Jack Grealish could be available for Manchester City’s clash with Sheffield United on Saturday after nobody was harmed during a burglary at his house.
Raiders targeted the England midfielder’s Cheshire home while he was playing for treble winners City at Everton on Wednesday night.
Members of his family and his fiancee, Sasha Atwood, were at the property at the time when they heard a disturbance and raised the alarm.
It has been reported the thieves made off with £1million worth of jewellery and watches and police are now investigating.
A spokeswoman for Cheshire Constabulary said: “At around 9.50pm on Wednesday 27 December police were called to reports of a burglary. The caller reported that a number of items had been stolen.”
City manager Pep Guardiola has expressed his relief that nobody was hurt.
Speaking at a press conference, Guardiola said: “Fortunately nothing wrong happened where the family was inside.
“It is what it is today in the modern day, with many things happening. It was a bad moment for him and his family but, fortunately, what was not damaged were the people inside.”
City will again be without striker Erling Haaland and playmaker Kevin De Bruyne as they take on the struggling Blades, with defender John Stones the latest addition to the injury list.
Haaland has still not returned to full training after six games out with a foot injury and the game is too soon for De Bruyne as he nears a comeback.
Stones hobbled off at Goodison Park in midweek with an ankle injury and faces a short spell on the sidelines.
“Nothing has changed,” said Guardiola when asked about player availability. “We have the same injuries plus John Stones.”
The Blades are bottom of the table having found the going tough back in the top flight since their promotion last season, but they have produced some encouraging performances since Chris Wilder returned as manager.
Guardiola, whose side’s 3-1 win at Everton was their first in seven Premier League games, anticipates a difficult afternoon.
He said: “Always in the past, we’ve had problems against Sheffield.
“They made an incredible performance against Aston Villa. They were close to winning the game.
“It will be so so tough – a bit like Crystal Palace. In the last games at home we couldn’t get results, in terms of victories, so we will try to be focused on what we have to do.”
The game will be City’s last of 2023, a year in which they won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, European Super Cup and Club World Cup.
Asked to sum up the past 12 months, Guardiola said with some understatement: “Not bad at all. Not bad. Could be better – always – but don’t be greedy too much. It was really good.”
Defender Kyle Walker insists Manchester City have now drawn a line under their stellar achievements in 2023 and have set their sights on a strong second half to the season.
Capturing the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia last week “finished the piece” in Walker’s eyes in a year when a first Champions League title followed Premier League and FA Cup triumphs, with the UEFA Super Cup added for good measure in August.
Questions have been asked about whether Pep Guardiola’s side are lacking something this season after a run of one win in six Premier League matches, but the come-from-behind 3-1 win at Everton showed they are a long way from giving up on their title defence.
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And Walker believes with 20 matches still to come, trailing leaders Liverpool by five points, now is when City will come into their own.
“On the back of winning the Champions League we desperately wanted to win (in Saudi) and finish off the piece. It was good to go and finally tick that off the list,” said the 33-year-old.
“It’s important now to draw a line under it and it’s a big end to the season when we’re in the competition we want to fight for again.
“I don’t think there was many things going wrong on the field except the results. We were playing well, but this game is about winning and we weren’t doing that.
“But that’s football and in the Premier League you can never let your guard down, you’ve got to keep going until the last minute.”
The winning mentality of City’s players is one thing which is not in question after the consistency they have shown over several seasons and that was in evidence again at Goodison Park after falling behind to the Toffees’ first attempt on goal in the first half despite dominating.
Brilliant goals from the impressive Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva either side of a Julian Alvarez penalty turned things around to move City back into the top four and set their sights on the summit again.
“I think it shows the determination and belief in this squad. That’s what this team is all about, digging in, not quitting,” added Walker.
“We’re all good players, we can all play out there, but when the going gets tough it’s about a collective team performance that gets each individual if they’ve made a mistake or they’re doing well, to get you out of that stuff.”
Foden’s performance, playing centrally, was certainly a major factor in the turnaround and not just because of his goal.
