Jorginho believes relentless Arsenal are approaching the Premier League title race with more maturity than last season.

The Gunners were top of the table for a total of 248 days last term before ultimately slipping behind Manchester City in the run-in.

Pep Guardiola’s men are again in the running this time, with the holders sandwiched between leaders Liverpool and Arsenal as the season enters the final straight.

Just two points separate the table-topping Reds and third-placed Gunners, who ran amok at sorry Sheffield United in a 6-0 Monday mauling.

“The performance of the squad (was great) and the mentality to start strong and carry on the momentum,” Jorginho said.

“It was really, really good to see a team playing forward and want to keep going.”

Asked what is different about the team this year compared to the one that just fell short last season, the Italy international added: “I think the maturity.

“We are way more mature how we compete and how we manage the games. I think that’s it.”

That mentality led Mikel Arteta’s side to race out of the blocks, racking up a five-goal lead quicker than any away side in Premier League history – Declan Rice making it 5-0 in the 39th minute.

Ben White’s second-half thunderbolt completed the rout, scoring the club’s 10,000th goal on a night they became the first English league side to win three consecutive away games by five or more goals.

“We are pleased that we are doing all this good stuff, but we need to carry on,” Jorginho said.

“Because if we just think ‘oh yeah, nice, it’s done’… no, we just need to put your head down and keep pushing, being humble and keep going.

“We need to not be just happy for what we are doing. Of course, we are happy but we want to keep being happy.

“So, to be like that we just need to keep pushing and working hard.”

Arsenal’s seventh Premier League win on the bounce pushes shambolic Sheffield United further towards an immediate return to the Championship.

The Blades also made history on Monday, becoming the first English side to lose three consecutive home league games by at least a five-goal margin.

It was the kind of performance that raises questions over Chris Wilder’s future but the United boss says it only strengthened his drive to rebuild his boyhood club.

“It cements it,” he said. “As far as I’m concerned in a way I’ll wake up tomorrow and it’ll strengthen my resolve to get this right because it’s a big job, we understand that.”

What the papers say

Manchester United and Paris St Germain have emerged as the frontrunners to land the signature of Victor Osimhen in the summer. According to The Independent, Chelsea and Arsenal are also interested in the Napoli forward.

The Telegraph reports Newcastle are edging closer to inking a new deal with midfielder Joelinton. The 27-year-old has little over a year left on his current deal, but the two parties are believed to be on similar terms with negotiations proving productive thus far.

Tottenham have reportedly taken an interest in Sporting Lisbon midfielder Morten Hjulmand. The Sun, citing Portuguese paper Record, says Spurs sent scouts to watch the Denmark international in action as Sporting beat rivals Benfica 2-1 last Thursday, with a view to a potential summer move for the 24-year-old.

And the i says Newcastle intend to send 19-year-old winger Yankuba Minteh out on loan for a second successive season. Minteh has been at Dutch side Feyenoord this season.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Alphonso Davies: Real Madrid are willing to offer as much as £43m for the Bayern Munich defender, according to Mundo Deportivo.

Archie Brown: HITC reports Chelsea, Leeds and West Ham are all monitoring the English defender, currently playing for Belgian side Gent.

England won the SheBelieves Cup for the first time with a 3-0 win over Japan on this day in 2019.

A 2-1 victory against Brazil and a 2-2 draw against hosts the United States saw the Lionesses set up a winner-takes-all final-match showdown with Japan at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.

Lucy Staniforth, Karen Carney and Beth Mead were all on the scoresheet in the first half as England were crowned champions of the invitational round-robin tournament.

Staniforth put the Lionesses ahead in the 12th minute, collecting a flicked pass from Jodie Taylor before finishing low in the bottom-right corner of the net.

Taylor recorded her second assist of the game shortly afterwards, hooking the ball to Carney in the six-yard box for the winger to nod home to make it 2-0, before Mead scored on the half-hour mark following a great pass from Keira Walsh.

Victory came as a boost ahead of the Women’s World Cup later that year in France, where the Lionesses would reach the semi-finals, and England manager Phil Neville hailed his side’s efforts in the SheBelieves Cup as “sensational”.

He said: “It was a sensational performance. I wasn’t that bothered before the tournament whether we won or lost, I just wanted to see an improvement and we go home knowing we are definitely in the right direction.

“We just keep listening to USA, Japan and Brazil talk about how good we are. But we remain humble, have fun and enjoy moments like this.

“You don’t get many chances to get your hands on a trophy. It is my first as a manager so I am just going to enjoy it.”

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta described his side’s 6-0 thrashing of Sheffield United as “a great night” as they climbed to within two points of leaders Liverpool.

