Sports
Luke Littler’s Premier League opener comes against old foe desperate for revenge
Luke Littler will begin his Premier League Darts title defence against Michael van Gerwen in Belfast on February 6, setting up an immediate rematch of their World Championship final.
The 18-year-old, who defeated Van Gerwen 7-3 at Alexandra Palace earlier this month to claim the world title, enters as the 11-8 favourite to retain his Premier League crown.
The opening night showdown at the SSE Arena will see the reigning champion face the Dutchman in what promises to be a blockbuster start to the 2025 campaign.
The opening night in Belfast will also feature world number one Luke Humphries taking on Nathan Aspinall.
Luke Littler won the Premier League last year in his maiden campaign
PA
Chris Dobey faces Gerwyn Price in the first quarter-final of the evening.
Stephen Bunting and Rob Cross complete the Night One line-up in what will be a knockout format to determine the evening’s winner.
Luke Littler beat Michael van Gerwen earlier this month to become world champion
Reuters
The tournament then visits Dublin, where Littler meets Gerwyn Price in another headline clash.
Price will have home support when the Premier League visits Cardiff on night seven.
Rotterdam Ahoy hosts night 11, with Van Gerwen playing in front of his home crowd.
Leeds fan Luke Humphries gets his homecoming on night 14 at the First Direct Arena, before the regular season concludes in Sheffield on May 22.
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Michael van Gerwen was also reigning Premier League champion before Luke Littler took that off him too
Reuters
The play-offs at London’s O2 Arena on May 29 will feature the top four players from the league table battling for the title.
The winner of the Premier League will claim a £275,000 prize.
Notable absentees from this year’s competition include top-ten ranked players Johnny Clayton, Damon Heta and Dave Chisnall.
Former champions Peter Wright, Michael Smith and two-time winner Gary Anderson have also missed out on selection for the 2025 campaign.
Sports
Football gossip: Rashford, Sesko, Garnacho, Adeyemi, Walker, Cunha, Dorgu, Tomori
Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford’s camp meet Barcelona, Arsenal initiate move for RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko and Nottingham Forest prepare club-record bid for Wolves forward Matheus Cunha.
Representatives of England forward Marcus Rashford met with Barcelona executives on Tuesday as the 27-year-old looks for a route out of Manchester United. (Sky Sports), external
Arsenal have made a tentative enquiry about trying to sign 21-year-old Slovenia striker Benjamin Sesko from German club RB Leipzig. (Talksport), external
AC Milan have agreed a deal to sign 34-year-old England defender Kyle Walker from Manchester City which will be an initial loan but include an option to buy for 5m euros (£4.2m). (Sky Sports Italy), external
Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho favours a move to Chelsea rather than Napoli, who have had a bid for the 20-year-old Argentina international rejected. (TyC Sports, via Metro) , external
Napoli are also in talks about signing 23-year-old Germany winger Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund. (Fabrizio Romano), external
A trio of Chelsea players could leave this month with Portugal defender Renato Veiga, 21, pushing to join Juventus, Italian midfielder Cesare Casadei, 22, the subject of an £11.5m bid from Lazio and England defender Ben Chilwell, 28, attracting interest from Everton. (Mail), external
Nottingham Forest are preparing a club-record bid, possibly in the region of £60m, to try lure Brazil forward Matheus Cunha, 25, away from Wolves. (Sky Sports), external
Juventus have offered Chelsea the opportunity to sign Brazil midfielder Douglas Luiz, 26, who is also on the radar of Manchester City and Arsenal. (Teamtalk), external
France midfielder Paul Pogba, 31, is considering several offers from teams inside Europe’s top five leagues, but an agreement on a deal is not imminent. (ESPN), external
West Ham technical director Tim Steidten’s future at the club is in doubt after the Hammers finalised a deal to bring in Chelsea recruitment analyst Kyle Macaulay, who has previously worked with manager Graham Potter. (Guardian), external
Sports
Jamie Carragher’s wife insists Liverpool hero ‘went too far’ after awkward Micah Richards joke
Jamie Carragher has revealed his wife Nicola told him he went “too far” with jokes about fellow pundit Micah Richards’ new haircut during CBS Champions League coverage.
The former Liverpool defender faced criticism at home after brutally mocking Richards’ fresh look during Tuesday night’s broadcast of Liverpool’s 2-1 victory over Lille.