In the extended absence of Kevin De Bruyne, who is edging closer to a comeback after a hamstring injury sustained in August, City have at times lacked that creative spark and the England international is one who can give them that.
“Phil’s unbelievable, the talent that boy possesses is incredible, but with this manager and this team and the calibre of players we’ve got, Phil needs to do it week in and week out,” said Walker.
“I think this season he’s really come into his own and took the responsibility on, where we’re missing Kevin or Gundo or Riyad (departed duo Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez).
“But I’m not patting him on the back. He needs to keep doing what he’s doing because I think the sky is the limit for him.
“Resting on a couple of good games is not going to put you in that calibre of the best footballers in the world.
“He’s got the potential, he needs to make sure the drive is still there, he keeps concentrating, keeps putting in the performances that he is doing.”
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes their 3-1 victory in a “massive” game at Everton will serve as a reminder to their rivals not to write them off.
City arrived back from Saudi Arabia as Club World Cup winners looking to correct a record which had seen them win just once in six Premier League matches and drop off the pace in the title race.
But while they were away, results went in their favour which meant winning their two matches in hand on Liverpool would reduce the deficit at the top to just two points, and the first of those was achieved after they recovered from former winger Jack Harrison’s opener with goals from Phil Foden, Julian Alvarez – from the penalty spot – and Bernardo Silva.
“Really, really important. It was a massive game for us, coming from Saudi Arabia,” said Guardiola.
“We were really pleased with how we reacted and it proved again how special this group of players is and the mentality that we have in our bones.
“We want to be there. I know we are not top of the league, (but) a lot of things are going to happen.
“I never saw a Premier League where every game the teams down low and mid-table can beat everyone. There will be a lot of surprises and the thing is to be there.”
Guardiola said the Club World Cup was not only a distraction, but also helped refocus the players’ minds.
“I remember on the plane coming back from Saudi Arabia I listened to the players when they didn’t know I was listening and they started to talk about Everton,” he added.
“I said ‘wow, this is my team’. I have the feeling they still want to try.
“We play many games this season and people say we are not the same. We have lost one of the last 13 (not including the Club World Cup). We don’t talk enough about how good we are.”
The only downside to the game was an ankle problem for John Stones, who left the stadium wearing a protective boot, on only his fifth Premier League start of a season already significantly affected by injury.
“Hopefully the damage isn’t big and he can come back soon,” said the City boss, who is also hopeful Erling Haaland and midfielder Kevin De Bruyne will be available soon.
Haaland has missed six matches with a foot problem while De Bruyne has not played since August because of a hamstring injury.
“He (Haaland) is training alone and getting better, it’s a question of when the pain will disappear,” he said.
“He’s not a skinny guy like Phil Foden, he’s huge and tall so it is more difficult sometimes.
“Kevin is close, but he had fatigue yesterday and we have to be careful. If you don’t handle the timings good you can get injured again.
“I’d love for him to play the next game or Huddersfield (in the FA Cup), but what is important is keeping him fit for a long time, not for one game or another.”
Everton manager Sean Dyche was frustrated by the award of the penalty for handball against Amadou Onana that allowed City to take the lead through Alvarez, but did not use it as an excuse.
“I don’t have a clue. No-one does. Is that deliberate? Of course not. I don’t know where you are supposed to put your hands,” he said.
“The lawmakers are making all these mad rules. I don’t know why they don’t leave the game alone. All the managers are frustrated with it. Maybe the referees are. The players definitely are.
“If he deliberately did that he must be some keeper. His reactions were cat-like. I’ve never seen anything like it.
“But they are still a top side. We know they make chances and you have to try to stop those, which we didn’t do.”
Manchester City survived a testing encounter at Goodison Park as they came from behind to beat Everton 3-1 and climb back into the top four.
The newly-crowned Club World Cup winners recovered from going behind to former winger Jack Harrison’s first-half goal to score twice after the break through a beauty from Phil Foden and a Julian Alvarez penalty.
Late on, Bernardo Silva curled home into an empty net after the otherwise excellent Jordan Pickford had his kick charged down to leave Everton a point above the relegation zone.