The Gunners dominated from start to finish against a Blades team who looked well beaten after Martin Odegaard, Jayden Bogle’s own goal and Gabriel Martinelli had put them 3-0 behind inside 13 minutes.

Kai Havertz and Declan Rice put the irrepressible Londoners 5-0 ahead at half-time and Ben White crashed home their sixth before the hour mark.

Arteta, whose side’s seventh straight league victory saw them become the first English league side to win three consecutive away games by five or more goals, said: “It was a great night.

“The way we started made a difference. We were really aggressive and positive and we showed real quality in the final third to take the game into a great position for us.

“Then we maintained the rhythm, maintained the hunger and I love that about the team.”

Arsenal struck their fifth goal in the 39th minute, the earliest an away side has had a five-goal margin in Premier League history.

But Arteta warned his side they cannot afford to drop any points between now and the end of the season if they are to pip Liverpool and Manchester City to the title.

“The fact that we’re scoring many goals and not conceding is a great sign, but it’s about winning every game now,” the Spaniard said.

“That’s the demands these two teams have set over the past few years and that’s the task ahead of us.”

Arteta confirmed Bukayo Saka was withdrawn at half-time due to illness, while Martinelli was replaced by Gabriel Jesus in the 64th minute after cutting his foot.

“We need to wait and see how it is,” added Arteta on Martinelli’s setback, which was the only downside to the evening.

Inter Milan stretched their lead at the top of Serie A to 15 points after they earned a 2-1 win over Genoa at San Siro.

After a slow opening spell, the home side soon clicked into gear and established a two-goal lead by the 38th minute through Kristjan Asllani’s strike and Alexis Sanchez’s penalty.

Inter looked like they would go on to cruise to victory but they were soon forced to increase their concentration levels when Johan Vasquez pulled a goal back for the away team nine minutes after half-time.

Vitinha then thought he levelled things up for Genoa but the offside flag saved Inter, who held on to stretch their winning run in Serie A to nine games.

Inter were frustrated through the opening quarter with the hosts coming closest when Nicolo Barella pounced on Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s long ball but guided over the crossbar.

Genoa came close to breaking the deadlock after Stefano Sabelli’s cross was powerfully headed towards goal by Mateo Retegui but Yann Sommer saved. The rebound fell into the path of Albert Gudmundsson who diverted wide.

Inter had the breakthrough on the half-hour mark when Sanchez’s through ball found Asllani, who smashed emphatically into the roof of the net to make it 1-0.

The hosts had a chance to double their lead when Lautaro Martinez picked out Barella, who was adjudged to have been fouled inside the area by Morten Frendrup and a spot-kick was awarded.

Sanchez stepped up for the penalty and powered into the right side of the net, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.

Inter were smelling blood and could have had three when Mkhitaryan raced through on goal and let fly only to see his goalbound shot blocked by Johan Vasquez.

Genoa had a route back into the game nine minutes after the break after Stefan de Vrij’s defensive header looped straight into the path of Vasquez who arrowed a volley into the bottom right corner.

The visitors thought they had an equaliser when Vitinha cut inside and picked out the bottom corner but the assistant referee’s offside flag cut celebrations short with 20 minutes to go.

Genoa came close once again but Tottenham loanee Djed Spence’s cross was glanced wide by Retegui and Inter held their nerve to edge closer to the Serie A title.

Rampant Arsenal made history with a 6-0 win away to shambolic Sheffield United as Mikel Arteta’s side moved back to within two points of the Premier League summit.

Having seen title rivals Liverpool edge past Nottingham Forest and Manchester City defeat Manchester United, Mikel Arteta’s men knew they had to respond at the Championship-bound Blades.

Arsenal did so in style and could easily have struck more than the five first-half goals they managed at Bramall Lane, where the Monday evening mauling was completed by a Ben White thunderbolt.

This was the Gunners’ seventh straight Premier League win and saw them become the first English league side to win three consecutive away games by five or more goals.

By contrast, the Blades have now conceded five or more in four successive home games in all competitions – not exactly the fight boss Chris Wilder promised from his rock-bottom side.

Instead, United fans watched one the most humiliating first halves in Premier League history, with a Jayden Bogle own goal coming between efforts from Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli in the opening 15 minutes.

Kai Havertz and Declan Rice made it five by the half-time, which was greeted by boos from the Blades fans who had not already headed for a pint or an early exit.

White brilliantly fizzed home Arsenal’s sixth – the 10,000th goal in club history – as Arteta rung the changes, including taking off injured Martinelli after withdrawing Bukayo Saka at the break.

Chelsea striker Sam Kerr has pleaded not guilty to racially aggravated harassment of a police officer, according to the Crown Prosecution Service.

