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Chelsea player ratings: Mykhailo Mudryk best of a bad Blues bunch but Benoit Badiashile endures nightmare cup clash

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Chelsea player ratings: Mykhailo Mudryk best of a bad Blues bunch but Benoit Badiashile endures nightmare cup clash

CHELSEA made 11 changes once again and this time it cost them with Benoit Badiashile and Axel Disasi off the pace.

Only Mykhailo Mudryk can come out of the match with any credit as Chelsea were dumped out of the Carabao Cup by a resurgent Newcastle.

Alexander Isak scored after a defensive mishap from Chelsea

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Alexander Isak scored after a defensive mishap from ChelseaCredit: PA
Axel Disasi scored a comical own goal to put Newcastle in control

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Axel Disasi scored a comical own goal to put Newcastle in controlCredit: PA
Isak scored his second goal in four days against Chelsea

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Isak scored his second goal in four days against ChelseaCredit: AFP

The Blues came out on top when the two sides met at Stamford Bridge on Sunday – but that was with their first string out.

Enzo Maresca wrung the changes once again at St James’ Park and the match unravelled quickly as Toon scored twice in three minutes.

Two defensive lapses cost Chelsea with Disasi firing in a comical own goal minutes after Renato Veiga was forced to surrender possession in the build-up to Newcastle‘s opener after receiving a hospital pass from Badiashile.

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Chelsea threatened to mount a comeback with Joao Felix stinging the palms of Nick Pope.

But after the break they were frustrated by Newcastle’s low block and huffed and puffed without finding a way back into the match.

Newcastle almost put the final nail in the coffin when Sean Longstaff headed in, but the linesman raised his flag for offside.

Here is how Craig Mahood rated the Chelsea display.

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Filip Jorgensen – 6

Nervy start when flapping at an early cross and a couple of wayward kicks going out.

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Struggled in parts with the ball at his feet including a pass straight to Tonali in the first half. Not much to do in the second half.

Axel Disasi – 6

Looked uncomfortable for large spells at right-back in duels with Joelinton in the first half and couldn’t sort his feet out when scoring an own goal.

Didn’t have much defending to do after the break but offered little in attack.

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Tosin Adarabioyo – 6

Best of the back line but not a difficult task. Looks like a player is there if he can get more minutes as marshalled Isak well for much of the contest.

Benoit Badiashile – 5

Shocker of a pass to Veiga for Newcastle’s opener before being booked for a foul on Krafth.

Terrible touch right on half time let Gordon clear and fortunate Willock missed from close range.

Marc Cucurella – 6

Huffed and puffed down the left-hand side and defended reasonably well against Gordon for most of the night.

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Tried to link with Mudryk but a frustrating night meant he didn’t get as involved.

Enzo Fernandez – 6

Chelsea skipper saw plenty of the ball but didn’t create much of note on it.

Looked to be missing the creative spark that would normally play alongside him in there.

Renato Veiga – 6

Largely anonymous in the middle as kept possession moving but was caught on it for the opening Newcastle goal, though not really his fault.

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Stung the palms of Pope late on but didn’t create much in that position.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – 5

Should’ve scored in opening 90 seconds with glorious chance.

On the fringes of the game throughout and struggled to get involved. Hooked before the hour.

Mykhailo Mudryk – 7

Quiet first half hour before bursting clear of Krafth later in half. Appeared to gainconfidence in the second half and was a threat when he did get the ball on the left.

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His final ball missing a few times but would’ve had an assist or two on another evening. Chelsea will be hoping this isn’t a flash in the pan.

Joao Felix – 5

Another one that showed very, very brief flashes. Should’ve scored when clean through with 15 minutes to go which might’ve changed the game.

Frustrations of a difficult night shown when booked for dissent in closing stages.

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Noni Madueke – 6

Replaced ineffective Dewsbury-Hall for the final half hour.

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Claimed for a penalty when pushed over by Gordon. Was a threat when in possession but struggled against Newcastle’s low block.

Cole Palmer’s reaction to being compared to Zola will make you feel old as fans say ‘he actually said that out loud?’

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Swansea City: Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan in process of selling club

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Swansea City: Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan in process of selling club

Majority owners Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan are in the process of selling their stake in Swansea City to fellow shareholders Andy Coleman, Brett Cravatt and Nigel Morris as well as businessman Jason Cohen.

American duo Levien and Kaplan bought a 68% stake in the Championship club – then in the Premier League – in the summer of 2016 in a deal that valued Swansea at around £100m to £110m.

They later increased their majority stake in the club.

But they are now in the process of selling their controlling share to current chairman Coleman, Cravatt and Morris as well as Cohen, a business associate of Cravatt’s.

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Coleman became Swansea’s chairman in May 2023, when he also bought a “significant shareholding” in the Welsh club.

Coleman’s fellow American businessman Cravatt and British businessman Morris both invested in the club last year.

The agreement is subject to English Football League (EFL) approval.

BBC Sport Wales understands Levien and Kaplan will make a significant loss on their initial investment in the club.