It was only City’s second win in seven league matches, but was enough to bring second-placed Arsenal within their sights and Liverpool not much further away.
However, the loss of John Stones, making only his fifth Premier League start this season due to injury, and an eighth successive Premier League game without a clean sheet were less welcome.
With Liverpool and Arsenal drawing just before Christmas, City returned victorious from Saudi Arabia knowing winning their two games in hand would leave them just a couple of points behind Jurgen Klopp’s side at the summit.
Had it not been for some wayward shooting and, more significantly, Jordan Pickford, they would probably have been coasting towards the first of those wins before half-time.
The England number one’s most important intervention came in the 14th minute when he saved Matheus Nunes’ shot and then stuck out a foot to narrowly divert wide Alvarez’s rebound. He also later denied Jack Grealish.
And without Erling Haaland for a sixth successive game – the Norway international’s foot injury is also expected to keep him out of the weekend’s visit of Sheffield United – Pep Guardiola’s side started to look a bit toothless.
That has been a longer-term problem for Everton but scoring from your first shot on target always helps and when Rodri was pressured into an uncharacteristic loss of possession on the edge of his own area by Beto the home side pounced.
Dwight McNeil laid on his third assist in five games as Harrison sidefooted home from close range, with the former City winger almost scoring a spectacular second with Ederson at full stretch to tip over his swerving outside-of-the-left-foot effort.
City were more than happy to leave Beto, making his first start in six games but with two goals in his last five appearances, one-on-one at the back and that almost backfired when Pickford picked him out only for the striker’s clumsiness allowing Stones to recover and clear, injuring himself in the process.
Guardiola was furious with the assistant referee for not flagging for offside and his mood was not helped by the defender’s enforced departure just before half-time.
City needed just 19 minutes after the break to turn things around with Foden given too much space on the edge of the area from a corner to beat Pickford down by his left-hand post.
Silva extended the goalkeeper with a free-kick before Alvarez put them ahead when Nathan Ake’s shot hit Amadou Onana’s arm as he slid in to block.
Referee John Brooks awarded a corner before changing his mind and pointing to the spot, with Alvarez’s blast down the middle proving too powerful as it went underneath the diving Pickford’s legs.
When substitute Dominic Calvert-Lewin failed to turn home Harrison’s low cross from six yards, defeat was confirmed with Silva’s 20-yard effort into an unguarded net after collecting Alvarez’s block on the goalkeeper.
Pep Guardiola says people want Manchester City to fail “more than ever” after the club won the fifth trophy of a remarkable year.
City return to domestic action at Everton on Wednesday having added the FIFA Club World Cup to their previous 2023 successes in the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup and European Super Cup.
It is a unique achievement in English football, yet Guardiola won six trophies as Barcelona boss in 2009 when the Catalan club won La Liga, Copa del Rey, Spanish Super Cup, European Super Cup, Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup titles.
“It is a business you get credit when you win,” City manager Guardiola said ahead of his side’s trip to Goodison Park.
“You don’t win you are nothing, zero, what you have done in the past.
“As much as you win they want you to fail. More than ever. I felt than when we won the sextuple in Barcelona.
“It’s normal. They don’t want (us to win). In these 14-15 years what we have won, the titles, is unbelievable.
“People say ‘how good they play, how genius it is’. But they give credit just because we win. They don’t have to look further than that.”
City swept aside Brazilian opponents Fluminense 4-0 on Friday to win their first Club World Cup.
The victory crowned a successful five days in Saudi Arabia for City, with Guardiola saying the trip “created incredible team building and team spirit”.
But patchy domestic form over the past month – only one win in six games with four draws and a defeat – has left City off the Premier League pace, with Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Tottenham filling the top four positions on Boxing Day.
Guardiola said: “In the moment you don’t win you are going to get doubts, absolutely everything.
“But that is what is nice. That is OK. Doubt again, we’ll see what happens.
“I said before when we played incredibly well against Crystal Palace, Liverpool and Tottenham and don’t win.
“It’s a real proof they don’t care the way we play. We played the best levels quite similar to these (past) eight years and we don’t win. It’s a ‘disaster and crisis’.
