Eddie Howe has insisted he will dictate his own future at Newcastle amid speculation linking the Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann with his job.
The Magpies head into Saturday’s Premier League clash with Wolves sitting in 10th place and way off the pace they set last season to secure a top-four finish.
A report from Germany has claimed Newcastle could turn to the former Bayern boss if they decide to replace Howe at the end of the campaign.
Asked about the speculation, Howe said: “Genuinely, it doesn’t affect me. I’m here. I’m sat in the seat. My future will be defined by what I do, no one else.”
Howe has made a major impact at St James’ Park since his appointment in November 2021, first steering the club out of a relegation fight and then masterminding a charge to last season’s Carabao Cup final and Champions League qualification.
He freely admits that represented a significant overachievement, and a premature exit from Europe coupled with a far more mundane campaign this time around, one which has been peppered with injuries to key players, have led to a degree of criticism.
However, head coach Howe remains defiant as he plots a strong finish having seen his side book a difficult FA Cup quarter-final trip to Manchester City in midweek.
He said: “It’s up to me to continually prove [myself]. I back myself and my ability. I know my qualities. I know what I bring to the job and I have ambitions for the team and the club.
“I can’t control what people write and what speculation there is in every sense. I don’t try to get involved in it.”
Howe was appointed by the club’s new owners within weeks of their takeover and has enjoyed solid support for the work he has done so far.
He said: “From the people at the club – it is difficult for me to speak for them – I have felt a support and an understanding for things that have been thrown at us and things that have happened. It is important I feel that support.”
Whatever pressure Howe finds himself under, he at least has an outlet after revealing his efforts to learn how to play the piano are ongoing.
Asked if his wife and sons were impressed by his efforts, he said with a smile: “No, they’re not impressed. The two elder sons that play are both better than me.
“When I’m playing the piano, I’m not thinking of 4-3-3 or 4-4-2. It is a chance to get away. It’s a rare moment for me to do that because in most other parts of my life, like walking the dog or going to sleep, I’m thinking about football.
“But the rare things you can occupy your brain with do take you away from the game.”
When it was suggested he might have to perform karaoke if his team won the FA Cup, he replied: “If we win a cup, I’ll do anything.”
Eric Dier has triggered an option to make his move to Bayern Munich permanent this summer, the PA news agency understands.
Tottenham defender Dier joined Bayern in January on an initial loan deal until the end of the season for a fee in the region of 4million euros.
With Dier’s Spurs contract set to expire on June 30, an option to make his transfer to the Bundesliga champions permanent if he made a certain number of appearances was included in the deal.
Dier has played six times for Thomas Tuchel’s team, which includes four starts, and has now triggered a new 12-month contract to keep him at Bayern until the summer of 2025.
It will officially bring to an end Dier’s time at Tottenham, where he made 365 appearances during a nine-and-a-half-year spell with the Premier League club before he followed England team-mate Harry Kane to Munich.
What the papers say
The future of Luis Diaz at Liverpool is dependent on whether Mohamed Salah agrees a new deal. The Sun reports the club would listen to offers for the Colombia forward, 27, if Salah, 31, agrees a fresh deal.
Arsenal are looking to begin talks with Italy midfielder Jorginho, 32, over a new contract, reports the Evening Standard. He has been linked with a return to Serie A.
Conor Gallagher is continuing to catch the eye of Tottenham. The Daily Mail says the club are ready to move for the England midfielder, 24, in the summer.
Getafe are keen to talk with Manchester United about a deal for Mason Greenwood. The Times reports the Spanish club are interested in another loan deal or a permanent move for the forward, 22.
Social media round-upPlayers to watch
Trevoh Chalobah: The English defender, 24, is disappointed Chelsea are willing to sell him in the summer, according to Teamtalk.
Raoul Bellanova: Manchester United and Aston Villa have watch Torino’s Italian right-back, 23, reports Italian outfit Tuttosport.
Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has hit back following criticism concerning his commitment to the club.
The 26-year-old England international has faced questions this season for issues both on and off the field.