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Speaking to The Athletic, external, Cravatt said he, Coleman, Morris and Cohen were buying the outstanding shares of Levien, Kaplan and their investors.

Coleman added that the move could see £20m brought into the club.

“It is critically important for Swansea City to move on from the previous owners,” Coleman said in a statement initially issued to The Athletic.

“I want to thank Brett Cravatt, Jason Cohen, Nigel Morris and our partners for coming together to make that happen.

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“Together we are bringing more than £20m directly into the club. This gives us a great foundation to drive Swansea City forward.”

At present, Kaplan, Levien, Coleman and another American businessman, Jake Silverstein, own 74.95% of the club while Morris owns 12.59%.

The Swansea Supporters’ Trust hold a 9.42% stake, which includes its protected 5% share.

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David Moyes slams Man Utd flops for hiding behind Ten Hag and reveals why Amorim in ‘completely different situation’

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David Moyes slams Man Utd flops for hiding behind Ten Hag and reveals why Amorim in 'completely different situation'

DAVID MOYES accused Manchester United’s flops of hiding behind sacked boss Erik ten Hag.

The former Red Devils manager also slammed the players for refusing to accept responsibility for their poor form.

David Moyes has claimed that Man Utd players were hiding behind Erik ten Hag

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David Moyes has claimed that Man Utd players were hiding behind Erik ten HagCredit: Getty
Ten Hag was sacked by United last week

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Ten Hag was sacked by United last weekCredit: PA

Sporting Lisbon chief Ruben Amorim takes over on Monday following the end of Ten Hag’s two-and-a-half-year reign last week.

David Moyes was speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet when he claimed the players were willing to let Ten Hag “take the hit.

He said: “I think the players are quite happy to hide behind managers at the moment — let the managers take the hit.

“I could do with some of them coming out and saying, ‘By the way, I know I’m not quite at it at the moment. I’m not playing well enough just now’.

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“We’re not getting much of that and I actually think Manchester United have got really, really talented players.”

The Scot, who has not managed since leaving West Ham at the end of last season, feels Amorim is coming into a totally different club from when Moyes himself arrived at Old Trafford to succeed 13-time Prem title-winner Sir Alex Ferguson.

United are currently 13th in the Premier League ahead of hosting Leicester on Sunday.

And Moyes told the Stick to Football podcast: “He’s in a completely different situation.

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Ruben Amorim is starting his role as Man Utd manager on Monday

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Ruben Amorim is starting his role as Man Utd manager on MondayCredit: PA

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“I was really fortunate to take over the champions of England at the time — and probably coming into a dressing room which had great respect for Alex and what he’d done.

“At the moment, players might be looking now and saying, ‘Hey, by the way, if we don’t step up…’

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“The manager might be coming from a stronger position because these players are going to have to actually step up.”

Moyes, 61, also felt United lost touch with the way they used to treat managers when he arrived.

He added: “They didn’t sack managers. When Alex wasn’t doing so well, they didn’t do it. They stood for something which was really admirable. 

“A bit of class and actually that dropped away, probably, at that time.”

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What Man Utd said on hiring EACH of their post-Fergie managers

David Moyes

“All the skills needed to build on United’s phenomenal legacy.”

Louis van Gaal

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“One of the outstanding managers in the game today.”

Jose Mourinho

“Quite simply the best manager in the game today.”

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

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 “A wealth of experience, with a desire to give young players their chance and a deep understanding of the culture of the club.”

Erik ten Hag

“One of the most exciting and successful coaches in Europe.”

Ruben Amorim

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 “One of the most exciting and highly rated young coaches in European football.”

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MMA

Dricus Du Plessis confident in his power in potential Pereira fight

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Dricus Du Plessis confident in his power in potential Pereira fight

Dricus Du Plessis wouldn’t shy away from standing with Alex Pereira if they fought.

Middleweight champion Du Plessis (22-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) hopes to get a crack at light heavyweight champion Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) down the line, and he likes his chances against him. Du Plessis insists strength would not be an issue, but acknowledges range likely would.

Du Plessis overcame that range in his most recent outing against Israel Adesanya, where he was able to hurt him on the feet then submit him to retain his title at UFC 305.

“If I’m talking about just the stand up exchanges, I’m not fighting a kickboxing fight,” Du Plessis told Submission Radio. “I’m fighting an MMA fight, and a kickboxing fight, you need to be able to land combos. You need to land massive punches the whole time. Get a guy rocked, you get an eight-count – you have all those variables. Where in MMA, I don’t care who you are: If I catch you clean with those small gloves, you’re going to go down, and I am going to catch you eventually.

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“Now, I said it with Izzy. He said I’m too slow. I wouldn’t be able to catch him. Well, yeah. Like, I made a post yesterday saying maybe it’s not pretty, but damn, it’s effective because I will catch you eventually, and then it’s a whole different story because I’m not engaging in a kickboxing fight. I’m punching, and I’m kicking, but it’s not a kickboxing fight. It’s an MMA fight, and when I put those together, it’s a different fight.”