The Australia captain was charged with causing a police officer harassment, alarm or distress during an incident in Twickenham, south-west London, on January 30 last year.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said the incident involved an officer who was responding to a complaint about a taxi fare.

Kerr, of Richmond, denied the charge at a plea and trial preparation hearing at Kingston upon Thames Crown Court on Monday.

She is due to face trial next February, according to reports.

Chelsea have been contacted for comment by the PA news agency.

Kerr is two months into a lengthy period on the sidelines after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury during the Blues’ warm-weather training camp in Morocco.

The 30-year-old – Australia’s all-time leading scorer with 69 goals – joined Chelsea in 2020 and has helped the London club win the last four Women’s Super League titles as well as the FA Cup three times.

The Republic of Ireland appear to have ruled out interim boss John O’Shea from taking over as head coach permanently.

The Football Association of Ireland said last week it plans to name a permanent successor to Stephen Kenny in early April, with director of football Marc Canham revealing at a press conference on Monday that the preferred candidate was still in work.

“The process of the appointment of the permanent new head coach is very close to the end, nearing its end point, and we look forward to announcing that new permanent head coach in early April,” Canham said at a press conference alongside O’Shea.

“Existing contractual obligations mean that we are not in a position to announce any further details at this point but as we have committed to, we will announce that in early April.

“The process has been ongoing for a period of time, we have given a series of updates, but we are near the end. We are at a really advanced stage but for different practical reasons we can’t confirm that until early April.”

Former Manchester United and Ireland defender O’Shea was appointed interim boss last week for the home friendlies against Belgium and Switzerland later this month.

“Look, my focus is on these two games,” said the 42-year-old. “When I got the message from Mark just over a week ago it was an amazing feeling, I’m very proud.

“It’s an amazing feeling and I can’t wait for it to come round.

“(The future) takes care of itself, I’m focused on these two games and we’ll see what happens then.”

O’Shea will be assisted by Paddy McCarthy and Glenn Whelan, as well as former national team boss Brian Kerr as technical director.

Paris St Germain boss Luis Enrique has offered Kylian Mbappe no guarantees about his playing time in the Champions League.

The reported wantaway striker was taken off at half-time during PSG’s goalless draw with Monaco on Friday, having been substituted just over an hour into the draw against Rennes a week earlier.

Asked what he expected from Mbappe in their second leg at Real Sociedad on Tuesday night, Enrique told a press conference: “I expect my team to be up to the level of the game and to approach it in the way we have throughout the season.

“I can see that the team is full of confidence and we have a clear target, which is to try to win the game.

“We want to beat Real Sociedad away from  home, but it will certainly be very tough.”

PSG lead 2-0 from the first leg and Enrique added: “It is an attractive position to be in and we have the desire to be in this competition.”

Enrique confirmed that full-back Nuno Mendes was fit to start following his lengthy injury absence.

Real Sociedad coach Imanol Alguacil knows his side face a tough task to overturn the two-goal deficit, but is hopeful they can spring a surprise.

“I will ask the team to show personality, just like in Paris. We made it clear over there that we are capable,” he said.

“For our part, we will do everything we can to achieve it. I want the best atmosphere, both on and off the pitch. It won’t be easy, but we are full of hope. The important thing is to compete and to stay alive.”

Manchester City boss Gareth Taylor has signed a new contract with the Women’s Super League outfit running to 2027.

The 51-year-old has been in charge at City since May 2020 and oversaw the team winning the delayed 2019-20 FA Cup final six months later and the League Cup in 2022.

The news of Taylor’s three-year extension comes with City currently lying second in the WSL, level on points with leaders Chelsea, and on a nine-match winning run.

He said in a statement from the club: “I’m very happy to be able to commit to City for another three seasons.

“I think what we’re doing here and trying to achieve is a build and a long-term project of sustainability and success.

“Our ambition was always to be right at the top and we’ve done that. It’s taken a lot of hard work from a lot of people behind the scenes. The players have really bought in to what we’re trying to do and achieve.”

City, whose only WSL title to date came in 2016, have bounced back this season after missing out on the Champions League places with a fourth-placed finish last term. They came second in 2020-21 and third in 2021-22.

Almost two-thirds of UK football fans are in favour of the creation of a European Super League, according to new research commissioned by the competition’s promoters.

Sixty-five per cent of 835 UK fans polled by French company Opinion Way were in favour or somewhat in favour of the new format put forward in December 2023, with support especially high among Manchester City and Chelsea supporters – 85 and 81 per cent respectively.

English football supporters took to the streets to protest against the creation of the original ESL in April 2021, which collapsed within 72 hours of its launch.

