Pep Guardiola has reminded Manchester City's players they cannot expect privacy after footage of Kyle Walker's behaviour in a bar led to negative headlines this week.

The City and England defender was shown on CCTV footage, published by The Sun, with friends at a venue where he apparently pulled down his trousers.

The newspaper alleged Walker indecently exposed himself, with the incident said to have happened last Sunday. Cheshire Police has confirmed it is looking into the matter.

Guardiola said it was "a private issue" and he would not discuss Walker's conduct.

"We solved it internally, speaking with him," Guardiola said in his regular Friday pre-match press conference. "Of course, this is not the place to talk about private situations."

Asked if players needed to be extra cautious when out and about, given the chances of being on camera, Guardiola said: "Yes, definitely, it's completely different than years ago, definitely."

He suggested the players had already received plenty of advice about how to act.

"They know it already," Guardiola said. "When you open the door at home you have to know you will be filmed, whatever you do. It's part of the society."

City head to Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday, looking to cut leaders Arsenal's advantage to two points ahead of the Gunners' game at Fulham the following day.

Palace have not won any of their last seven Premier League home games against City (D2 L5), last getting a Selhurst Park victory over the Manchester giants in April 2015.

Moreover, Palace have not won any of their last nine Premier League games in the current campaign, the longest ongoing barren run.

All signs point to an away success, although City have already dropped more points in league games away from the Etihad Stadium this season (15) than they did in the whole of 2021-22 (11).

Guardiola dismissed concerns over travel to the game after snowfall.

But he predicted the fixture would be a major test of his team, saying: "Every game away in the Premier League is difficult. Crystal Palace in previous seasons, especially at home [in Manchester], we've struggled a lot to get results."

Erik ten Hag is happy for Bruno Fernandes to keep playing with emotion, although he acknowledges there is a balance to strike for the Manchester United midfielder.

Fernandes scored in United's 4-1 win against Real Betis on Thursday having been the subject of intense scrutiny since Sunday's 7-0 loss at Liverpool.

The United vice-captain, who wore the armband at Anfield, was criticised for his role in a defeat in which Ten Hag's side appeared to lack leadership.

A confrontation with Trent Alexander-Arnold, followed by a push on an official, perhaps saw Fernandes fortunate not to be sent off.

Both Ten Hag and Marcus Rashford defended Fernandes ahead of the Betis game, however, and the manager was encouraged by his subsequent performance, even if there is still work to do to "stay rational" at all times.

"I was very pleased with his captaincy because he is giving the team energy," Ten Hag said ahead of Sunday's Premier League match against Southampton.

"He is not only giving the best physical output of the whole team, but also he is running in the right direction and is pointing players in that direction. He's coaching players, leading the team from a tactical perspective.

"His emotion is his weapon. But sometimes it's too strong. And yes, of course, I help him and support him. And I give him feedback.

"Sometimes he has to control his emotions, and that will help him to stay rational in the game, instead of the emotion.

"So, he has to find the balance and be rational, when to use [being] rational as a tool and when to use emotion as a tool, and that's the next step.

"I think that's a nice development point for him, and when he does it, he will be an even better player."

Meanwhile, Ten Hag offered an update on Christian Eriksen, who was ruled out for "an extended period" at the end of January due to an ankle injury.

"I think he will play [again this season], yes, definitely," Ten Hag said. "But I can't say now when [he is] expected.

"I think his progress in the rehab is okay. It's going according to plan and so we will definitely see him, but not before the international break.

"His main focus at this moment is to get back as soon as possible because we need all the players."

Oleksandr Usyk is unlikely to face Tyson Fury in a unification bout in his return to the ring, the Ukrainian's promoter Alex Krassyuk admitted.

Negotiations for a clash that would determine the first unified heavyweight champion since 2000 have been ongoing for months but are now on the brink of collapse.

Krassyuk revealed this week that Fury had rejected a 60-40 purse split in favour of the winner, with the WBC champ seeking a much higher fee.

