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• Corberan ‘completely focused’ on West Brom amid Leicester links

  West Brom head coach Carlos Corberan insisted he was “completely focused” on his job at the Hawthorns amid links to the vacant Leicester City manager role.

  The Foxes parted company with Steve Cooper on Sunday following their 2-1 defeat to Chelsea, leaving them 16th in the Premier League table after 12 games of the season.

  Several names have been linked with taking the reins at the King Power Stadium, including Graham Potter, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Gareth Southgate and Corberan.

  But following West Brom’s stalemate with Sunderland on Tuesday, the Baggies’ eighth draw in their last nine Championship games, Corberan distanced himself from taking on the job.

  "I can only say how focused I am at West Bromwich, how proud I feel to be the coach of this amazing club,” Corberan said.

  "I understand that football always has speculation around, but I didn't even know that Leicester's coach was sacked, for example, until last night. There is so much speculation that can appear out of my control.

  "I am completely focused in my work, my club, to get better form, to give fans better results and hopefully our fans don't feel any type of lack of respect because there are always things in the media we cannot control."

  Brentford, meanwhile, were able to come away with a point at Goodison Park despite spending the entirety of the second half with a man less in their goalless draw with Everton.

  Christian Norgaard was sent off in the 41st minute following a challenge on Jordan Pickford while attempting to score in the six-yard box, with VAR recommending on-field referee Chris Kavanagh to review the incident on the pitch-side screen, resulting in his dismissal.

  The Bees have since won the appeal against a potential three-match ban for the Danish international, but head coach Thomas Frank was pleased that his side were able to battle against adversity to claim a first clean sheet of the campaign.

  “It was tough, it wasn’t easy, the boys dug in,” he stated. “We started off really well, playing some good football. We had that tough second half, it was a slog, but we did well with it."

  “[Christian] Norgaard was gutted at half-time, we know how much he does for us, so that second half was for him, for everything he does.

  “To get that first clean sheet is great, that’s been frustrating me! 95 per cent of games we’ve been defending well; that five per cent we’ve conceded scrappy goals. But we deserved that.”

  PLAYERS TO WATCH

  Brentford – Yoane Wissa

  Wissa has been involved in nine goals in his last five Premier League home games for Brentford (seven goals, two assists), scoring in each of those five games.

  Team-mate Bryan Mbeumo, meanwhile, has either scored or assisted in his last six at the Gtech Community Stadium (seven goals, one assist).

  Leicester – Jamie Vardy

  Vardy has scored four goals from five shots on target in the Premier League this season, the joint-best shot on target conversion of any player with five or more attempts (80%).

  Meanwhile, the best conversion rate of any player with 10+ shots on target is Brentford’s Wissa (70% - 7/10), so the game could be won or lost in the forward areas.

  MATCH PREDICTION: BRENTFORD WIN

  While Brentford are favoured by Opta’s data-led simulations, they have won none of their four Premier League meetings with Leicester (D2 L2), only facing Newcastle (six) more often in the competition without ever winning.

  However, the Bees have won more home points (16) and scored more home goals (18) than any other side in the Premier League this season. They’ve won five of their six at the Gtech Community Stadium and are looking to win four in a row at home for the first time ever in the Premier League.

  Brentford’s last three home games have seen them win 5-3 against Wolves, 4-3 against Ipswich and 3-2 against Bournemouth. The Bees last scored three or more goals in four consecutive home league games between April and May 1984, while the last team to win four straight top-flight home games while conceding 2+ goals each time were Leicester in October 1964.

  Leicester are unbeaten in their last eight league games against Brentford (W5 D3), since a 3-2 home loss in the second tier in March 1953.

  But they have won just one of their last 13 Premier League away games against London sides (D3 L9), shipping two or more goals on each of their last five top-flight visits to the capital (D1 L4).

  Despite having just two wins from their 12 league games this season, no side has scored in more different Premier League games so far this term than Leicester (11). Their only failure to score was in their last away match against Manchester United (0-3).

  OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

  Brentford – 59.5%

  Draw – 21.2%

  Leicester – 19.3%

• Salah 'making noise' over Liverpool future for financial benefit, claims Bale

  Mohamed Salah's comments surrounding his future at Liverpool may have been an act "to get a bit more money", former Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale said on Wednesday.

  Bale joined the TNT Sports team at Anfield ahead of Liverpool's clash with Madrid, just three days after Salah had caused a stir with speculation over his stay in Merseyside.

  Salah scored twice against Southampton before saying he was "more out than in" due to a lack of action over his contract, which expires at the end of this season.

  Reds great Jamie Carragher criticised those words from the Egypt star, with Bale following up by suggesting Salah will stay at Liverpool despite the ongoings.

  "We never brought those things into conversation, it’s always about training or general life," Bale said before Liverpool's 2-0 win over Madrid at Anfield.

  "I can't imagine that's going to affect anyone, it's going to be sorted out upstairs with his agent.  

  "I'm sure he's just making noise to just get a bit more money to be honest!"

  Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand defended Salah's actions, claiming no wrongdoing or harm could be done from his honesty.

  "The big thing is he hasn't been out of order," Ferdinand added on punditry duties. "He hasn't been disrespectful; he's just stated some facts.

  "As team-mates, that's all you care about. Is he still with us? Mo Salah is scoring goals week in, week out.

  "He wants to win here and it sounds like he wants to stay – but for a bit more money."

  The ongoings may have been playing on Salah's mind against Madrid, having missed a second-half penalty with Liverpool leading 1-0 after Alexis Mac Allister's opener.

  It was just the second penalty Salah has not converted, scuffing the post from 12 yards in the competition from seven attempts.

  Kylian Mbappe also failed with his own spot-kick at the other end prior to that, as Caoimhin Kelleher saved to keep the Reds ahead, before Cody Gakpo's late header made sure of all three points.

  That victory ensured Liverpool are through the 36-team stage in the Champions League, at least guaranteed a play-off game, though that is unlikely considering they lead the table with 15 points.

• Motta lauds 'compact' Juventus in Aston Villa stalemate

  Thiago Motta left Villa Park satisfied after earning a point in a goalless draw with Aston Villa on Wednesday. 

  An injury-hit Juventus, with only 14 outfield players available, held on for much of the contest, but were aided by the intervention of VAR late on. 

  Morgan Rogers thought he had handed Unai Emery's side another victory in the competition in second-half stoppage time. 

  However, his smart finish was disallowed when the video assistant referee deemed Diego Carlos to have fouled goalkeeper Michele di Gregorio in the air.

  Juventus were perhaps fortunate to leave the West Midlands with a point, having mustered an expected goals (xG) total of just 0.44 compared to Villa's 1.23. 

  Despite the Serie A side keeping a clean sheet for the first time in the Champions League since December 2021, Motta conceded his side did not create enough chances.

  "A point secured, the team continues to play compact and with balance," Motta told Amazon Prime Video.

  "Aston Villa started very fast, and they looked for their striker, but we conceded little. It is clear that we have also created little, so as not to give Aston Villa what they were looking for.

  The result left Juventus 19th in the new 36-team standings after drawing back-to-back games in the competition for the first time since November 2017. 

  They find themselves on eight points from their opening five games, with the possibility of competing in the play-offs to seal their qualification to the last 16. 

  "We have great games to play between the league, Coppa Italia and Champions League," Motta said.

  "Another good performance, a point, and we will continue to look for qualification. We will go out on the pitch always with our ideas and trying to win."

  The Bianconeri will be looking to move up the Serie A table this Sunday when they travel to the Stadio Ettore Giardiniero to face Lecce.