“Of course we have bad moments like Aston Villa, who were better. But what’s the problem?
“They can play better so we have to accept it and move forward. The reality is we are happy, but they are waiting for us around the corner (to fail).”
Guardiola spent Christmas with his family in Barcelona before returning to England.
Although he described himself as satisfied after lifting the Club World Cup – “I have a feeling that the job is done, we have everything” – he has quickly turned his thoughts to Everton and nothing else.
“Never at the start of the season when I arrive do I think how many titles we are going to win,” said Guardiola. “Never, never. It’s a horrible approach.
“Nothing else exists than Goodison Park. The greatest athletes forget as quick as possible the success. They celebrate it, but around the corner is another competition.”
City are hoping Rodri will be fit despite the Spain midfielder sustaining a heavy blow to his ankle against Fluminense, while doubts persist over the availability of Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku.
Everton boss Sean Dyche has played down the potential impact of Manchester City’s successful expedition to Jeddah.
Man City return to Premier League action on Wednesday with a trip to Goodison Park after they spent the past week in Saudi Arabia competing and subsequently winning the Club World Cup.
It was a welcome distraction for Pep Guardiola’s champions, who have endured recent domestic struggles with only one win from their last six league fixtures, but Dyche will tell his squad to ignore such talk.
“Sides like that, they are so used to it,” Dyche said of City’s trip halfway across the world.
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“You think of the last five or six years under Pep and all the travelling they’ve done, all the things they’ve won, all the competitions, I’m not saying they are used to everything and this is probably slightly different, but at the end of the day I don’t think, I might be wrong, that they are travelling economy!
“I think they’ll be well looked after, so I won’t over-egg the physical side of it and they have so many good players, I still think they will put out a side that is a very strong side.
“And if it does help, then great and we’ll take all the help we can get but the main focus will be on us performing and not too much focus on them and what they have to do.
“In my experience of Man City, whenever you think of moments like that (poor form), they put out a side and deliver a performance.
“I will certainly make sure the players are ready and forget all of that, all the noise, all the news saying they are not doing this or that.
“Trust me, I’ve seen them a number of times and when you’re on the pitch with them, even when they make changes or they are stretched, they find a very strong side and a way of playing.”
Everton’s hopes of taking points off Man City have been dented by a growing injury list during a busy December schedule.
Key midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure recently picked up a muscle injury and Idrissa Gueye was forced off during Saturday’s 2-1 loss at Tottenham.
Both are unlikely to feature against City, which would result in Andre Gomes’ earning his first start of the season and Dele Alli is still building up his fitness after a recent returning to training.
Dyche said of Dele: “No, not yet. No, he’s not close yet.
“We knew when we skimmed down the squad in the summer, obviously trying to balance things financially and the money, there is a challenge with that.
“You can’t have people everywhere so you try to fill the slots the best you can and use what money is available to get a more balanced squad.
“When there are runs like this and these games, they often put pressure on the squad and that’s the way it goes, but we’ll deal with it the best we can.”
What the papers say
Chelsea are looking at a double January raid on Lisbon side Sporting, according to the Evening Standard. Ivory Coast defender Ousmane Diomande, 20, and Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres, 25, are in the Blues’ sights.
Manchester City are in talks with River Plate midfielder Claudio Echeverri. The Times reports City plan to loan the 17-year-old back to the Argentinian side, who have a £21.4million release clause in his contract.
Sunderland midfielder Pierre Ekwah, 21, is catching the eye of several Premier League clubs, reports the Evening Standard. Sunderland are keen to keep the French youngster but Crystal Palace, Fulham and Nottingham Forest are all circling.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is close to making a return to management, according to the Daily Mirror. The former Manchester United manager, 50, is the front runner to take over at Turkish club Besiktas.
Social media round-upPlayers to watch
Said Benrahma: West Ham’s 28-year-old Algeria winger is interesting Lyon, according to talkSPORT.
Roberto Firmino: Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq could takes the former Liverpool forward, 32, from Saudi Pro League rivals Al-Ahli.