That leaves a proposed April bout between Usyk and Fury looking extremely unlikely, with Krassyuk conceding he does not expect the fight to be scheduled.

"It doesn't look likely that we're going to have a fight on April 29, that's my anticipation," he told iD Boxing.

"I can tell you only from the words that I hear from my negotiation partners – Frank Warren and George Warren – according to their reports, Tyson Fury was asking for too much money.

"Even if Usyk would get zero for the fight, it would still not be sufficient for Tyson to cover his wants. But that's actually the point. Normally when a fighter doesn't want a fight, he asks for something impossible and then it's not happening."

Should a fight against Fury not materialise, Usyk has a three-man waiting list of mandatory opponents – with WBA mandatory Daniel Dubois at the front due to the nature of the governing bodies' rotation system.

If the Brit was ruled out by the injury he sustained in his last fight, IBF mandatory Filip Hrgovic is next in line, followed by WBO mandatory Joe Joyce.

Krassyuk expects a mandatory fight to be Usyk's next bout, with the prospect of a clash against Dubois appealing.

"If a Fury fight doesn't happen, which it's not really likely to happen, I think Usyk will have to fight the mandatory. This [Dubois] is actually the next step for Usyk, we have to comply with it," he added.

"It's not the worst fight for the UK. Dubois is English, Usyk fought a couple of times here so he's probably a bit known in the UK. And this is a fight where an Englishman is fighting for three belts at heavyweight. It's a bit more than just a normal heavyweight fight.

"It's still huge. Dubois went through some hell in his last fight, so probably he's recovered, we expect that he did, but we have to see the medicals. It's something to be disclosed within the next couple of days.

"We're still expecting the official decision from Fury. Once we know from Fury officially that the fight is off, then we start working on the mandatory."

Mikaela Shiffrin tied the all-time record for Alpine Skiing World Cup wins with a dominant victory in Friday's giant slalom race in Are.

Shiffrin levelled the mark set by the great Ingemar Stenmark, the American doing so in Stenmark's home country of Sweden.

She led the way by 0.58 seconds after the first run and was faultless on the second to claim triumph ahead of Federica Brignone and Sweden's Sara Hector.

The win sees her add the giant slalom globe to her overall and slalom globes for this season and puts her in position to break Stenmark's record in Saturday's slalom at the same venue.

Speaking after her historic win at the scene of her first World Cup success, Shiffrin said: "It was just a spectacular day.

"I knew the GS globe was locked in [her only challenger Lara Gut-Behrami failed to finish her first run] before I raced, I just wanted to push and fight for it. That's amazing.

"After the overall and the slalom globe, the biggest real dream the rest of the season was the GS globe. I just tried to earn it."

Shiffrin's 86th win came from her 245th start. Her 246th could see her solidified as the greatest World Cup skier of all time.

Christophe Galtier has no reservations over Lionel Messi's commitment to Paris Saint-Germain after their Champions League exit, despite the Argentine entering the final four months of his contract.

Messi is yet to agree fresh terms with PSG ahead of his deal expiring at the end of June, while former Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos is in a similar situation.

Wednesday's Champions League last-16 elimination at the hands of Bayern Munich has led to suggestions PSG's star-studded forward line of Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar may be broken up as part of a rebuild.

Despite PSG's early European exit, Galtier does not expect the likes of Messi and Ramos – both of whom have been linked with a move to MLS – to lower their standards in the coming weeks.

"There is no doubt about these two great players with incredible track records, who know this kind of situation," Galtier said at a press conference ahead of Saturday's trip to Brest.

"They are very high-level players, who go quickly from one game to another. Regarding their contractual situations, they are used to living in this kind of moment."

Galtier also denied there was a need to convince Mbappe to remain at the Parc des Princes, with PSG's latest Champions League failure increasing speculation he could seek an exit.   