Last month Rashford was under the spotlight after reportedly being seen in a Belfast nightclub before missing the following day’s training due to illness and he subsequently missed United’s FA Cup tie against Newport.
However, in a piece for the Players’ Tribune website, Rashford has responded to his critics, asking them to show “a bit more humanity”.
“When I make a mistake, I’ll be the first one to put my hand up and say that I need to do better,” he wrote.
“But if you ever question my commitment to Man United, that’s when I have to speak up. It’s like somebody questioning my entire identity, and everything I stand for as a man.
“I grew up here. I have played for this club since I was a boy. My family turned down life-changing money when I was a kid so I could wear this badge.
“I can take any criticism. I can take any headline. From podcasts, social media and the papers. I can take it.
“But if you start questioning my commitment to this club and my love for football and bringing my family into it, then I’d simply ask you to have a bit more humanity.”
Rashford came under scrutiny in October last year after attending a nightclub party following United’s 3-0 home derby defeat to Manchester City.
He has also faced criticism for performances on the pitch having scored only five goals in 32 appearances across all competitions this season.
The forward suggested there is a “tone” to media coverage surrounding him, which he believes may stem from his campaigning for free school meals during the pandemic in which he was made an MBE.
Rashford added: “I’m not trying to have a go at the media. I understand the game, you know what I mean? They’re not really writing about me. It’s like they’re writing about this character, ‘Marcus Rashford.’
“It can’t just be about me as a 26-year-old lad on a night out, or a lad getting a parking ticket. It’s got to be about how much my car costs, guessing my weekly salary, my jewellery or even my tattoos.
“It’s got to be about my body language, and questioning my morals, and speculating about my family, and my football future.
“There’s a tone to it that you don’t get with all footballers. Let’s just leave it at that.
“I think some of it goes back to the pandemic. I was just trying to use my voice to make sure that kids weren’t going hungry, because I know exactly how it feels.
“For some reason, that seemed to rub certain people the wrong way. It seems like they’ve been waiting for me to have a human moment so they can point the finger and say, ‘See? See who he really is?’.”
Tottenham defender Ryan Sessegnon has been backed to bounce back from his latest hamstring surgery by a medical expert.
Sessegnon had an operation on his right hamstring on Monday after the 23-year-old suffered a muscle injury in action for Spurs’ Under-21s on February 17.
It was the second time Sessegnon has been operated on during the past 12 months, but significantly the previous surgery in July was on his left hamstring.
The ex-Fulham player has struggled with muscle injuries over recent seasons, although Sessegnon did state in an Instagram post that his left hamstring now feels “strong” and his hope that this operation on his right hamstring would end previous reoccurring issues.
Sports scientist Dr Rajpal Brar told the PA news agency: “He still has plenty of time right? It is just one of those things with injury cycles or muscular injuries where it can be really tough to get out of, even for more developed players.
“There has certainly been cases where other players have got into it (injury cycles) and got out of it. It is not by any means a death knell for his career or anything.
“He has plenty of time and the key will be some methodical rehab, then some good fortune so you have to hope for the best.
“He has more time to build back and there is also not as much pressure to get back than say a 29- or 30-year-old who is angling to get back to play and get a new contract or whatever it is, whereas it is different for a younger player.”
Sessegnon has not started for Tottenham since last January after he missed the second half of the 2022-23 campaign with a hamstring injury.
It was eventually decided to operate on Sessegnon’s left hamstring in July, which sidelined the one-time England Under-21 international for a number of months.
A cameo against Burnley in the FA Cup last month represented Sessegnon’s first appearance under boss Ange Postecoglou before he was dealt another injury blow when he broke down in a Premier League 2 fixture with West Ham.
Surgery on Sessegnon’s right hamstring was deemed the best course of action and the full-back has been tipped to return for pre-season by Los Angeles-based Dr Brar, who runs the 3cb Performance rehab centre.
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Dr Brar added: “You look at elite footballers, the most common injured muscle is the hamstring and (surgery) is just one of those things where you try to reduce the risk.
“Surgery is never a guarantee of no re-injury but it is one of those things where you think it might give them a better chance of reducing the re-injury risk.