The European Super League needs English clubs more than they need the breakaway competition, says football finance expert Dan Plumley.
The European Super League was initially announced back in April 2021, with 12 of the continent's biggest clubs announcing their intention to join. Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham all agreed to participate.
However, a fan backlash eventually forced nine of the clubs to back down, including all six English teams, and the Super League looked to be a thing of the past.
A ruling this week may have given it a second life, though, with the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Luxembourg deciding FIFA and UEFA "abused a dominant position" in blocking the Super League.
A new proposal was swiftly announced, but all six English clubs invited to join rejected the request.
Plumley believes the Super League would need the support of English clubs to get off the ground, though he did warn their involvement could still be a possibility despite the heavy opposition seen after the initial launch in 2021.
When asked if the Super League required the English clubs' involvement, Plumley told Stats Perform: "Yes, I think that's absolutely the way to position it at the moment.
"And I'm not saying that it would never happen. The Premier League clubs don't really need to go following the Super League, but the Super League would be better with English clubs.
"I don't think the Super League idea is ever going to be fully dead in the water. I think we'll see it in some way, shape or form, and maybe it will happen.
"When you're talking about lots of money on the table, a lot of clubs will often look for the best deal on the table and if that is a European Super League in the future, that's when heads might start to be turned.
"But the English situation is a bit of a problem for them, because you're talking about wanting the biggest clubs in the world to be part of it. And there are some very big English clubs that have already ruled themselves out."
Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid are two of the clubs spearheading the Super League project, with the latter's president Florentino Perez hailing the ECJ's ruling as a "great day for the history of football".
Plumley feels the poor financial situations of Barcelona and Madrid are a key reason behind their Super League support, as well as the recent power shift towards the Premier League in terms of revenue and talent.
"I think, certainly for them, the driving force over the last couple of years has been financial," Plumley stated. "We know the financial situation at Barcelona has not been great. We know Real Madrid have had problems as well.
"I think the other thing with those two clubs that we've seen is a real stubbornness to dig their heels in. They wanted to be proved right and in a way that verdict does prove them right. Part of their argument was that UEFA and FIFA were acting unlawfully by blocking it.
"I think what's hurt Barcelona and Real Madrid along the way is all the other clubs that have moved away from the project.
"I think it's symptomatic also of Barca and Real's position in Spain. Yes, they are dominant, but where are they seeing the growth?
"I don't think they're seeing as much growth as potentially the Premier League's got to offer and those are little things where it becomes about, 'well, now I'm going to look at my own self-interest'. You can see how they've tried to leverage that through the Super League.
"At the end of the day it comes down to finance, and certainly in the early stages of it, it was all about money for those two clubs. Don't get me wrong, it probably still is, but I think a lot of it then was they felt like they needed to see the case through because they dug their heels in."
Manchester City’s Jack Grealish has denied being disrespectful towards Fluminense during Friday’s Club World Cup final victory.
Tempers briefly flared after the final whistle as City captain Kyle Walker and Fluminense defender Felipe Melo grappled in a heated argument.
Melo subsequently blamed Grealish for stoking tensions, claiming the City winger had shouted ‘ole’.
Grealish insisted that was not true, writing on the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter: “Not once did I say ole.”
The situation quickly calmed down before City lifted their fifth trophy of the year following a comprehensive 4-0 win over the Brazilian side in Saudi Arabia.
Julian Alvarez scored twice, with Phil Foden also netting in the second half after a Nino own goal had put City two up.
Manchester City’s Jack Grealish has denied being disrespectful towards Fluminense during Friday’s Club World Cup final victory.
Tempers briefly flared after the final whistle as City captain Kyle Walker and Fluminense defender Felipe Melo grappled in a heated argument.
Melo subsequently blamed Grealish for stoking tensions, claiming the City winger had shouted ‘ole’.
Grealish insisted that was not true, writing on the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter: “Not once did I say ole.”
The situation quickly calmed down before City lifted their fifth trophy of the year following a comprehensive 4-0 win over the Brazilian side in Saudi Arabia.
Julian Alvarez scored twice, with Phil Foden also netting in the second half after a Nino own goal had put City two up.
