Mikel Arteta has told his Arsenal players to go behind enemy lines and deliver a statement victory in the opening leg of their Champions League semi-final clash against Atletico Madrid.

Arsenal are just two matches away from a first Champions League final in 20 years in their quest to make history, having never previously won Europe’s grandest tournament.

The Gunners fell at the semi-final stage last season following an underwhelming 1-0 defeat to Paris St Germain in their opening leg at the Emirates Stadium. A 2-1 defeat in Paris followed as they crashed out.

But, speaking on the eve of his side’s pivotal match in the Spanish capital, Arteta said: “This is the stage that we want to be and we have earned it through incredible work, passion and quality in the last nine months.

“Now is the moment to make a statement and show how good we are, how much we want it and make it happen. The opportunity is in front of us and we have to attack it.

“We have prepared the game to win it. There’s no question about that. We know the difficulty of the match, but I think we have shown in Europe, in any ground, what we are capable of.

“We’ve been very consistent and tomorrow we have to play with that confidence, with that desire and that will. We have to come here to win the game.”

Arsenal’s visit to Madrid comes off the back of a morale-boosting victory over Newcastle which allowed the Gunners to reclaim top spot in the Premier League from rivals Manchester City with just four matches remaining.

In a boost to Arteta, Eberechi Eze has travelled to Spain, despite being forced off with an injury in the second half against Newcastle.

Kai Havertz, who was also unable to complete last Saturday’s match with a knee problem, has not travelled, while Jurrien Timber remains sidelined.

Arsenal have been the nearly men in recent seasons, finishing runners-up in the league for the past three years, and, despite another impressive campaign, they are in danger of ending the season empty-handed again.

And captain Martin Odegaard admitted: “That is always going to be there until we win (a trophy) and we have to live with that and we have to draw on those past experiences and use it in a good way.

“We are in a great position to make history and that is what we want to do. We want to take that last step and do something big and that is the biggest goal, the biggest dream and that’s what we’re working towards every single day.

“I don’t understand how you can’t enjoy it. We are ready for it.”

A Manchester mum has two new additions to her family – a pair of goats.

Kirsty Mulholland assumed that her little girl Bonnie was making her a birthday present when she was told not to go into the garden.

But Kirsty, 33, was shocked, to say the least, when her daughter led her out to the shed only to see two four-week-old goats bleating at her.

Video posted by Bonnie’s cousin Alex on TikTok last week showed Bonnie repeatedly saying, ‘Don’t be mad,’ to her mum while leading her outside.

‘Goats,’ she then says while opening the shed at about 9pm.

Asked how she intends to raise the farmyard animals, nicknamed Marlon and Pebble, Bonnie replied: ‘I’ve got everything sorted.’

She plans on feeding the goats milk using baby bottles, having already bought hay and split the shed in half so each has its own space.

Bonnie bought the goats from a farm in Wales for an unknown sum after her mum said goats are ‘really cute’ a week before her birthday on April 11.

Kirsty said: ‘I was just in total shock and I just burst out laughing to be honest.

‘She asked me not to look out the window because she was doing crafts and apparently it was a surprise for me, so I’ve not looked out the window.

‘She said she was making me something really, really cool and it was a late Easter present, so I didn’t think it would be any live animal.’

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Bonnie has already made the goats a TikTok page, showing them frolicking around the garden and nibbling on clothes while the family jokingly bleats.

Sir Keir’s former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney also gave evidence and insisted he did not “ask officials to ignore procedures, request that steps should be skipped, or communicate explicitly or implicitly that checks should be cleared at all costs” during the appointment of Lord Mandelson.

Real do not have a manager for next season.

Arbeloa has got a year left in his contract but it is clear that chairman Perez is looking elsewhere for a new boss.

Even though Perez appreciates the positives of Arbeloa’s tenure, results dictate decisions at the Bernabeu.

But to understand who they will hire, you first need to understand how Perez thinks.

Perez does not care about style of play. He does not lose sleep over tactical identity or whether his team presses high or sits deep. What he cares about is winning, and more than that, managing.

Managing egos, stars, the dressing room.

For Perez, the ideal manager is a conductor.

There is a recurring tension at the Bernabeu between two schools of thought. On one side, the number two at the club Jose Angel Sanchez argues that Real need an organiser, a tactically rigorous coach who can impose order on a talented but chaotic squad.

That line of thinking has produced appointments such as Rafa Benitez, Julen Lopetegui and, most recently, Alonso. None of them lasted more than a few months. The president was never truly behind them, and when results gave him the excuse, they were gone.

On the other side sits Perez’s own preference: the grand manager, the aristocrat of the touchline, someone whose presence alone commands respect in the dressing room. Think Zinedine Zidane. Think Carlo Ancelotti, twice. That is the template Perez returns to when his patience runs out.

With Alonso gone, the president’s line has won again. And the names being considered reflect exactly that.

Now to the name that has been generating headlines – Jose Mourinho.

People inside the club suggest he is not necessarily the only name on the list. The Mourinho option is driven principally by Perez himself… and by the Portuguese manager.