“Once you have surgery, you are looking at a 10 to 12-plus weeks timeline depending on all the specifics.
“The hope is that he can come back for pre-season, get some matches to rebuild that match fitness and match rhythm, then go from there to try to have him ready for the start of next season.”
Erik ten Hag has called on Fulham to apologise for appearing to mock Bruno Fernandes.
Manchester United boss Ten Hag hit out at criticism implying his captain feigned injury after Wednesday’s FA Cup victory over Nottingham Forest.
Ahead of Sunday’s clash with Manchester City, Ten Hag was asked about a TikTok post from Fulham showing Fernandes going down during last Saturday’s Premier League contest and accompanied by the caption: “So glad he’s ok…”
The Dutchman reacted angrily, saying: “I didn’t know this, but if they did it I would say it is not right. It is absolutely not right that a club makes such a statement, because it is totally out of order and they were wrong so they should apologise for this.”
Ten Hag believes Forest were targeting Fernandes and he added: “He is a very passionate football player and he’s a very creative one, he has created the most chances in the Premier League.
“You see opponents are targeting him and especially after Saturday when he had the knock and they see it, and then I feel the referee should protect him there. They had to change at the start of the game because it was so obvious they were looking for him.”
Ten Hag expects Fernandes and Raphael Varane, who was also a doubt for Wednesday, to be fit for the derby, but the likes of Harry Maguire and Rasmus Hojlund are likely to stay on United’s lengthy injury list.
United go into the clash 15 points behind their neighbours and are currently eight adrift of a Champions League qualifying spot.
City have not lost since early December, winning 16 of their last 18 games, while Ten Hag has been beaten in three of his four games against Pep Guardiola’s men.
Last season’s trip to the Etihad ended in a 6-3 defeat for United, but Ten Hag believes his team can take confidence from their form, saying: “We are also in a good run and the spirit is very good, we are united, we have the togetherness to make a good game plan.
“We have done it before against City, lately also against Liverpool. The players are ready for it, the players are looking forward to it, I can smell it when I am around here, when I speak with the players. We’re excited.
“They have a good team but there are more good teams. They have won in the last season everything so we know that that’s the challenge, but also Liverpool have a very good team and there are more. We like such challenges.”
New investor Sir Jim Ratcliffe stated his aim last week for United to knock City and Liverpool off their perch within three years.
“You always want to play against the best so most of the times we feel and you can also see it that the opposition get their best outputs against Manchester United, and maybe this game is the other way around,” said Ten Hag.
“We know we have to give everything and show really a team performance if you want to get a result. If you do it, it is possible.
“From all the games we look back, we had the opportunity to win and we won one time but you need a great day. That is also what we know so the players have to give the best performances.”
Mikel Arteta knows his free-scoring Arsenal side could rely on goal difference if they are to win the Premier League this season.
Despite heading into the weekend two points off the top of the table in third, the Gunners now boast the best goal difference in the league.
Arteta’s side have doled out 6-0, 5-0 and 4-1 wins in their last three league games and have an aggregate of 25-3 since the turn of the year.
That sees them ahead of title rivals Liverpool and Manchester City and, with a three-way title race that could go down to the wire, Arteta believes everything will count.
“Yes, for sure,” he replied when asked if the goalscoring record will be important by the end of the season.
“First of all you have to earn the right to win the games and then we want to be ruthless and efficient in front of goal. Lately I think we’ve been really good.
“In the last 15 or 20 minutes against Newcastle we could maybe have done a bit more, and we have to continue to do that especially when you bring the subs in because they can re-energise the team and continue at a really high level. It’s something that we want to continue to do.”
Arteta will back his side to continue a good run in front of goal as they face bottom club Sheffield United on Monday night, with the Blades having shipped a league-high 66 goals this season.
“With every team we look at the weaknesses and the strengths, and we look to take the game where we want,””Arteta said of facing Chris Wilder’s side.
“I’m saying this because I know that team very well. I analysed it many years ago and I learnt from Chris’ teams and I’m telling you it’s going to be a really tough match.