Du Plessis paid Pereira plenty of respect, and wouldn’t even fault him if he decided to retire before he gets a chance to fight him. But after watching Pereira’s most recent title defense against Khalil Rountree – a violent Round 4 TKO at UFC 307, the South African fighter thinks Pereira is hittable.

“I honestly believe that with a guy like Alex Pereira, he has power,” Du Plessis said. “I have a lot of power, too. Yes, he has crisp striking. His striking is incredible. That’s why he has the kickboxing resume he has. But we saw with the Khalil Rountree fight – we saw a lot of things. Khalil had  success in those first two rounds. He really did.”

Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.

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James Tavernier: Is captain no longer first choice for Rangers?

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James Tavernier: Is captain no longer first choice for Rangers?


The captain, who was also benched for the league win over St Mirren last month, came off on the 67th minute at Hampden and was then dropped for Thursday’s game in Greece.

It is impossible to say whether the result would have been different or not had Tavernier started, but what is clear is both Sterling and Kasanwirjo can be pleased with their defensive displays against a disappointing Olympiakos attack.

Clement hailed his “really solid” defence and heaped praise on his midfield for playing their parts in the draw, which meant Rangers are now unbeaten in their last five away Europa League matches – equalling their longest such run in the competition’s history.

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The clearest sign on where Clement ranks Tavernier in his pecking order will now come on Sunday when Hearts visit Ibrox, but the Belgian insisted he wanted to see leadership coming from more than just one player.

“It’s never an easy decision, but I want more than one captain in the group,” the Rangers boss said of his call to bench Tavernier.

“If you [get to] a certain age you can’t play 60 games at the same level. We knew that before the season and we spoke about that.

“It’s about competition for spots. It’s about one team, winning together. That’s Rangers – one team, one family, going for one goal.”

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International Championship: John Higgins out in quarters after frustrating Chris Wakelin defeat

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International Championship: John Higgins out in quarters after frustrating Chris Wakelin defeat

An angry John Higgins lost to Chris Wakelin in the quarter-finals of the International Championship in Nanjing after the deciding frame was pushed back by several hours.

With the best-of-11 frame contest level at 5-5 the referee ruled the afternoon session had concluded, to the evident disgust of four-time world champion Higgins, who gestured and appeared to swear before leaving the table.

When the players finally resumed, after the evening session had taken place, 32-year-old Wakelin’s break of 62 secured a 6-5 victory – his third straight win over a former world champion in Nanjing, eastern China.

The defeat for Higgins, 49, means the Scotsman fails to qualify for the Champion of Champions event in Bolton next week.

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Having defeated Shaun Murphy and Mark Williams in the previous two rounds, Wakelin will face China’s Xiao Guodong in the semi-finals after he beat Wales’ Jackson Page 6-4.

China’s Ding Junhui is also through to the last four, compiling breaks of 129 and 123 in a 6-4 win over Kyren Wilson.

Junhui will play compatriot Xu Si, after he beat Gary Wilson 6-5.

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MMA

Dricus du Plessis believes he can knock out Alex Pereira: ‘I am going to catch you eventually’

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Dricus du Plessis believes he can knock out Alex Pereira: ‘I am going to catch you eventually’

UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis has all the respect in the world for light heavyweight champ Alex Pereira, but if the UFC were to book a matchup between the two titleholders, du Plessis can see a real world where he stops Pereira with strikes.

“If I’m talking about just the standup exchanges—I’m not fighting a kickboxing fight, I’m fighting an MMA fight,” du Plessis told Submission Radio. “And in a kickboxing fight, You need to be able to land combos, you need to land massive punches the whole time, get a guy rocked, you get an eight count, you have all those variables. Where in MMA, I don’t care who you are. If I catch you clean with those small gloves, you’re going to go down and I am going to catch you eventually.”

Du Plessis captured the middleweight title with a decision win over Sean Strickland at UFC 297 this past January, and then stopped Israel Adesanya in his first title defense at UFC 305 the following August. At light heavyweight, Pereira has put together a Fighter of the Year campaign with knockout wins over Jamahal Hill, Jiri Prochazka, and Khalil Rountree.

The South African champion understands he has his work cut out for him, but after watching Pereira’s win over Rountree, du Plessis saw some things he could capitalize on.

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“Now, I said it with with Izzy—he said, I’m too slow, I wouldn’t be able to catch him. Well, yeah,” du Plessis said. “I made a post recently saying maybe it’s not pretty, but damn, it’s effective because I will catch you eventually. And then it’s then it’s a whole different story because I’m not engaging in a kickboxing fight. I’m punching and I’m kicking, but it’s not a kickboxing fight. It’s an MMA fight, and when I put those together, it’s a different fight.

“So I honestly believe that with a guy like Alex Pereira, he has power. I have a lot of power too. The man is… yeah [he has] crisp striking. His striking is incredible. That’s why he has the kickboxing résumé. … But we saw with [the] Khalil Rountree fight, we saw a lot of things that [Rountree had] a lot of success [with] in those first two rounds. He really did.”

Watch du Plessis’ interview with Submission Radio below.

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