Perez likes to throw ideas out there and see what reaction they get.

Mourinho is under contract with Benfica until 2027 but can come out of it, and whatever he says publicly, my understanding is that he is desperate to return to the Bernabeu.

His behaviour during the Gianluca Prestianni affair in the Benfica-Real Madrid Champions League encounter did not lose him fans at the Bernabeu, including the president.

It is the ultimate wildcard – the president reaching for a name he knows, a figure who can dominate a dressing room, a manager whose second spell in Madrid would be already a statement.

However, sources inside the camp say, it would only happen if the other options fall through.

City of York Council’s strategy, which aims to build 315 affordable homes on five sites but also ditches highly energy-efficient Passivhaus standards, is set to be reviewed on Tuesday, May 5.

A call-in request from the Liberal Democrat opposition claimed the council’s Labour executive had failed to take all relevant matters into account when approving the plans.

The call in meeting is set to see opposition councillors who made the request and Labour housing executive member Cllr Michael Pavlovic each questioned about the issue.

Councillors will then vote on whether the executive’s approval of the plans breached the council’s decision-making principles.

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It comes as the approved strategy would see new affordable homes on council-owned built to Homes England’s Healthy Homes Standards going forward.

A council report on the plans stated current requirements to build homes to Passivhaus standards had struggled to attract interest from construction firms due to current market conditions.

The complexity of building Passivhaus homes designed to use up to 90 per cent less energy than a typical house was also behind the lack of interest from developers.

Castle Mills, Lowfield, Manor School, Ordnance Lane and Willow House are the five sites earmarked for the 315 affordable homes under council plans.

Recent efforts to procure works to build 101 homes at Ordnance Lane failed to award a contract almost two years after plans were approved in August 2024.

The council would appoint a commercial Strategic Delivery Partner in an effort to get homes on the sites built, under plans approved on Tuesday, April 14.

The model, which aims to reduce risk and uncertainty for developers, would see the council retain control the projects on each of the sites.

Estimated timescales for each of the affordable housing schemes would see preparatory works at Ordnance Lane, off Fulford Road, and Willow House, near Walmgate, start next spring.

City of York Council’s affordable housing strategy decision has been called in (Image: Getty)

Local elections for York Council are scheduled for May 2027.

Speaking at the executive meeting where the plans were approved, Labour council housing spokesperson Cllr Pavlovic said the new approach aimed to build affordable homes for hard-pressed residents.

Cllr Pavlovic said: “This isn’t just paying lip service to social housing, this is the biggest council house building programme for a generation.

“The best way of doing that is to have a strategic partner that works alongside us to deliver genuinely affordable, warm and healthy homes that meet the needs of York’s growing population.”

But Liberal Democrat opposition leader Cllr Nigel Ayre said the council was further away from building homes on the sites than it had been when Labour took power in 2023.

Cllr Ayre said: “This executive’s reverse Midas touch has brought delivery to a crushing halt.

“The shift away from Passivhaus to the weaker Healthy Homes standards is a direct result of the insistence on 100 per cent of homes of council-owned sites being affordable.”

The Ulster and Leinster semi-finals this weekend will confirm who will make the drop to the Tailteann Cup this summer

It is a critical weekend in the All-Ireland SFC as the participants in both the Sam Maguire and Tailteann Cup are confirmed.

One more team must drop into the Tailteann Cup for 2026 with Cavan, Down or Westmeath to fill the void.

The Breffnimen are helpless at this stage after losing to Monaghan in the Ulster SFC quarter-final whereas Down and Westmeath can control their own fate.

Indeed, football is the main show in town this weekend with four live Championship games being broadcast live as well as one standalone game in Munster.

The live action begins on Saturday evening as Derry look to book their third appearance in the Ulster SFC final in five seasons at the expense of Monaghan.

The Oak Leafers were back-to-back Ulster champions in 2022 and 2023 while the Farney are bidding to return to the provincial final for the first time since 2021.

That game is live and exclusive on GAA Plus at the Box-It Athletic Grounds at 5pm.

The meeting of the current and former Leinster champions is next on the agenda as Louth take on Dublin in Portlaoise at 7pm.

The Wee County are the current holders while the Dubs are hoping to regain the Leinster crown after their 14-year reign as champions was ended by Meath in the semi-finals last season.

The first Leinster semi-final is also live on the GAA Plus platform on Saturday evening as is the second semi-final on Sunday featuring Kildare and Westmeath.

Last season’s Tailteann Cup winners are guaranteed their place in the Sam Maguire whereas Mark McHugh’s men must reach the Leinster final to avoid the Tailteann Cup.

That game is in Glenisk O’Connor Park from 2pm while the RTE cameras will be in Ennis for the latest instalment of the Munster SHC.

Clare host rivals Limerick in round three with the Treaty looking to bounce back from last weekend’s narrow loss to Cork while the Banner are seeking to make it two from two after their round one win over Waterford.