The incident unfolded as the famous quartet of Carragher, Richards, Thierry Henry and Kate Scott gathered for their first show of the year.
Carragher wasted no time addressing what he called “the elephant in the room”, immediately questioning Richards’ new appearance.
Jamie Carragher bluntly joked about Micah Richards’ new look
Instagram/CBS Sports
“It doesn’t suit you. I’m saying that as a friend,” Carragher declared bluntly on air.
When shown a side-by-side comparison of Richards’ old and new looks, Carragher was even more direct: “Honestly, you look awful. You look so cool on the other one.”
Jamie Carragher’s wife was not happy with her husband’s jokes
The following day, Richards confronted Carragher about the jokes, saying: “You ruined my confidence yesterday Jamie!”
Carragher then made a surprising admission: “Can I say something? My wife Nicola told me last night I went too far.”
“Is that what she said?!” Richards responded in disbelief, before the pair shook hands.
Richards then joyfully exclaimed: “Thank you Nicola, I love you!”
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Jamie Carragher did not hold back on Micah Richards’ haircut
CBS Sports
Despite the ribbing, Richards maintained good humour about his transformation, explaining simply: “New year, new me.”
Host Kate Abdo showed support for the change, describing Richards’ new look as “nice and crispy.”
When questioned about whether he had undergone a hair transplant, Richards firmly denied it: “I have not been to Turkey, not a chance.”
The former Manchester City defender remained resolute about his choice, stating he was “more than happy” with the look and hadn’t sought public opinion.
Sports
Ronnie O’Sullivan pulls out of another tournament for worrying reason days after Masters withdrawal
Ronnie O’Sullivan has withdrawn from next week’s German Masters due to medical reasons, marking his second tournament withdrawal this month.
The seven-time world champion had previously pulled out of the Masters at Alexandra Palace in January.
It remains unclear when the 49-year-old snooker legend will return to competitive action.
The withdrawal follows a period of apparent exhaustion for O’Sullivan after completing a three-week exhibition tour in Asia.
Ronnie O’Sullivan has pulled out of another snooker tournament
Reuters
A World Snooker Tour statement confirmed: “Ronnie O’Sullivan has withdrawn from next week’s Machineseeker German Masters due to medical reasons.”
O’Sullivan was scheduled to face Dylan Emery in his opening match in Berlin.
Ronnie O’Sullivan has had a tough start to the year
PA
Speaking about his Masters withdrawal earlier this month, O’Sullivan explained: “I’ve obviously been on this three-week trip (playing exhibition events in Asia), away playing, and I think I just exhausted myself.”
“(There was) a lot of pressure while I was away and the build-up of all that kind of got too much,” he added.
“I lost the plot on Thursday and snapped my cue so that’s unplayable, so I just knew at that moment in time, the right decision was not to play.”
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Ronnie O’Sullivan has made a worrying pattern in recent weeks
PA
O’Sullivan’s tournament withdrawals have become a pattern in recent seasons.
He missed last season’s German Masters to prioritise his “health and wellbeing” and pulled out of the Welsh Open citing anxiety.
More recently, he withdrew from the Scottish Open just one day before his scheduled match.
His absence from tournaments this season has also included the British Open, Wuhan Open and Northern Ireland Open.
Sports
Premier League star due in court after alleged ‘acid attack and kidnapping’ case that forced surgery
Brentford striker Yoane Wissa is attending court in France this week for the trial of a woman accused of throwing acid in his face and attempting to kidnap his newborn daughter in 2021.
The DR Congo forward is expected to attend the four-day trial which began on Tuesday near Lorient.
The incident left Wissa with severe burns to his face and eyes, requiring emergency surgery to save his sight.
The attack occurred just weeks before his £8.5 million transfer from French club Lorient to Brentford.
Yoane Wissa required emergency surgery to save his eyesight
PA
The court heard that the woman initially approached Wissa at his home on 1 July 2021, asking for an autograph.
She returned later that evening and sprayed a corrosive liquid in his face.
“She entered the player’s home in the middle of the night and threw a corrosive liquid in my client’s eyes, which could have had much more serious consequences,” Wissa’s lawyer Karim Morand-Lahouazi told RMC Sport.
On July 14, 2021, Wissa shared a photo showing facial injuries with the message: “God is great. Thank you for all your messages of support, it goes straight to my heart.”