“They are a really difficult team to beat. I’ve watched their last four or five games now. With the City game, against Villa the game took a different route, but they are extremely well-coached.
“I know Chris Wilder really well and I admire a lot of what he does with his teams. It will be Monday night football and it’s gonna be a tough night.”
Arsenal could welcome back Thomas Partey and Oleksandr Zinchenko for the game after the pair both recovered from injury.
Jurrien Timber will not travel, but is closing in on a comeback from a serious knee injury suffered on his Premier League debut in August.
Jorginho will be hoping to keep his place in the side, too, with Arsenal planning on to open contract negotiations with the Italy midfielder following a string of standout performances.
The 32-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season, but the PA news agency understands that a one-year deal with the option of a further year is planned as an opening point for talks.
Jorginho joined Arsenal from London rivals Chelsea last January and has so far made 41 appearances across all competitions, scoring once and put in a man-of-the-match display against Newcastle last weekend.
Everton manager Sean Dyche is grateful for the clarity their successful appeal against a 10-point deduction has brought and insists they will take on the rest of the season “with an open mind”.
The long wait for a decision on the punishment for breaching profitability and sustainability rules was ended this week when the penalty was reduced to six points, lifting the club out of the relegation zone.
There is another case still pending for a breach on the latest set of accounts – and the long-running takeover sage by 777 Partners is still dragging on – but for now Dyche is looking to capitalise on the boost it has provided.
“We’re pleased we have got something back, obviously,” he said.
“You are always greedy and want more and more but the points the club put forward have been listened to and we have got the four points back.
“We will take that and now it brings clarity to the situation, which is good for us and the players but good for all actually.
“We’ve certainly parked that now because it’s become a fact; a line has been drawn under it and the players are clear on it.
“We take on the rest of the season with an open mind.”
Dyche admits the long delay in receiving a verdict had started to play on the players’ minds but praised their ability to remain focused.
And he said the takeover issue would not affect them at all.
“It does start to creep in eventually. To be fair to these players, it took a long time for that to happen,” he said.
“We were all waiting, the noise gets bigger and bigger – ‘when’s it coming?’ – and the players hear all that and I thought they have stayed pretty steadfast in performance levels.
“The league table looks different and now it is about using that wisely and stepping on.
“They (the players) are not worried about takeovers, that is miles above what you do on the football pitch.
“I think the points tally and the idea of the appeal was a much different situation.”
Liverpool’s youngsters have had a significant week in the spotlight, helping beat Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday before setting up an FA Cup quarter-final trip to Manchester United after victory over Southampton.
Three of them – Bobby Clark, Jayden Danns and Lewis Koumas – are following in their former professional footballer fathers’ footsteps.
Here, the PA news agency looks at the fresh faces who have taken their opportunity to shine at Anfield.
Bobby Clark
Given a handful of opportunities in recent weeks, the 19-year-old is an attacking midfielder. The son of former Newcastle midfielder Lee Clark, he joined the club from the Magpies in 2021 and signed a long-term contract last December.
Jayden Danns
An 18-year-old forward, son of the much-travelled former Colchester, Crystal Palace and Bolton midfielder Neil Danns, only made his first-team debut as an 89th-minute substitute in the 4-1 win over Luton last Wednesday. A week later he came off the bench to score twice against Southampton.
Lewis Koumas
Koumas, the son of former Wales international Jason Koumas, joined the club as a 10-year-old from one of his dad’s former clubs Tranmere and only signed his first professional contract last month. He enjoyed a dream debut as, picked in the starting line-up, he scored the opening goal against Southampton.
Conor Bradley
A relatively familiar name among the group having been given an opportunity in the second half of the campaign in the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold. The Northern Irish right-back, 20, who spent last season on loan at Bolton, has shown promise for his attacking and defensive qualities.
James McConnell
The 19-year-old midfielder has featured a handful of times off the bench after making his debut against Toulouse in the Europa League in October. Joined Liverpool as an Under-15s player after catching the eye at Sunderland.
Jarell Quansah
Warrington-born defender who has established himself in the first-team squad this season. The 21-year-old, who had a loan spell with Bristol Rovers last term, is a ball-playing centre-half who has come through the ranks at Liverpool after joining them at the age of five.
