Graham Potter rounded on former players who have questioned his experience and edge as the Chelsea boss insisted he chooses the right moments to show anger.

Former England stars Rio Ferdinand and Joe Cole have been among those to speak out about Potter's leadership.

Both expected a more forceful response from the former Brighton and Hove Albion head coach after Chelsea were denied a penalty at the weekend when Conor Gallagher's shot hit the arm of Tomas Soucek in a 1-1 draw at West Ham.

Cole said there should have been someone on Potter's staff to "cause a bit of an uproar", while both men suggested Potter missed a chance to lay the blame for a disappointing result at the door of the match officials, thereby taking heat off his struggling team.

Ferdinand suggested the likes of former Blues boss Jose Mourinho, plus Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, would have swiftly jumped at a chance to deflect incoming criticism.

Their verdicts on BT Sport came as Potter gave a reasoned reaction to the broadcaster, saying Chelsea needed such things to go for them, adding there was "nothing to complain about there".

Asked about whether he shows anger and in what circumstance, Potter addressed the matter on the eve of his team's Champions League last-16 clash with Borussia Dortmund.

"Of course I get angry. I'm a human being just like you," he told reporters in Tuesday's press conference. "It's just I choose to conduct myself the way I think is the right way to conduct myself on the side.

"That's not to say we don't all lose our temper, because we do, because it's an emotional thing, but I think I have a responsibility to myself, to Chelsea and the game to act in a way that I think is the right way for me; not for anyone else, for me.

"if you think you can start a coaching career in the ninth tier of English football, in the Northern Counties Division One, and get to this point now with Chelsea in the Champions League without getting angry or being nice, then I would suggest you don't know anything about anything."

Potter said the Dortmund away game on Wednesday would be a "wonderful occasion" and he is "really excited for it".

He also spoke about perceived problems between Mykhaylo Mudryk and Marc Cucurella, with reports claiming new signing Mudryk gave a 'like' on Instagram to a post critical of the Chelsea left-back.

They need to forge an alliance on the flank if Chelsea are to blossom, and Potter looked to defuse the situation, saying: "There's no problem in terms of anything sinister at all.

"If anything, it's just team-mates understanding each other. It's quite a common problem: when to pass and at what point and what time.

"There's no problem, it's more just an understanding challenge, which is quite easy to understand when you recognise the context we're in."

Potter added: "We've got a squad we're really excited about, but we know there are challenges and work you have to do. If all of us started working together we'd have to take some time, understand each other, understand what makes us tick and understand how we can help each other.

"That's the impression I get when I see the boys on a daily basis: good spirit, good harmony. They're pushing each other in a good way."

Potter knows Chelsea's vast spending spree, in the region of £600million since Todd Boehly came in as owner, means they have to perform at a high level.

"Of course there's more pressure and expectation when you spend money," he said.

He spoke of how it was difficult to see any club sweeping to consistent trophy success without major investment, but suggested five per cent might find a formula without lavishing huge sums in the transfer market.

"It's like warfare," Potter said. "Sometimes guerrilla warfare can win. You don't have to have the big guns and the big ammo, but sometimes it helps as well."

Charles Leclerc has high expectations for Ferrari in 2023 despite the difficulties of last year.

Leclerc won two of the first three Formula One races in 2022, but only managed one victory through the remainder of the campaign.

A number of dubious race management calls proved costly for Ferrari, who finished a distant second behind Red Bull in the constructor standings.

Ferrari replaced team principal Mattia Binotto with Frederic Vasseur, who last month outlined the team's title intent.

It is a sentiment echoed by Leclerc, who said: "The goal is to win, clearly. I am really looking forward to getting back in the car and trying to win that championship.

"Last year was a good step forward. We need to do just the same this year and hopefully get that championship.

"That is the target for the team and for me, too – get more wins, hopefully be more consistent from the first race to the last race.

"So far it is intense. You can feel the responsibility. But the most important is to be successful – we have to deliver. The most important is to win and the challenge is in front of us.

