move for his development. When asked whether he held any regrets, Garnacho responded: “No.”
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Pressed on whether he felt sadness about how his spell at United concluded, he again said: “No.” He added: “Sometimes in life you need to change things to take a step forward or improve as a player,” Garnacho explained. “It was the right moment, and the right club. So it was an easy decision.”
Message to Fernandes
Despite his attitude towards the club, Garnacho seems to still cherish his friendship with several of his former team-mates. He appears to be following United’s matches closely, allegedly giving his views on Mainoo’s own issues with Amorim earlier this season.
And, following United’s shock 3-2 win over Arsenal in January, he shared the players’ enthusiasm on social media. After the game, United skipper Fernandes shared a few pictures from the match, including one with goalscorer Patrick Dorgu, who delivered a strong performance.
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He wrote: “Ballon D’orgu,” followed by a lovestruck emoji. That prompted a response from Garnacho, who replied with: “T best.”
Chelsea struggles
Despite leaving United for a hefty fee, Garnacho’s first season at Chelsea has been underwhelming. He has scored six goals and notched three assists in 29 appearances but has only shown flashes of brilliance as opposed to consistently imposing himself on matches.
After a poor display against relegation-threatened West Ham in January, Garnacho was called out by his own manager. Liam Rosenior said: “[He’d] be the first to say that maybe his performance wasn’t to his level in that [West Ham] game, but there were many collective things. I know Garna is an outstanding player, that’s why he’s here…”
Pundit Gary Neville also took a swipe at the forward while partly blaming him for their 2-0 deficit at half-time. The United legend said: “That left side of Chelsea was obliterated. Alejandro Garnacho is a player that divides opinion, I think, at times.
“A lot of people are questioning, is he top-class or where is he? Where is he in the pecking order? What was difficult to watch last night was a young player like that, who’s gone to Chelsea and he looked shot to pieces in terms of his confidence on that left-hand side.”
More recently, Alan Shearer has voiced his concern over how easily Garnacho goes to ground, suggesting that it may show a lack of desire to really affect games.
Speaking on the BBC One live commentary, Shearer wasn’t too impressed with how easily Garnacho went down from a cross in the first half, saying: “I’d love to be wrong, but I think if he shows more desire and strength, he gets on the end of that, rather than looking for a penalty, which it wasn’t.”
Oct 19, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs safety Bryan Cook (6) signs autographs during warmups prior to the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images
Harrison Smith looked set to retire as he left the field on the final game of the 2025 season. There was a planned moment for teammates and fans alike to show their appreciation to the “Hitman”. An official retirement announcement has yet to come, but finding Smith’s successor is a major priority for the Minnesota Vikings.
Whether he decides to go again for another year or the expected retirement finally comes, the Vikings still need to find his long-term successor. Josh Metellus carved out a kind of hybrid role on Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ defense. He is better suited to that role and should remain in it for the Vikings to get the best out of him.
Bryan Cook’s Skill Set Aligns with Flores’ Defensive Structure
That leaves the Vikings looking for someone to team with Metellus, and there are two obvious places to look. Free agency or the draft, Pro Football Focus thinks they have the perfect answer in Bryan Cook.
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[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Sep 5, 2025; Sao Paulo, BRAZIL; Kansas City Chiefs safety Bryan Cook (6) walks onto the field before a NFL game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Corinthians Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amanda Perobelli/Reuters via Imagn Images
A two-time Super Bowl champion with the Kansas City Chiefs, Cook has played four seasons with the Chiefs since being drafted in the second round of the 2022 draft. His rookie contract is finished, and Cook will be looking to cash in on a good four years in the league.
What Can Cook Bring to Minnesota?
Cook comes from an aggressive, blitz-heavy scheme that also deploys unique blitz packages in Steve Spagnuolo’s Kansas City defense. So he should smoothly transition into the Brian Flores defense in Minnesota. Most importantly, Cook has played particularly well in coverage when the Chiefs’ defense blitzes, something the Vikings have had problems with in their secondary.
Dec 21, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Kansas City Chiefs safety Bryan Cook (6) warms up before a game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
Pro Football Focus names Minnesota a top landing spot for Cook, a perfect fit, and a place where he can become the successor to Smith. Here is what PFF had to say in a recent article.
There are nuances to playing solid coverage behind an aggressive defensive front, and Bryan Cook showed he is well-equipped to handle the role this past season, earning an 80.3 PFF coverage grade when the defense blitzes.
Grading out above the 90th percentile as both a safety and in the slot, Cook also possesses the versatility to be a central piece that allows Flores’ scheme to shine. His skill set is in a similar vein to that of the longtime veteran leader of the Vikings’ defense, and impending free agent, Harrison Smith.