The accused woman, identified only as Laetitia P, faces charges of attempted murder, child kidnap and attempted kidnap.
If convicted, she could face up to 30 years in prison.
The 36-year-old denies all charges against her.
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According to Morand-Lahouazi, the woman had allegedly lied to her husband “for months” about being pregnant.
“I think that during all this time, she was developing her plan to kidnap a mixed-race child,” the lawyer said.
“There is premeditation with the purchase of this corrosive product in a supermarket near my client’s home.”
“Yoane is still suffering the after-effects of this attempted kidnap and attack,” Morand-Lahouazi told reporters.
READ MORE:Man Utd legend Bryan Robson faces massive tax bill after losing HMRC case as ‘disguised employee’
Yoane Wissa is due in court in France this month
PA
“Nowadays he and his wife feel secure in England. They feel they are safe from danger.”
Despite the ordeal, Wissa has flourished at Brentford, becoming the club’s all-time Premier League leading scorer.
He has netted 11 goals in 18 Premier League matches this season.
The striker is currently the subject of transfer interest, with Nottingham Forest reportedly having a £22m bid rejected this week.
The woman is also accused of kidnapping another baby girl the following day in Vannes, though the child was later found unharmed.
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Yoane Wissa moved to Brentford shortly after the alleged attack
PA
“She tried to kidnap a child from a mixed-race couple. That was her goal,” Morand-Lahouazi told reporters.
The lawyer said Wissa is seeking “clearer explanations” during the trial, which he will attend for two days.”
He was signed off work for 10 days, but you don’t just go back into training on day 11,” Morand-Lahouazi added.
“He needed a significant time to recover. Things were not easy for him at the start of this matter.”
Sports
Champions League preview: Celtic v Young Boys
We preview Celtic’s crunch Champions League match with Young Boys Bern.
Sports
Tom Brady makes statement over Fox Sports future after being told to step down
Tom Brady has firmly rejected rumours of his departure from Fox Sports, despite facing mounting criticism over his dual role as Las Vegas Raiders minority owner and network commentator.
The NFL legend has drawn scrutiny in recent weeks for his perceived conflict of interest, particularly due to his active involvement in the Raiders’ head coach search whilst maintaining his position as a Fox analyst under his 10-year, $375million (£300m) contract.
During an appearance on FS1’s ‘The Herd’, Brady addressed the speculation head-on after host Colin Cowherd joked about his rumoured departure.
“I don’t know where it comes from,” Brady said. “I’ve had the best time at Fox and I’ve loved every time going into the booth and working with such great people.”
Tom Brady has insisted he is going nowhere at Fox Sports
PA
The former quarterback emphasised his enthusiasm for his broadcasting role, noting: “I’ve loved the whole process in diving into all these different teams. It’s been a lot of growth for me in one year.”
Brady has been heavily involved in the Raiders’ recruitment process following the firing of Antonio Pierce, conducting interviews with multiple head coach candidates.
The list of interviewees includes Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and ex-Jets coach Robert Saleh.
Brady was reportedly ‘enamoured’ with Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, according to NFL Insider Ian Rapoport, but Johnson ultimately accepted the head coach position with the Chicago Bears.
Raiders owner Mark Davis has confirmed Brady will have a ‘huge voice’ in the franchise’s future.
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However, former MLB executive Davis Samson has strongly criticised Brady’s dual role, claiming it cannot continue.
“Tom Brady is running that team right now – the NFL knows it and Fox knows it and something has got to give,” Samson told the Dan Le Batard Show.
“You cannot be this involved in the operation of a team and be the No 1 analyst,” he added. “It’s an absolute insult to analysts what he’s doing.”
READ MORE:Man Utd legend Bryan Robson faces massive tax bill after losing HMRC case as ‘disguised employee’
Tom Brady still has nine years left on his 10-year contract with Fox Sports
The Herd
Samson predicted Brady would ultimately choose the Raiders over his broadcasting career.
Despite the criticism, Brady remains adamant about his long-term commitment to Fox Sports.
“I’ve got nine years left on my deal and maybe longer, you never know,” Brady stated during his appearance on ‘The Herd’.
The seven-time Super Bowl winner expressed enthusiasm about his broadcasting future, adding: “If Fox wants me and I want to go [on], we’ll just keep going, cause it’s been really fun thus far.”