"I don't have to try to convince Kylian Mbappe," Galtier said. "Kylian is a Paris Saint-Germain player, he shows it every time he plays, and he has a great determination to succeed and take the club as high as possible."

PSG must now shift their focus to Ligue 1, with Galtier's men holding an eight-point advantage at the summit as they chase a record-breaking 11th French title.

Galtier believes PSG's achievements in the competition have been unfairly belittled, highlighting the celebrations that accompany Bayern's regular Bundesliga successes and calling for the French top flight to receive greater respect.

"If PSG win this title, it will be the 11th, which has never been reached in this country," he said. "We should not minimise this achievement. 

"Some of our players have extraordinary records but are obsessed with adding this trophy, some haven't won it before. It's a very important thing.

"You all send out the message that this league title is easy, but it isn't. I see what's happening abroad. Bayern don't win the Champions League every year.

"But every time they win their league, they have a big celebration, they share it with their supporters and everyone at the club. 

"It must be the same with us. We need to stop trivialising being French champions. It is not easy."

Borussia Dortmund boss Edin Terzic said the question of Youssoufa Moukoko's age had never come up in their many discussions, after it was claimed the striker could be four years older than he attests to being.

German publication Bunte this week questioned whether Moukoko was 18 years old, or whether he was 22, citing as evidence a birth certificate.

That was reportedly issued after the birth of a Youssoufa Mohamadou in Yaounde, Cameroon, with the child's date of birth given as July 19, 2000, and the father named as taxi driver Ousman Mohamadou.

Moukoko's stated date of birth is November 20, 2004, and it has been repeatedly asserted during his career that he lived for around 10 years with grandparents in Cameroon before moving to Germany in 2014 to join his father, Joseph Moukoko, in Hamburg.

Joseph Moukoko has insisted he is the player's father.

Bunte also quoted a lawyer for Dortmund youngster Moukoko as denying the player provided false age details, saying: "Youssoufa Moukoko's date of birth is November 20, 2004. This is confirmed by all the official documents that we have, along with his parents."

The teenage Moukoko was a revelation in his early years at Dortmund, scoring 127 goals in 84 appearances at youth level, earning a rapid promotion to the first-team squad.

He has since gone on to represent Germany and featured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup before signing a new Dortmund contract in January.

Terzic was asked in a press conference on Friday about the age debate circling Moukoko, and said: "I don't read Bunte. I exchange ideas with him intensively – I have never spoken to him about that. I can't confirm that it bothers him. The nasty foul in Bremen puts a strain on him."

As Terzic pointed out, Moukoko is out of action at present with an ankle injury sustained against Werder Bremen in February. It means he will miss Saturday's derby against Schalke.

Terzic said: "He's doing well in rehab, improving his performance and feeling better. We hope he will be available to us after the international break."

Dortmund are level on points with Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga with 11 rounds of games remaining.

Carlo Ancelotti has backed Karim Benzema to play a big part in Real Madrid's end to the season.

The French striker has come in for criticism as Madrid have struggled for goals domestically in recent weeks, despite his brace against Liverpool in their 5-2 win at Anfield in the Champions League last-16 first leg.

Ballon d'Or holder Benzema has scored 11 goals in 15 LaLiga games but has not netted in his last three in all competitions, and he will be missing from the team for Saturday's home game with Espanyol because of an ankle injury.

"He was a key player for us [last season], he performed incredibly, scored more than 40 goals," Ancelotti said at a press conference on Friday.

"It affected us a bit [earlier this season] because he couldn't reach his top level. This second part of the season he has been important for us, and we think he will be key for us until the end of the season. He has a knock, and he has to get better."

Regarding Benzema's contract, which expires at the end of the season, Ancelotti said: "He has been here for so many years, I'm absolutely sure about what's going to happen next year, but I'm not a magician."

The Madrid head coach was also asked again about the possibility of signing long-term target Kylian Mbappe after Paris Saint-Germain's exit from the Champions League at the hands of Bayern Munich on Wednesday.