"When you are at Ferrari coming from 2022, you can't have another objective than to win.

"I don't want to stay it will be easy because Red Bull and Mercedes will have the same target and only one team and driver will win. But we need to have this kind of target.

"We need to bring the mindset to do a better job tomorrow than today and to be always trying to improve the system."

Leclerc was speaking as Ferrari unveiled their new car for the 2023 season, which starts in Bahrain next month.

Andreas Christensen warned Barcelona must be wary of the "dangerous" Marcus Rashford, hailing Erik ten Hag's work at Manchester United.

Barca host United in the first leg of the Europa League on Thursday as the two European heavyweights battle for a place in the last 16.

Ten Hag's side have won 12 out of 15 games across all competitions since the World Cup break, with a resurgent United inspired by Rashford's superb form.

The 25-year-old has scored 13 times for United since the season restarted and Christensen expects a tough test from the forward at Camp Nou.

"He is in great form at the moment. I like him a lot, I love the way he plays. He is a direct, dangerous, and powerful player," Christensen said in a video posted by Barca's social media channels.

Rashford has netted 21 goals this term and has benefitted from the coaching of Ten Hag.

The Dutchman inherited a struggling squad after Ralf Rangnick failed to transform United in his short spell following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's' dismissal last season.

United sit third in the Premier League and will face Newcastle United in the EFL Cup final as the Red Devils search for their first major silverware since the 2016-17 campaign under Jose Mourinho.

"They have great quality and the way they play is good," Christensen said of United. 

"I think Ten Hag will take them to a different level. It will be a tough game, but I think we are in a great moment. Will be a great match."

Barca lead LaLiga by 11 points, with second-placed Real Madrid having played a game fewer, and Christensen urged the Blaugrana to seize the opportunity for success at the end of the season.

"I got here seven months ago, and I think it's been great," the 26-year-old continued. "I think we are on the right track. We want to win another title this season."

Leeds United have confirmed caretaker manager Michael Skubala will remain in charge for their "upcoming fixtures".

The Premier League club have been in search of a new boss since sacking Jesse Marsch last week.

However, after guiding Leeds to a 2-2 draw at Manchester United, before losing 2-0 late on to the same opponents at the weekend, Skubala is to continue in the job for now.

Paco Gallardo and Chris Armas will carry on supporting Skubala, alongside the backroom team already in place at Elland Road.

"I have really enjoyed the experience and the team and staff have responded well," Skubala told Leeds' official website.

“I know I speak for Paco and Chris when I say that it is an honour to be on the touchline at this club.

"We will continue work tirelessly to help to push on up the table in the short term, whilst the board focus on the long term future of the team."

Leeds, who are one point above the relegation zone, take on Everton and Southampton – two of the three sides below them – in their next two games.

The Whites are reported to have failed in their attempts to bring in Andoni Iraola and Arne Slot, of Rayo Vallecano and Feyenoord respectively, as Marsch's successor.

Carlos Corberan was also touted as a candidate to take over prior to signing a new deal with West Brom, while Alfred Schreuder was another contender.

Indeed, Schreuder appeared likely to take over after he was in attendance at Elland Road for the defeat to United on Sunday, but Leeds elected against hiring the former Ajax coach.

Leeds' fellow strugglers Southampton are said to be close to appointing Marsch as their new boss following the sacking of Nathan Jones.

Kylian Mbappe was named among Paris Saint-Germain's substitutes for Tuesday's Champions League last-16 first leg against Bayern Munich.

The France forward was initially ruled out of the match when sustaining a hamstring injury against Montpellier on February 1 that was expected to sideline him for three weeks.

However, after returning to training on Monday, Mbappe was deemed fit enough to start on the bench for PSG at the Parc des Princes for the visit of Bayern.

Since making his PSG debut in 2017, Mbappe has recorded 57 goal contributions (34 goals and 23 assists) in 50 Champions League appearances.