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Sports
Clement urges Rangers to ‘write history’ against Man United
Manager Philippe Clement will not “park the bus” at Old Trafford as he urges Rangers to “write history” with a first win against Manchester United.
Both sides are well placed to progress in the Europa League, with the hosts on 12 points from six matches and Rangers one point behind in eighth place.
The teams met on Champions League duty in 2003 and 2010, with United winning three of those group games and the other ending 0-0 when Walter Smith’s side frustrated Sir Alex Ferguson with a masterclass of defensive football.
Clement is not minded to deploy the same tactics against a side that has lost four of their past five home matches in the Premier League, where they occupy 13th place.
“I’m not somebody who believes in parking a bus in front of goal and hoping that nothing happens, hoping to come one time on the other side to score a goal,” said Clement.
“So we’ll play to our qualities. Of course, we also need to consider the qualities of Manchester United.
“It’s a really, really big challenge. The spotlight is on the players and it’s a massive opportunity.
“I know my team and my squad will embrace those moments. You dream of being in stadiums like this.”
Sports
Natalia Arroyo: Aston Villa appoint Spaniard as head coach
Women’s Super League side Aston Villa have appointed Natalia Arroyo as their new head coach.
The 38-year-old Spaniard, who left Real Sociedad at the end of the 2023-24 season, has signed a three-and-a-half-year deal, pending visa approval.
Villa sacked Robert de Pauw in December and Shaun Goater, who had said he wanted the role on a permanent basis, has been in interim charge of the team.
Arroyo’s first game will be against Chelsea in the WSL on Sunday, 2 February and she will be “supported by the existing coaching staff”.
“Natalia impressed us with her passion for football and approach to coaching,” said Villa president of football operations Monchi.
“We believe Natalia has all the necessary tools to succeed at Aston Villa.”
During her stint at Spain’s Real Sociedad, Arroyo achieved qualification for the Women’s Champions League and an appearance in the Copa de la Reina final.
“We are familiar with Natalia’s playing style and admire her philosophy,” said Aston Villa head of women’s football Lee Billiard.
“After an in-depth search, Natalia has consistently stood out in meeting our requirements.”
Sports
Erling Haaland faces extravagant tax bill after signing mammoth Man City contract
Erling Haaland’s new Manchester City contract will see him contribute more than £16 million annually to the UK treasury through tax payments.
The Norwegian striker’s £26 million annual salary, equivalent to £500,000 per week, makes him one of the highest taxpayers in British football.
The total tax implications of his new deal will amount to £152 million over the course of his nine-and-a-half-year contract with the Premier League champions.
The figures, revealed by audit and consulting firm Forvis Mazars, demonstrate the substantial tax revenue generated from Premier League footballers’ salaries.
Erling Haaland penned a nine-and-a-half-year contract at City worth £26million a year
Reuters
HMRC stands to receive £12.2 million annually from Haaland’s income tax and National Insurance contributions alone.
Manchester City will contribute an additional £3.8 million in employer National Insurance payments.
The tax breakdown was analysed by Forvis Mazars, highlighting the significant contribution to public finances from Premier League salaries.
From April 2025, changes to National Insurance contributions will further impact such payments, with employer NIC costs set to increase substantially for high earners.
Ian Goodwin of Forvis Mazars said: “Even by the Premier League’s standards Erling Haaland’s reported new contract is significant at a reported £500,000 per week.
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Erling Haaland is the best-paid footballer in the Premier League
Reuters
The tax implications of such high earnings are substantial for both player and club.
“Businesses need to think carefully and in a timely manner put plans in place to afford the increases coming in wage bills,” Goodwin added.
Haaland’s commitment to Manchester City spans an unprecedented nine-and-a-half years, making it one of the longest contracts in Premier League history.
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Man City have forked out huge wages to Erling Haaland
Reuters
Over the full term of his contract, the striker’s tax contributions will total £152 million to HMRC.
The deal represents a significant long-term investment by Manchester City in the Norwegian forward.
The contract extension comes as Manchester City face 115 charges from the Premier League relating to financial transactions and blocking justice.
This substantial tax contribution underscores the significant financial impact top-flight footballers have on the UK’s public finances.
Sports
Man Utd: Matthijs de Ligt on pressure and form under Ruben Amorim
Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt speaks with Dion Dublin for Football Focus to discuss the pressure of playing for “the biggest club in the country” and finding solutions to bad form.
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