Pep Guardiola spoke of his pride after Manchester City thrashed Fluminense 4-0 to win the Club World Cup for the first time on Friday.
It was the club’s fifth trophy of a memorable 2023 after their previous successes in the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup and European Super Cup.
Julian Alvarez began the rout after just 40 seconds, teed up another for Phil Foden and then wrapped up a one-sided victory in the closing minutes. City also benefited from an own goal as they overran their Brazilian opponents.
City manager Guardiola, who had previously won the competition three times, told the club’s website: “I am so proud of this club. What we have done is an outstanding achievement.
“To win this trophy is to be the best team in the world and our players, our coaches, our backroom staff, all of them work hard every single day to bring us this success.
“As a manager what I am most proud of (is) that we are always there. No matter how much we win, no matter what trophies we lift, we are there again to fight for the next one.
“To win the treble was truly special but to win two more trophies and now hold these five major titles shows the unique mentality of this team, of the club and its fans.
“It is something no other English team has ever achieved and we will always remember this incredible time we spent together.”
Foden, whose cross also forced the own goal, similarly hailed a momentous night in the club’s history.
The England midfielder said on TNT Sports: “We are not used to playing in this heat so it was difficult but we are delighted with the outcome. We’re over the ‘world’.
“This one is so important for the club. It’s the first time we’ve won it. We’re delighted and it’s massive for the club.”
Foden felt Fluminense, the Copa Libertadores winners, gave City a tough night.
“It was an unbelievable match,” he said. “Fair play to them, the way they play. I love the way they play – short passes.
“They are a great side and they didn’t make it easy but I thought the lads not only showed quality but heart and determination.”
Phil Foden hailed a momentous night in Manchester City’s history after they claimed the Club World Cup for the first time.
The England midfielder was on the scoresheet as City thrashed Brazilian side Fluminense 4-0 in Friday’s final in Jeddah to add the world crown to four other trophies already won in 2023.
Foden said on TNT Sports: “We are not used to playing in this heat so it was difficult but we are delighted with the outcome. We’re over the ‘world’.
“This one is so important for the club. It’s the first time we’ve won it. We’re delighted and it’s massive for the club.”
Julian Alvarez put City on the way to their convincing victory when he opened the scoring after just 40 seconds by pouncing on a rebound after Nathan Ake struck the post.
Foden forced an own goal to double City’s lead before the break and then added the third himself.
Alvarez put the seal on the club’s latest triumph with his second, two minutes from time.
“It was unbelievable match,” Foden said. “Fair play to them, the way they play. I love the way they play – short passes.
“They are a great side and they didn’t make it easy but I thought the lads not only showed quality but heart and determination.”
Manchester City added the Club World Cup to last season’s treble with an emphatic 4-0 win over Brazilian side Fluminense in Jeddah on Friday.
Julian Alvarez struck twice, setting them on their way after just 40 seconds and wrapping up victory late on, while Phil Foden forced an own goal and grabbed the other himself.
It was manager Pep Guardiola’s fourth triumph in the competition but one that came at a cost as influential midfielder Rodri was forced off in the second half with an injury.
City, who were again without striker Erling Haaland due to a foot problem, now face an anxious wait over the Spaniard’s fitness ahead of the resumption of their Premier League title defence at Everton next Wednesday.
Rodri, who limped off after a challenge from Alexsander, has already missed four games through suspension this season and City have lost them all.
Yet for now City can celebrate their fifth trophy of 2023, having also claimed the European Super Cup in August.
They were far too strong for the ageing Copa Libertadores winners, who repeatedly invited pressure on to themselves.
City were gifted the perfect start when veteran former Real Madrid captain Marcelo – one of seven in the Fluminense starting line-up aged 33 or over – found Nathan Ake with an attempted crossfield pass from deep inside his own half.
Ake wasted no time as he thumped a long-range shot against a post and there was nothing goalkeeper Fabio could do as Alvarez crouched to make sure the rebound bounced in off his chest.
City did have a scare when Ederson gave the ball away and then brought down German Cano but were spared by an offside flag.