Trey Nyoni
Nyoni spent 10 years at Leicester’s academy before joining Liverpool in September. The England Under-16 international’s rapid rise saw him come off the bench against Southampton to become the club’s youngest player to feature in the FA Cup at 16 years and 243 days and third-youngest in Liverpool’s history.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk had advised the club’s emerging young stars to keep their feet on the ground – as he will be keeping an eye on them.
Eighteen-year-olds Jayden Danns and Lewis Koumas, sons of former Premier League professionals Neil and Jason, scored the goals which beat Southampton 3-0 to set up an FA Cup quarter-final at Manchester United.
The last week has seen academy players thrust into the spotlight with an injury crisis denying Jurgen Klopp the services of 13 first-team players – with Andy Robertson’s illness briefly adding to the issues – and after impressing in the Carabao Cup final win over Chelsea they were central figures against Saints.
Danns came off the bench to score twice in only his third appearance, all coming in the space of eight days, while Koumas was making his debut when he scored the opener.
Klopp cautioned about putting too much expectation on the teenagers and Van Dijk said the next step in their development was to build on their early breakthroughs.
“It was a big night for all of them and they should really take it in and enjoy it and see it as a start and really use it in every way,” said the 32-year-old defender, who admitted he felt old when “half my age” Trey Nyoni came off the bench.
“They all have quality and all can play good football but it is about showing your quality and it’s a start.
“For example, Trey at 16 years old, it is incredible. There will be so many ups and downs coming for him but he has to take it in as players (are) maybe coming back in the next weeks and months and it could be difficult for him (to get in the squad).
“He has to keep pushing and the same for the rest of the young boys. That should be the mentality and I am sure they will do that.
“In my career I’ve seen players who make their debuts after coming through the ranks and then disappear.
“Even learning from being around the first team is massive and you should soak it all in and don’t get carried away.
“They have to keep improving, keep working; staying humble is a very important thing but we have a great culture and I’m definitely one of the guys to make sure they keep doing that.”
To produce such a result with injuries biting hard, just three days after a gruelling 120 minutes at Wembley, was testament to the determination of the youngsters and the endurance of the senior players still able to turn out.
Van Dijk played only the first half as Klopp agreed a pre-match plan for him to be replaced by Ibrahima Konate after his influential performance against Chelsea.
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And the Dutchman revealed one of the perks of being captain was that he got to take the trophy home on their arrival back on Merseyside.
“I wanted to show my kids in person, close up,” he said.
“I put it on the kitchen counter when I came home and left it there. I’ve got four kids and they were so happy to see it and then I took it back to training the next day so everyone could take a picture with it at the AXA (training centre) as they have all played their part in the success we have had and they deserve to be holding the trophy.”
Arsenal are preparing to open contract negotiations with Jorginho following a string of standout performances, the PA news agency understands.
The 32-year-old Italy midfielder is out of contract at the end of the season.
Jorginho joined Arsenal from London rivals Chelsea last January and has so far made 41 appearances across all competitions, scoring once.
A Euro 2020 winner at Wembley, the former Napoli player has impressed Gunners boss Mikel Arteta with his professional approach and has added much-needed experience to a young squad at the Emirates Stadium.
It is understood that a one-year deal with the option of a further year is planned as an opening point for talks with Jorginho, who won the Champions League and Europa League during his five-year stint at Chelsea.
He put in a man-of-the-match display in Arsenal’s 4-1 win over Newcastle on Saturday and also shone in the recent 3-1 victory over Liverpool.
Liverpool made a pre-tax loss of £9million last season as increased commercial income did not offset a drop in money made from media and matchday revenues.
The previous 12 months had produced a small profit of £7.5m.
Liverpool’s biggest income stream in 2022-23 was the £272million, up £25m, generated from off-field income but a last-16 Champions League exit a year after reaching the final meant television money dropped by £19m to £242m.
Matchday revenue also fell by £7m due to fewer games being played across last season after the previous campaign when the club played in every fixture – a total of 63 – they were eligible for, winning both domestic cups and reaching the Champions League final.