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Cook is arguably the best safety available in free agency this year — Kamren Curl is the other top safety available — and won’t come cheap. Minnesota has work to do to get its salary cap in a place where this deal could get done. It would be worth doing for a player who should fit seamlessly into the team and improve it.
Jan 4, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores looks on against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images.
Cook turns 27 as the 2026 season begins, so he has plenty of football ahead of him, making him a long-term investment for the team if the Vikings make this move.
Proud UK Viking. Family Man. Enjoy writing about my team. Away from football an advocate for autism acceptance.
Pictures, as of Wednesday, continue to be unneeded on the scorecard, and for that, you imagine Ryan Gerard is grateful, though it does at least make you wonder:
How exactly would you draw a swing that “looks like Daniel Berger and Jon Rahm had an aneurysm on the downswing?”
Poor Gerard. Talking to Golf Digest’s Luke Kerr-Dineen in 2023, he said he’d heard that about his move. But he doesn’t exactly disagree, either.
In back-to-back-to-back sentences on Wednesday, Gerard offered these assessments:
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“Yeah, I don’t really watch my swing on video a lot.”
“I know it’s not the most visually appealing thing in the world.”
So yes, Gerard’s doing fine, thank you very much. As to why, pick your cliche. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Don’t rock the boat. Don’t mess with success. And so on. But all of that can go out the window when Rory McIlroy’s to your left and Adam Scott’s to your right. Gerard knows all of that better than most. On Wednesday, ahead of this week’s Cognizant Classic, he talked about it all, and since his thought, along with his swing, has gotten him where he is, it’s maybe worth a read.
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Oh, and below is a down-the-line video of Gerard’s swing.
“I think it’s just one of those things,” Gerard said, “that you get comfortable being yourself and you get comfortable with it working. Growing up, there were people that were like, you’ve got to change, you’ve got to change. I just always did it the way that I felt most comfortable, and I felt like I could hit the ball out of the center of the face. …
“When you’re working your way up the ranks, you’re basically doing whatever you can to find an edge, find a shot here or a shot there. The way my swing works is it’s very consistent for me. It might not be for other people, but for me, I feel like I can repeat the same motion a lot and hit the ball center of the face most of the time. That’s brought me a lot of success growing up.
“There’s no need to reinvent the wheel when you get to the PGA Tour. It’s about fine tuning. It’s about continuing to get better, believing in what got you here, because if you start reinventing the wheel and doing wholesale changes, that can lead down a rabbit hole of lack of confidence and bad results, and then you’re just kind of spiraling, and it’s hard to put it back together.”
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Now, should you never adjust? Should you never seek inspiration? No, of course not. And Gerard does speak from a much better place than, say, the 14-handicap who’s writing this article.
But middle of the clubface is all that you want.
That’s easy to draw, too.
To end things here, though, let’s let Gerard keep going. On Wednesday, he had a few other shareable thoughts.
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Gerard on the grind
“I think there’s no easy route in this profession. You kind of have to go earn every single step. I kind of feel like that’s something that I was raised on from my parents and kind of put into my DNA through my coaches, college coaches and teammates kind of growing up. It’s not going to be easy. It’s not going to be a walk in the park. You’re going to go earn it, and there’s a lot of really good players who want it really badly. If you want to compete with those guys, you’re going to have to want it just as bad, if not more, and be willing to put in the effort.
“I think kind of going from junior golf, working hard, trying to get my way into college, getting to college, being the smallest fish in a big pond, figuring out how to score on more difficult courses, learning to be a more complete individual on and off the golf course, and then turning pro, starting all over again, lowest rung, working your way up, finding success at each level, gaining experience, and then making it to the pinnacle of golf here on the PGA Tour, it just teaches you resilience. It teaches you a lot of preparation and time management skills.
“But you have to want it because if you don’t want it, there’s a million other guys sitting at home this week not playing that want it just as bad if not more, and they would trade anything to be in the spot that I am right now.
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“If I’m not willing to put in the work, someone else will. There’s a limited amount of jobs up here for a reason, and someone will come take mine.”
Gerard on using launch monitors
“I think TrackMan is a great tool. You can use it to fit golf clubs. You can use it to make sure your numbers are going where they should be. Sometimes it’ll even tell you if a club is broken, like if you’ve cracked the face on a driver.
“I’m a very feel-oriented player. I feel like I try and hit shots. I don’t try and play math. TrackMan, obviously I have one, but I use it in a way that’s basically conducive to me hitting a number or hitting a golf shot, and then I would go look at it for the distance or the height or something if I’m looking at something in particular.”