"Well, it's a question you can ask me whenever, but it is something to which I will never reply," he said.

Ancelotti confirmed Rodrygo will play as the central striker against Espanyol, adding: "He has to play where the team needs him, maybe at some point he can play as a winger to show his quality, or as a number 10, but he can play in different places."

He was also asked about criticism of him and his team for their recent form, having not won any of their three games since the success at Liverpool (D2 L1).

"I don't want to think about it, but it is always like this," Ancelotti said. "When there are difficult moments, criticism starts."

Jurgen Klopp urged his Liverpool side to remain focused on the task in hand as they pursue Champions League football and forget about the drubbing of Manchester United.

A thrilling 7-0 victory at Anfield last Sunday provided another boost to Liverpool's top-four hopes, and a victory over Bournemouth in Saturday's early kick-off would see them temporarily leapfrog Tottenham.

Liverpool head to the south coast with last weekend's result still at the forefront of the minds of many but Klopp made it clear past victories, no matter how emphatic, are no longer important.

"The 7-0, it was strange, it was nice and we'll all come back in 10-15 years and watch the game, maybe tickets for another derby, and someone might be next to me and remember that once we did that, but now it's done," he told a press conference.

"It was important but it's not important today. It was a good game, and we have to keep going."

Klopp is aware Bournemouth will provide a strong challenge for his side, having taken a 2-0 lead against league leaders Arsenal last time out before a remarkable second-half comeback from the Gunners.

With relegation still a threat for the Cherries, Klopp expects the hosts to "fight like crazy".

"The main thing is going to Bournemouth and playing a game there and not counting the points before you have them," he added.

"The way Bournemouth play, they can be really uncomfortable for each team - everybody saw against Arsenal in the last game, how much they had to fight and stretch luck, if you want.

"We might fight for the Champions League spots - we will see how the results will be in the next few weeks - but the fight to stay in the league is as exciting. Bournemouth will fight like crazy.

"We want to go into the top four, but it's about fully focused on Bournemouth."

Erik ten Hag has been named the Premier League's Manager of the Month for February, completing a Manchester United double after Marcus Rashford scooped the monthly players' award.

Ten Hag oversaw a return of 10 points from four Premier League games for United last month, with a 2-2 draw at home to Leeds United the only blot on their record.

As well as beating Crystal Palace and Leicester City, United improved on that Leeds draw by beating their rivals 2-0 in the return fixture at Elland Road four days later.

Ten Hag's side also carried their league form into other competitions in February, ending a near six-year trophy drought by beating Newcastle United to lift the EFL Cup and eliminating Barcelona from the Europa League.

Having also received the award last September, Ten Hag's second monthly prize brings him level with other two-time winners including Kenny Dalglish, Roberto Mancini and Thomas Tuchel. 

While United enjoyed an excellent February, March began with the joint-heaviest competitive defeat in their illustrious history as they were hammered 7-0 by Liverpool at Anfield.

Having bounced back with a 4-1 Europa League win over Real Betis on Thursday, United welcome Southampton to Old Trafford on Sunday, looking to extend an 11-match unbeaten streak at home in the Premier League (W9 D2).

Marcus Rashford has been named the Premier League player of the month for February, equalling Mohamed Salah's record for the most awards in a season.

The England forward had a near-perfect month for Manchester United, scoring five goals in four league matches, as Erik ten Hag's side took 10 points from a possible 12.

Rashford scored in victories against Crystal Palace, Leeds United and Leicester City, while also netting in a 2-2 draw against Leeds.

His Premier League tally for the season stands at 14 goals, behind only Ivan Toney (15), Harry Kane (18) and Erling Haaland (27) in the scoring charts.

Rashford also clinched the monthly awards for January and September, meaning he has matched Salah, who won three in 2017-18, for the most wins in a single campaign.

The award was Rashford's fourth overall in his career, leaving him three adrift of the record tally that Kane and Sergio Aguero share.