While overall revenue remained the same at £594m, increasing costs are cutting into the balance sheet with staff expenses having increased 79 per cent since 2018, up from £208m six years ago to £373m for the year ending May 2023.
The wage bill in this period alone rose £7m to £373m.
Administrative expenses for that same period have increased by 70 percent from £320m to £562m, while utility costs have doubled from two years ago while rising inflation has driven up other costs.
“Operating this great club in a financially sustainable manner and in accordance with football’s governing principles has been our priority since FSG (Fenway Sports Group) acquired LFC in 2010,” said managing director Andy Hughes.
“Despite the significant growing costs of football, the success of our commercial operations demonstrates the strength of our underlying financial position so we can continue to operate sustainably while competing at the highest levels of football.
“While these financial results are a moment in time on our journey, what remains constant is the growing global appeal of the club and, thanks to our amazing support, LFC continues to be the most globally followed club in the Premier League.”
Matchday revenue will increase after the new Anfield Road stand was fully opened earlier this month, taking Anfield’s attendance to 61,000.
“Matchday revenue is a hugely important part of our overall financial sustainability model,” added Hughes.
During the reporting period Liverpool signed Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo, Calvin Ramsay and youth team goalkeeper Kornel Misciur for a combined initial fee of £105m but offloaded Sadio Mane, Divock Origi, Takumi Minamino and Neco Williams.
There were also significant contract renewals for Mohamed Salah – who became the highest earner in the club’s history with a reported £300,000-a-week deal – Joe Gomez, Harvey Elliott, Curtis Jones, Jarell Quansah, Stefan Bajcetic and Ben Doak.
What the papers say
Wolves’ Portugal winger Pedro Neto, 23, and Crystal Palace’s England international Eberechi Eze, 25, are among Tottenham’s main summer targets, according to The Independent. The club have put a wide-playing forward at the top of their shopping list.
Mason Greenwood’s future at Manchester United will be decided by the end of May. The Sun reports the club will make a decision on the 22-year-old English forward, who is on loan at Getafe.
Dele Alli could be handed a fresh start to his time at Everton. The Daily Express, via The Athletic, reports the club are looking to give the former England midfielder, 27, a new deal.
Liverpool are interested in Brentford’s Cameroon winger Bryan Mbeumo, 24, according to the Daily Express.
Social media round-upPlayers to watch
Jorginho: Arsenal’s Italy midfielder, 32, could return to Serie A in the summer, reports Goal.
Diant Ramaj: Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea are looking at Ajax’s German goalkeeper, 22, according to German outlet Bild.
Newcastle United co-owner Amanda Staveley has made a bid to throw out a bankruptcy petition against her alleging she owes a shipping tycoon more than £36 million, the High Court heard.
Ms Staveley, who headed the Saudi-backed consortium that took over the football club in 2021, asked the Insolvency and Companies Court to set aside a demand served by Greek businessman Victor Restis in May last year.
The claimed figure comprises £3.4 million in principal, £2.1 million in “legal costs and expenses” and £31.3 million in interest, totalling £36.8 million, according to Ms Staveley’s lawyers.
The specialist court heard it is “common ground” that Mr Restis agreed in 2008 to arrange a £10 million investment in Ms Staveley’s business ventures, but that there was “some ambiguity” about whether this was a loan or some other form of investment.
In May 2016, the parties entered an agreement.
According to written submissions by Ms Staveley’s lawyer, Ted Loveday, his client was told to sign various other documents and instruments between 2017 and 2021, which ultimately said she was personally liable and which incrementally topped up that liability.
“The various post-2016 instruments… were procured by duress, undue influence and/or misrepresentation,” Mr Loveday said.
“The debt of £3.4 million had morphed into a debt in excess of £10 million, and which was said to exceed £36 million by May 2023,” he added.
Ms Staveley claimed she felt intimidated into signing the post-2016 documents, the court heard.
A specialist judge was told that Mr Restis’ lawyer, John Neocleous, allegedly told Ms Staveley that the shipping magnate “was not a man to be messed with, that he was dangerous and that (she) should not cross him”.