Gerard on his level of self-awareness — at the age of 26
“I think my parents did a really good job of instilling confidence in me but also teaching me that you have to work hard, and it’s not going to be handed to you.
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“I played a lot of golf in college at UNC with a lot of really good players, and I kind of came in there my freshman year being almost irrationally confident and got my butt kicked by Ben Griffin for about nine months straight.
“I think that stuff kind of teaches you that there’s a lot of really good players out here, and you’re not going to be able to just waltz in and take over. There are some guys that have that talent and that ability and kind of pop off the page, but I was never one of those guys. I was always kind of that guy that got there, kind of kept getting better, kept getting better, crept up, crept up, and by the time that I was done with high school or I was leaving college, I was one of those guys, but it took me some time to get there.
“I think it comes from having to work hard and having to put in a lot of hours and speaking to a lot of people, trying to figure out how I can get better, talking to college coaches — Coach [Roy] Williams has been great, Carolina basketball coach. Guys like that who have a lot of experience and who I have a lot of respect for have given a lot of good advice and a lot of encouragement but also remember to stay true to yourself.
“Being true to yourself isn’t necessarily just on the golf course. It’s off the golf course, too. Trying to make sure that you understand where you come from and you want to kind of keep on the path that you’re on.
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“I think there’s a lot of people that have kind of helped along the way.”
Given United have no European football this season and no cup ties at Old Trafford, the less than 4% fall in matchday revenue over the six-month period is arguably impressive, especially when you consider they played only 10 home games compared to 15 in the same period last year.
The credit goes to a deliberate strategy of hiking season ticket and matchday prices, and shifting towards premium ‘matchday experiences’ rather than simply selling tickets to watch football.
It is a policy that has frustrated parts of the fanbase, but the demand for these packages gives the club’s hierarchy the commercial justification to press on.
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Wage costs are also falling. A wave of significant redundancies over the past year cut the payroll, while high earners like Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund have been moved off the books – temporarily at least – via loans.
Strip away the positives and the core problem remains. United spent more cash than they generated in the three months to 31 December and, with heavy transfer market activity on top, added £25m to their existing debt pile while their cash balance fell by £50m.
There is also a cost lurking in the background. The sacking of Erik ten Hag and his backroom staff in 2023-24 landed United with a £14.5m bill. The dismissal of Amorim will bring its own severance costs, but those will not show up until the third-quarter results later this year.
A strong finish to the Premier League season could change the narrative significantly.
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Champions League qualification would deliver a substantial cash injection, although it comes with a catch.
Many United players have contractual wage increases triggered by participation in European football, meaning higher revenues would quickly be offset by a sharply rising wage bill.
Beau Greaves created history by becoming the first woman to hit a nine-dart finish on the PDC ProTour.
The 22-year-old hit perfection in her Players Championship 6 clash with Mensur Suljovic in Leicester.
She hit consecutive 180s and then finished by taking out 141, pinning a double 12.
The Doncaster thrower looked overwhelmed after the leg, with Suljovic offering her a handshake.
She managed to compose herself to claim a 6-5 victory in the last 32, winning a final-leg decider.
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Greaves has been the flagbearer for the women’s game in recent years, seeming almost invincible on the women’s tour while also beating Luke Littler on her way to the World Youth Championship final.
Greaves, who went on to lose to David Sharp in the third round, said: “I couldn’t believe I’d hit it! I just about hit the treble 19 and then I was quite confident that the double 12 was going in.
“I couldn’t stop smiling because I couldn’t wait to tell my dad, even though I knew he’d be watching it.
“I’ve narrowly missed hitting one a few times so it was nice to finally hit one. It’s nice to be the first woman to hit one on the PDC ProTour, I’m glad it was on the stream as well.
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“It was hard to get back into the game after I’d hit it, I was shaking afterwards. It was nerve-wracking but I managed to get the win in the end.
“I’m enjoying my start to life on the PDC ProTour. I’ve been struggling in patches with a bit of tension in my throw, but I’m playing well and enjoying it.
“You’re playing the best players in the world so if you lose a game, it’s just a case of your opponent playing better than you on the day.”
Gerwyn Price finished off a classy day in Leicester with a destructive 8-1 win over Andrew Gilding in the final.
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A host of big names – such as Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen and Littler – were absent from the tournament.
The Iceman averaged 98.68 and landed two ton-plus checkouts in a dominant performance to get his hands on his first Players Championship title of the season.
Price knocked out Jonny Clayton and Kevin Doets on his way to the final.
 "Kylian Mbappe, Kylian, Mbappe")
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