Lionel Messi, who missed Saturday's 3-1 Ligue 1 loss at Monaco, was among the starters for the hosts alongside Neymar and 16-year-old academy graduate Warren Zaire-Emery.

It was a first start in the competition for Zaire-Emery, with his only other appearance coming off the bench in a 7-2 win over Maccabi Haifa in the group stage.

As for Bayern, Thomas Muller dropped to the bench, with Leroy Sane and Jamal Musiala providing support for Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting.

January recruits Joao Cancelo and Yann Sommer both started in the French capital.

Todd Monken was on Tuesday appointed as the Baltimore Ravens' new offensive coordinator.

The 57-year-old replaces Greg Roman, who stepped down last month with a year remaining on his contract after coming under increasing pressure.

Monken has 34 years of coaching under his belt and arrives in Baltimore after helping Georgia Bulldogs win back-to-back national championships in his role of offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said: "We conducted 21 interviews with 14 candidates throughout a thorough process that had wide-ranging organisational involvement.

"Todd's leadership and coaching acumen were evident from the beginning. He has a proven track record for designing and teaching offensive systems that allow players to succeed at the highest level. We're excited to get to work and begin building an offense that will help us compete for championships."

Monken has spent eight years of his coaching career working in the NFL, most recently leading the Cleveland Browns attack in 2019.

He has also been employed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars and joins a Ravens franchise regrouping after a 24-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in an AFC Wild Card Game last month.

Edin Terzic has not discussed the future with Jude Bellingham and is focusing on improving the midfielder – along with Borussia Dortmund's latest 'next big thing' in Jamie Bynoe-Gittens.

Bellingham is set to be the most sought-after player in Europe when the transfer window opens at the end of the season.

Liverpool have been widely linked with the England international but are set to face competition from rivals in the Premier League and Champions League.

Dortmund have not given up hope of keeping Bellingham, sporting director Sebastian Kehl said this week, but that is not head coach Terzic's concern.

"He still has a long-term contract with us, and I never spoke about that with him," Terzic told The Telegraph.

"The only thing we talk about is improving his performance and to try to push him to find his limits. The rest – there will always be rumours, especially if you are a young, talented English player not playing in England."

Terzic is not yet sure of that limit – "he can achieve everything if he stays hungry," the coach added – but he is confident Bellingham will not be the last young player to trust Dortmund with his development.

Indeed, Bynoe-Gittens, another English teenager, left Manchester City for Dortmund in 2020 and broke into the BVB first team at the end of last season.

This season, winger Bynoe-Gittens has played just 281 Bundesliga minutes, but he has scored three goals – all as a substitute – and provided five secondary assists in that time.

Dortmund sit just three points behind leaders Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, and they come up against Chelsea in the Champions League on Wednesday.

"We have to produce the next big thing," Terzic said. "It's our way, and you see it started with Ousmane Dembele and Christian Pulisic, who stepped into this role, and then we created our own chain reaction.

"When you are ready to sign Jadon Sancho, he sees that Ousmane Dembele had a great time at the club. Then it makes it a bit easier to sign Erling Haaland.

"If you have Erling, you sign Jude, and if you have Jude, it's easier to sign Jamie."

Terzic is comfortable discussing Bynoe-Gittens in that company, adding of the 18-year-old: "Every time he's on the pitch, he's capable of making the difference, and at 18, it's something special to do that.

"We are sure he's going to be the next one we enjoy on the pitch."

FIFA has awarded the next Club World Cup to Saudi Arabia, it was revealed on Tuesday.

The tournament will be staged in the Middle East country from December 12 to 22 of this year, retaining its current seven-team format.

World football's governing body said the Saudi Arabian Football Federation was "unanimously appointed" to host the event by the FIFA council, which consists of members from all regional confederations.

Saudi Arabia has pushed to be recognised as a nation that stages standout sporting events, and it may bid to stage the 2030 World Cup.