Apart from that, Fluminense rarely threatened and City doubled their lead when Rodri played in Foden and his ball across the box deflected off Nino and looped into the net.
Ederson was called upon to keep out a Jhon Arias header just before the break, but City almost claimed another when Jack Grealish tested Fabio from distance.
Fabio also produced a good double save to deny Foden and Bernardo Silva in quick succession early in the second half.
City’s third came as Rodri attempted to run off his injury, with Alvarez getting free down the left and crossing for Foden to slide in after 72 minutes.
Rodri was removed moments later, but Alvarez put the seal on success with a clean strike two minutes from time.
The Premier League’s ‘Big Six’ have all now distanced themselves from the possibility of joining any new European Super League.
Arsenal became the last of the clubs who joined the original Super League in 2021 to confirm their position on Friday.
The Gunners issued a statement saying they will continue in UEFA competitions despite a European Court of Justice ruling which has at least opened the possibility of a club-led tournament to rival the Champions League being launched.
Liverpool have not commented directly since Thursday’s ruling but the PA news agency understands legal consent on the issue of joining new competitions has rested with the recognised supporters’ trust, the Spirit of Shankly (SoS), since the Reds’ withdrawal from the Super League two years ago.
SoS’ statement on Thursday said Liverpool’s position had not changed since 2021. Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham all issued statements on Thursday pledging commitment to UEFA competitions.
The original Super League plan fell apart within 72 hours, as the English clubs withdrew one by one amid fan protests, pressure from the British Government and opposition from UEFA and FIFA.
The company behind the original project, A22, announced details for new “open and meritocratic” men’s and women’s competitions within hours of the ECJ ruling on Thursday morning. In the men’s competition, 64 teams would be involved with 20 places available each year to teams based on their domestic performance.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin mocked the proposals and said the format was “even more closed” than the one put forward in 2021, but A22 founder John Hahn told PA the principles of relegation and promotion were in line with domestic competitions across UEFA’s 55 member associations.
Real Madrid and Barcelona, key supporters of the 2021 project, are on board. Juventus and AC Milan, two of the other 12 involved, have not commented yet but Inter Milan have strongly rejected it, so too Spanish side Atletico Madrid.
The president of Italian champions Napoli, Aurelio De Laurentiis, said his club was ready to hold talks over the new project. Napoli were not part of the 2021 project.
Ceferin said “football was not for sale” at a press conference on Thursday, which significantly featured executives from all the key stakeholder groups – clubs, leagues, players and fans.
Clubs have gained considerable concessions since 2021 – a new Champions League format starting next season featuring more matches, and the scope for even more in the future, and the establishment of a joint venture between clubs and UEFA to control commercial matters linked to the Champions League and other club competitions.
The ruling on Thursday clearly empowers clubs, but in the short term may be the catalyst for further reform in their favour rather than revolution.
What the papers say
The Metro reports Tottenham have maintained their interest in Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher, with a view to a January approach. Citing Sky Sports, the paper says Tottenham’s interest has carried over from the summer, but Chelsea would be seeking big money for the 23-year-old following an impressive start to the season. Gallagher only has 18 months left on his contract, so the Blues would expect to sell him at some point in the next year unless he pens a new deal.
Sporting Lisbon defender Goncalo Inacio is on the radar at Arsenal, according to The Sun. However, the paper says the Gunners are unlikely to make a move in the January window unless they are forced to act due to a serious injury cropping up.
The paper also says another of Tottenham’s interests, Tosin Adarabioyo, has informed Fulham of his intention to depart the club at the end of the season. The Cottagers have offered the 26-year-old defender a new deal, but he is expected to turn the offer down and become a free agent.
And The Sun reports West Ham and Everton are both circling for 20-year-old Peterborough defender Ronnie Edwards.
Social media round-upPlayers to watch
Kalvin Phillips: ESPN reports Juventus have entered talks with Manchester City over a loan deal for the England midfielder.
Borja Mayoral: Brentford, Crystal Palace and Fulham are all monitoring the Getafe striker, according to Spanish outlet Fichajes.
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