Mr Loveday said in written submissions that she “worried for the safety of herself and her family”.
“Ms Staveley felt understandably intimidated and felt she had no option but to sign,” he added.
Mr Loveday also said that Ms Staveley claimed her Huntington’s disease, which she allegedly made no secret of from Mr Restis or Mr Neocleous, affected her thinking and judgment.
But lawyers for Mr Restis said there is “no evidence” of “undue influence or duress”.
Raquel Agnello KC told the court that Ms Staveley was sent documents, given time to look over them and given opportunities to make revisions before she signed them.
In written submissions, Ms Agnello said: “There is a real lack of reality in relation to an assertion of duress as to the agreements.
“There is no evidence of any unlawful conduct by either Mr Restis or Mr Neocleous.”
She told the court there is no evidence “beyond (Ms Staveley’s) bare assertion” that Mr Restis is a dangerous man.
Referring to Ms Staveley’s medical condition in written arguments, Ms Agnello said: “There is no evidence that the debtor actually informed either Mr Restis or Mr Neocleous that she had Huntington’s.
“Importantly, the debtor does not assert that she informed either of them as to how that affected her in negotiations for the repayment of an outstanding loan.”
Ms Agnello also said an agreement signed on January 7 2021 “supersedes all previous agreements” and that under it, Ms Staveley is liable.
Mr Loveday asked the court to set aside the demand for over £36 million because it “raises a claim which ought to be determined by arbitration” and because Ms Staveley has “substantial ground for denying liability”.
He claimed that the 2016 agreement decided parties would submit their disputes to arbitration and that the same agreement said Ms Staveley is not personally liable and provided for her company PCP Capital Partners to pay.
Mr Loveday called the interest claims and claimed legal costs levelled against Ms Staveley “stratospheric”, and the imposition of personal liability as having come “out of the blue” in 2019.
The hearing before Judge Daniel Schaffer is due to continue on March 19, where Ms Agnello will continue her submissions and invite the court to dismiss Ms Staveley’s application to set aside the statutory demand.
Pep Guardiola hailed as “unbelievable” Erling Haaland’s goal haul after Manchester City’s top scorer hit five in the FA Cup holders’ fifth-round thrashing of Luton.
The 23-year-old took his tally for the season in all competitions to 27 as he combined with the excellent Kevin De Bruyne to deliver a goalscoring masterclass in the 6-2 victory at Kenilworth Road.
It came less than four weeks after his return to the side following nearly two months out with a foot injury, and took his total since joining City in the summer of 2022 to 79 in 83 appearances.
After looking noticeably out of sorts in recent games, particularly during the 1-1 draw with Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium when he missed a host of chances, it marked a devastating return to form for a player that scored a record 36 times in the Premier League last season.
“How many chances did he have against Chelsea?” said Guardiola. “A lot. He maybe had less against Bournemouth (a 1-0 away win), one or two. But it’s his talent. We know always he is there, he always has the chances.
“Always we work as a team, providing the chances. Sometimes you score goals, sometimes not. Quite often he scores. But it’s not a big issue because he’s a special talent.
“The number he has at his age in all competitions, honestly it’s unbelievable. At the end, we know it. He’s our top goalscorer, happy that he’s got the confidence, because the guys who are the top scorers need goals, and he did it (against Luton).”
Haaland hit a first-half hat-trick against Luton to ease his team into the quarter-finals, with each of his goals set up by De Bruyne who himself returned from a lengthy injury lay-off only in January.
The pair combined for Haaland’s fourth in the second half after Rob Edwards’ side had briefly threatened a fightback via two goals from Jordan Clark.
Bernardo Silva set up the Norwegian’s fifth, before a fine finish from Mateo Kovacic made it six as the champions put on an irresistible showing ahead of Sunday’s Manchester Derby at the Etihad.
“The United game will be completely different,” said Guardiola. “They defend differently. They have experienced players.
“We’ll have two days off, so people don’t see each other. Have to refresh out minds and our legs and have two days to prepare our game.”
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