A World Cup proposal from Saudi Arabia in tandem with Egypt and Greece has been mooted in reports, and intentions to bid have confirmed been already from Morocco, a Spain-Portugal-Ukraine alliance, plus a South American offering from Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay.

FIFA is due to announce the 2030 World Cup hosts next year, with the Club World Cup giving Saudi Arabia a platform on which to showcase its capabilities.

It will feature Champions League winners from across FIFA's confederations, plus the Copa Libertadores champions and the Saudi league title holders. Real Madrid won the most recent edition, beating Al Hilal 5-3 in Sunday's final in Morocco.

Human rights groups have accused Saudi Arabia of using major events as means to 'sportswash' its international reputation, with the country having heavily invested to secure events in sports such as golf and boxing.

There was also strong criticism expressed when it was claimed the Visit Saudi tourism authority was set to be a major sponsor of FIFA's Women's World Cup this year, staged by Australia and New Zealand.

Saudi Arabia has been cited by critics as having poor records in terms of rights for women and the LGBTQ community.

The next men's World Cup, in 2026, sees the United States, Mexico and Canada serve as co-hosts, and FIFA has confirmed all three nations will qualify automatically for the finals, as expected.

FIFA said that was decided "in line with the long-standing tradition of having all hosts competing at the FIFA World Cup, as well as sporting and operational considerations".

It means there will be only three, rather than six, slots available to teams taking part in CONCACAF qualifying for the 48-team finals.

Mikel Arteta hopes to see Arsenal rise to the challenge set for them by Manchester City on Wednesday as they aim to reach the Premier League champions' standard.

Arsenal are three points clear of City at the top of the table heading into their crunch clash at Emirates Stadium.

The match was originally scheduled for October and postponed, meaning this is the first time the top two have faced one another in the league this season, though they did face off in the FA Cup fourth round last month, with City winning 1-0.

City can leapfrog Arsenal with a victory and have a clear advantage in terms of title-winning experience, but manager Arteta sees this as an important hurdle for his players to get over.

"What [City] have done the last six years, they absolutely merit it, they merit it on the pitch, the way they play, the way they have competed, the way they have gone through difficulties," said Arteta, a former City coach who again refused to discuss their alleged breaches of financial regulations.

"For us, the challenge is to get to that level. We need to use that challenge and that energy. This is what we want to be. This is the level and we are heading towards it."

Arteta, who spent much of his pre-match news conference instead discussing Saturday's VAR controversy against Brentford, anticipates motivation being no issue for his side against City.

"There is great energy," he said. "I sensed it since I arrived from after the Brentford game.

"From the staff and everyone at the club, there was a mixture of anger and desire to play the next game. We need to use that."

The Arsenal manager expects a similar attitude from the supporters, adding: "We will play with 15 players. They are so into it for every single ball, giving us energy, support.

"Let's enjoy a beautiful night and a really special day."

Stuart Broad will return when England attempt to keep riding on the crest of a wave at the start of the Test series against New Zealand.

Broad missed a historic 3-0 whitewash of Pakistan to stay at home for the birth of his first child, but Ben Stokes has confirmed the paceman will be back in the team for a first day-night Test that starts at Bay Oval on Thursday.

Olly Stone will miss out as Broad, Anderson and Ollie Robinson have got the nod along with spinner Jack Leach for the pink-ball contest in Mount Maunganui.

Cyclone Gabrielle has affected the preparation for two sides who met in a Test series last year that ended with England celebrating a 3-0 clean sweep. That came at the start of a new era under captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum.

England have won nine of their 10 Tests since Stokes and McCullum took charge, while New Zealand have failed to win any of their past five series and also have a recently appointed skipper in Tim Southee.

The Black Caps have not lost a home series in the longest format for almost six years, though, and they will be out for revenge over former New Zealand captain McCullum and Christchurch-born Stokes.

Stokes is determined to carry on getting the best out of his team-mates, with an Ashes series at home to Australia on the horizon.