Rashford's goals have helped United consolidate their position in the hunt for a top-four finish and Champions League qualification, sitting third, seven clear of fifth-placed Liverpool despite losing 7-0 to the Reds last weekend.

Roberto De Zerbi is content at Brighton and Hove Albion and is focused on helping the Seagulls make history this season, amid speculation linking him with Tottenham. 

De Zerbi has enjoyed a tremendous impact at Brighton since succeeding Graham Potter in September, leading the Seagulls into contention for European qualification. 

Brighton are seven points adrift of fourth-placed Spurs in the Premier League table with three games in hand, while their tally of 43 goals this season is already their best in the competition.

With De Zerbi's side flying, he – along with the likes of Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Frank and Steve Cooper – has been touted as a possible successor to Antonio Conte, who appears destined to leave Spurs by the end of the campaign.

Asked about those links at a press conference ahead of Saturday's trip to Leeds United, De Zerbi said: "I have a long contract with Brighton and I'm happy to work here.

"I'm enjoying working with these players, I'm delighted with my players for their performance and I can't ask for more, it's a good moment in my life."

Ahead of the trip to Elland Road, Brighton are unbeaten in their last five Premier League away games (W3 D2), the joint-longest current run in the competition, alongside Brentford.

Brighton have also failed to score just once in 11 away league games this term (0-2 at Brentford in October) – no Premier League side have drawn a blank on fewer road trips (Arsenal also one).

With Brighton earning plaudits for their enterprising style and with the race for European qualification wide open, De Zerbi is aware of the potential their campaign holds.

"People are speaking about our quality of play, and for that I am proud. But we have to be focused only on the next games. We have a clear target," he said.

"We have a dream. We know we can write a new history for the club. This is a nice challenge. 

"It will be difficult. We know what we can expect, but now we are able to win. I think now we have a complete squad with many young players, we are stronger.

"We want to arrive in Europe but we have to push and take it game by game. Tomorrow starts a difficult period with three games in a week, but we are ready to fight for our targets."

Pierluigi Collina has urged referees to add the correct amount of stoppage time at the end of games regardless of the circumstances.

​FIFA's head of refereeing discussed Sunday's clash between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield, in which only three minutes were added at the end of the hosts' 7-0 win despite six goals having been scored in a second half that also saw 10 substitutions and a VAR delay.

The World Cup in Qatar had games elongated by added time that was supposed to be more reflective of actual time lost during the 90 minutes, but this trend has mostly not carried on into club football.

"Last weekend in the Premier League, there were 10 matches," Collina told reporters. "Four had additional time of 10 minutes or more [across the first half and second half], and two should have been higher but weren't only because they had scores of 7-0 and 4-0.

"In the game at Liverpool, there was four minutes added, one in the first half and three in the second. But there were six goals in the second half.

"Maybe at some point in the future we will have a rule which says: if the difference between the two sides is big, the additional time is not to be given. But this would be in the laws of the game.

"Now it is common sense, but it is [only] common sense when it doesn't affect someone.

"I can understand that showing the right amount of time when it is 7-0 is difficult to understand. But in some competitions, the goal difference in the entire competition may be decisive at the end for the ranking.

"So, even one goal scored or not scored could make the difference."

Former referee Collina believes adding on as much time as necessary would eventually stamp out time-wasting, much like the introduction of VAR appeared to reduce the amount of simulation in the game. 

"It's time to compensate time that was not played during the match," he said. "We are not considering to go from 70 to 75. No, we want to avoid just playing 43 minutes.

"The effective time at Aston Villa vs Brentford [earlier this season] was 43 minutes. I don't think someone wants to pay to watch a match that lasts 43 minutes.

"We have seen implementing VAR has reduced simulation. How many cards are now given for simulation? Very little because the players know it is meaningless to try.

"I am convinced time-wasting will be reduced when players know it is meaningless to waste time because that time is compensated."