The second Ulster SFC semi-final is also live on RTÉ2 and on BBC2 as Armagh take on Down in Clones (4pm) with the former also hoping to reach the provincial final to book their ticket in the Sam Maguire Cup this summer.

Here’s a full list of which games are being shown live this weekend. . .

Saturday, May 2

Ulster SFC semi-final

Derry v Monaghan (Box-It Athletic Grounds, 5pm, live on GAA Plus)

Leinster semi-final

Louth v Dublin (Laois Hire O’Moore Park, 7pm, live on GAA Plus)

Sunday, May 3

Leinster semi-final

Kildare v Westmeath (Glenisk O’Connor Park, 2pm, live on GAA Plus)

Munster SHC round three

Clare v Limerick (Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg, 2pm, live on RTÉ2)

Ulster SFC semi-final

Armagh v Down (Clones, 4pm, live on RTÉ2 and BBC2)

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The roadworks will be taking place near Addenbrooke’s Hospital and will cause delays to traffic in the area.

Roadworks along two Cambridge streets are set to start this week and will last around eight weeks. The roadworks on Long Road and Hills Road towards Addenbrooke’s Hospital will be in place from Friday, May 1.

There will be temporary traffic lights placed on both roads during the works. The work is currently set to be completed by Sunday, June 28.

Cambridgeshire County Council has said the temporary traffic lights are likely to cause delays in the area. The work is being carried out by Cadent Gas, who will be replacing old pipes with new plastic ones.

The work means some properties will have their gas supply turned off during the day and Cadent Gas might need access to some homes. Cadent Gas has said its teams will be on the site to answer any questions residents might have.

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire County Council said: “Only one road will be worked on at a time. Please plan your journey.”

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In a leaked audio recording of Sir Christian’s meeting with UK sixth-form students visiting the US, he can be heard saying: “‘Special relationship’ is a phrase I try not to utter because it’s quite nostalgic, it’s quite backwards-looking, and it has a lot of sort of baggage about it.”

Police officers were alerted to a crash by one of the dealer’s iPhones

A drug dealer is facing a five year prison sentence after a car crash accidentally alerted police to thousands of pounds in cash. Police officers found a Louis Vuitton bag containing nearly £11K near the site of a car crash at Stibbington.

Cambridgeshire Police were alerted to a crash on the slip road of the A1 southbound at Stibbington, near Peterborough, at just before 6pm on June 27, 2024. Two people were found on the slip road next to the car. One man was seen walking out of a nearby woods, topless and covered in blood.

Joshua Munton, 24, Harvey Webb, 21, and Miles Starbuck, 19, were in a Vauxhall Corsa that crashed near Peterborough. After police were alerted to the crash by iPhone crash activations, Munton was found on the ground by the car with significant cuts to his face and a suspected broken hip. Webb, the driver, was found by the car.

Officers searched the area and found Starbuck walking out of the nearby woods, topless and covered in blood. A witness near the site alerted officers to a bus stop close to the crash site, where police found a Louis Vuitton bag perched up against a tree containing £10,730 in cash.

Alongside the cash, police found a balaclava, three sets of keys and a bank card not in any of the men’s names. Financial checks revealed Munton had £30,000 in three different bank accounts that were not wages and couldn’t be accounted for.

Starbuck had more than £45,000 in his bank, which had built up over the course of a year. Webb had nearly £20,000 in his account. Neither of them had earnt the money through wages.

All three men were arrested, and examination of their phones revealed evidence of drug dealing. Starbuck was also found with two bags of cocaine which had his DNA on them, a Rolex watch, and more than £5,000 in cash. The Louis Vuitton bag was found to have DNA from both Webb and Munton on it.

Webb, of Bramble Grove, Stamford, Lincolnshire, admitted charges including concealing criminal property, being concerned in the supply of cocaine, ecstasy, cannabis, ketamine, possessing criminal property, and causing serious injury by careless driving.

Starbuck, of Cloven Ends, Langtoft, near Peterborough, admitted concealing criminal property, being concerned in the supply of cocaine, ecstasy, cannabis, ketamine, and possessing criminal property.

Munton, of Ironmonger Street, Stamford, Lincolnshire, also pleaded guilty to possessing and concealing criminal property, being concerned in the supply of cocaine, ecstasy, cannabis, diazepam, and ketamine.

All three men were sentenced at Peterborough Crown Court on Thursday, April 23. Munton was handed a total of five years in prison after the court also took into account a Lincolnshire Police case relating to an unprovoked stabbing in Stamford.

Starbuck was sentenced to two years in a young offenders institute, suspended for two years, and ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid work, and Webb was given two years in prison, suspended for two years, but must complete 100 hours of unpaid work and a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement. He was also banned from driving for a year.

DC Mat Bamford, who investigated, said: “These three men thought they could deal drugs in our county, and neighbouring counties, and get away with it. They were wrong. They thought they could pull the wool over our eyes and hide their ill-gotten gains. They were wrong.

“This was a complex and thorough investigation which involved financial checks, DNA testing, phone examination and the evidence of our drug expert. I am pleased the case has now concluded and they have been brought to justice.”