The all-rounder said: "I'm at a stage now where I would much prefer to leave a mark on other people's careers than look to make mine more established.

"I've played a lot of cricket and done some great things with some great teams over the years. Being captain, I've got a real desire to make the best out of the team I've got here and players who will come in in the future.

"That's one of my goals as England captain: to hopefully let some of these guys in the dressing room here just have an amazing career. If I can influence that in any way shape or form, then I'll be happy."

Jamieson blow for Black Caps

New Zealand will have to do without Kyle Jamieson for the two-match series after the paceman suffered a suspected stress fracture of his back.

Left-arm seamer Matt Henry will also be absent for the first Test as he awaits the birth of his first child.

Uncapped duo Jacob Duffy and Scott Kuggeleijn have been called into the squad following the loss of Jamieson and Henry.

Tourists out to end 15-year wait for series win

England have been beaten 1-0 in their past two Test series in New Zealand.

You have to go back to 2008 for the last time they won an away series against the Black Caps in the longest format, when they came from behind to take a 2-1 victory.

Ryan Sidebottom took 7-47 in the first innings of the decider in Napier to set up that win, with McCullum among his victims.

Carlo Ancelotti has been getting teased by his Brazilian players at Real Madrid about stories linking him with their national team.

Reports have suggested that Ancelotti is in line to become Brazil's head coach as the replacement for Tite, who left his role after the Selecao's exit at the 2022 World Cup in the quarter-final stage to Croatia.

At a press conference ahead of Wednesday's LaLiga match against Elche, the Madrid boss was asked if the trio of Vinicius Junior, Eder Militao and Rodrygo have mentioned the rumours.

"They joke about it," the Italian replied. "They laugh about it, but we haven't talked about it. We're friends, they laugh.

"They're jokes. But the reality is different. I have a contract [at Madrid] until 2024."

The three Brazilians have been key to Madrid's success under Ancelotti in recent years, but it was not enough for Vinicius to be named in FIFA's FIFPro Men's Team of the Year 26-player shortlist for 2022.

The shortlist was revealed on Monday, with Vinicius' name surprisingly absent despite winning LaLiga and scoring the only goal of the Champions League final against Liverpool in Paris.

The 22-year-old scored 20 goals and recorded 14 assists in 49 games for Los Blancos in 2022, and Ancelotti has been left confused by his omission from a selection of seven forwards that included his Madrid team-mate Karim Benzema, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo among others.

"Vinicius not being there seems strange," he said. "I think they've made a mistake."

Mikel Arteta has not accepted the VAR blunder that cost Arsenal two points against Brentford was simply "human error", even if he appreciated a "really genuine, sincere and open" apology.

Arsenal drew 1-1 with Brentford at Emirates Stadium on Saturday after Ivan Toney's equalising goal was allowed to stand.

The goal was teed up by Christian Norgaard, who had been offside in the build-up.

Lee Mason, the VAR official working on that game, had checked for a separate offence but did not spot the offside in what the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the body responsible for referees in English football, described as a "significant" error.

Mason has not been allocated a fixture for the coming weekend as a result.

Although Arteta said it was important not to "crucify" the official, he suggested Mason had not merely made an error and instead did not know how to do his job.

Having described the "huge anger and disappointment" Arsenal felt upon reviewing the footage, Arteta added: "That was not a human error. That was a big, big, big [case of] not understanding your job.

"That's not acceptable, I'm sorry. That cost Arsenal two points, and that's not going to be restored, so we're going to have to find those two points somewhere else in the league."

Arsenal face Premier League title rivals Manchester City on Wednesday, but the pre-match news conference was dominated by discussion of the Toney goal.

Again suggesting Mason had not simply made a mistake, Arteta said: "That was something else. I wasn't having it; the club wasn't having it."

Still, Arteta welcomed the dialogue Arsenal had received around the incident, even if he was not "satisfied".

"I will be only satisfied if they give me the two points back, which is not going to be the case," he said.

"I appreciate and think they were really genuine, sincere and open apologies and explanations, which is really good, but it doesn't change the fact we have two less points than we should have in the table."

Indeed, City can now overtake Arsenal in the table with victory at Emirates Stadium, so Arteta knows how important it is to leave a frustrating episode behind them.

"That's it. We have to move on. It's certainly made our players, our staff and our fans even stronger and with more desire," he said. "We are ready."

Arteta added: "We cannot do anything about it. Don't use it as an excuse. Try to move on and face it."

Roses are red, violets are blue, have we got the perfect Valentine's Day content for you!

(Very) questionable rhymes aside, love is in the air as long-standing couples and newly formed relationships celebrate the day of romance on Tuesday.

The Premier League is certainly no stranger to the language of love, so while cracking open a bottle of red and exchanging cheap tat with your significant other, why not get some inspiration for love with our Valentine's Day facts with some help from Cupid!

Well, maybe not Cupid, but Opta – and the team at Opta are full of love!

MATT LE KISS-IER'S FOND VALENTINE'S DAY MEMORY

Valentine's Day is of course a day for love (and overpaying for those last-minute flowers and cards you almost forgot to buy…).

Three players who've enjoyed a particularly joyous February 14 in the past are Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier, ex-Liverpool striker Michael Owen, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who have each scored three times in the Premier League on this date – no one has managed more.

All three of those were Valentine's Day hat-tricks as well.

Le Tissier registered three against the Reds back in 1994; Owen took home the match ball with a treble for Liverpool versus Sheffield Wednesday four years later; Aubameyang broke Leeds United hearts in 2021 with Arsenal.

COUPLE GOALS

Sharing's caring, as they say.

Mutual support is a key component of any healthy relationship, particularly the relationship between a striker and their fellow forwards…

If there's any Premier League pairing that sums up "couple goals", it has to be Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.

The Tottenham duo have directly linked up for 44 goals in the league, more than any other pairing in Premier League history.

No couple have ever combined for more than one goal on Valentine's Day, though Philippe Coutinho and the late Jose Antonio Reyes have shared the love on the most romantic day of the year – they have tallied two assists each on February 14, more than anyone else.

CARDS GALORE

Whether from a partner or a secret admirer, it's always nice to receive a card or two on Valentine's Day.

Unless of course you're playing in the Premier League, in which case you want to see the referees keep their cards in their pockets.

In this regard, Leicester City have been the most prolific, their nine yellow cards on Valentine's Day being more than any other team have received. Arsenal follow with six.

The Foxes also fare badly when it comes to red cards, having earned two on February 14 – Danny Simpson (2016) and Hamza Choudhury (2020) account for those dismissals.

The only other player to receive a red card on Valentine's Day is Everton hero Duncan Ferguson ... no, we weren't shocked either.

LOVE IS BLIND'S TEAM-MATE

Donald Love's name gets a good airing all over social media every February 14 given it's ripe for Valentine's Day punnery.

The defender, who now plays for Morecambe in League One, made his Manchester United debut the day before Valentine's Day in 2016, coming on as a substitute in a 2-1 defeat to Sunderland, who he would also go on to play for.

In that game, he slotted in on the right of a back four that also included another pun-magnet in Daley Blind. So, on Valentine's Day 2016, you could have legitimately said Love is Blind...'s team-mate.

Love never went on to play a Premier League game on Valentine's Day, which for obvious reasons is rather regrettable.

SHORT AND SWEET

Valentine's Days come and go, but in football as in life, not every relationship stands the test of time.

In the Premier League, there have been three players to make their only appearance in the competition on February 14.

Neil Cutler's brief fling with Aston Villa resulted in a one-off appearance in 2000; Shay Logan appeared for Manchester City seven years later; and in 2021 the fittingly named Niall Huggins got his sole outing for Leeds United.

It's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all… and our heart goes out to those in that singles club.