However, A22 says the new research shows “substantial support” for the new formats it presented just before Christmas for a 64-team men’s competition and a 32-team women’s event.

Overall, the survey canvassed the views of 6,458 fans aged 15 and over across eight countries – France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Portugal, as well as the UK.

Football fans were defined as “people reporting to be fairly or very interested in football”.

Across the whole group, 72 per cent were in favour or somewhat in favour of the new formats. Support was higher among the younger age groups, with 86 per cent of the 956-strong group aged 15 to 24 in favour.

The survey also looked at the responses according to the clubs the 835 UK fans said they supported; 509 fans said they were supporters of ‘Big Six’ clubs, all of whom signed up to the original Super League in 2021.

Of the 75 City supporters surveyed, 85 per cent supported the new ESL proposal and 81 per cent of the 63 Chelsea supporters were in favour.

The lowest level of support among ‘Big Six’ clubs was at Tottenham, where 55 per cent of the 54 fans surveyed were in favour.

Under the new-look Super League, just 20 teams would be able to qualify for the third-tier ‘Blue League’ via domestic competition each season.

“We have evidence that the desire for a European Super League as a much more exciting alternative to the current European club football competition is stronger than ever,” A22 chief executive Bernd Reichart said.

Reichart said talks with clubs had “intensified” since December’s European Court of Justice ruling and that A22 had received “positive feedback” about its plans, giving it “great confidence that we are on the right track”.

The ECJ’s Grand Chamber found UEFA prior authorisation rules which blocked the formation of the Super League in 2021 were contrary to European Union law.

UEFA introduced new rules in 2022 in consultation with the European Commission. European football’s governing body said it would fully review those rules in light of the ECJ ruling.

UEFA is changing the format of its three main men’s club competitions for next season, while a new Women’s Champions League format kicks off in 2025-26.

Celtic have appealed against Yang Hyun-jun’s red card and written to the Scottish Football Association with “serious concerns” over the standard of officiating during their 2-0 defeat by Hearts.

Yang was sent off in the 16th minute following a VAR review after initially being booked for catching Alex Cochrane with a high boot.

Both sides had penalties awarded during the cinch Premiership encounter at Tynecastle on Sunday.

Celtic confirmed they would be appealing against the red card and added in a club statement: “We have also written to the SFA to raise our serious concerns regarding the use of VAR and the decisions made within the match.”

The Republic of Ireland will announce a new permanent head coach at the start of next month.

FAI director of football Marc Canham appeared to rule out interim boss John O’Shea from the role by revealing the preferred candidate is still in work.

“The process of the appointment of the permanent new head coach is very close to the end, nearing its end point, and we look forward to announcing that new permanent head coach in early April,” Canham said at a press conference alongside O’Shea.

“Existing contractual obligations mean that we are not in a position to announce any further details at this point but as we have committed to, we will announce that in early April.

“The process has been ongoing for a period of time, we have given a series of updates, but we are near the end. We are at a really advanced stage but for different practical reasons we can’t confirm that until early April.”

Former Manchester United and Ireland defender O’Shea was appointed interim boss last week for the home friendlies against Belgium and Switzerland later this month.

“Look, my focus is on these two games,” said the 42-year-old. “When I got the message from Mark just over a week ago it was an amazing feeling, I’m very proud.

“It’s an amazing feeling and I can’t wait for it to come round.

“(The future) takes care of itself, I’m focused on these two games and we’ll see what happens then.”

O’Shea will be assisted by Paddy McCarthy and Glenn Whelan, as well as former national team boss Brian Kerr as technical director.

Paul Tierney, who was at the centre of a dropped ball controversy in the Nottingham Forest v Liverpool match last Saturday, will not referee a Premier League match this weekend.

Tierney faced criticism after he failed to award a dropped ball to Forest in an attacking area after stopping the match for a head injury to Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate.

Forest did regain possession after Tierney’s error, but conceded a 99th-minute goal which cost them a valuable point in the race for Premier League survival.

Tierney has been selected as the video assistant referee (VAR) for the Arsenal v Brentford match on Saturday evening. Sources close to Professional Game Match Officials Ltd insist Tierney has not been dropped.

He is one of a group of officials who regularly alternate between being referees and VARs.

Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg, who has been employed by Forest on a consultancy basis as a referee analyst, told BBC Radio 5 Live at the weekend: “(Forest) should have had the ball back. If the referee stops the game, he has to give the ball back to the team in possession. That was Forest.

“When (the ball was) given to the keeper, with Liverpool scoring afterwards, you can see why (Forest) are aggrieved,” Clattenburg added.

“I haven’t spoken to the referee – I’ll leave that to the club. I went to go into the referee’s dressing room (after the game) but he (Tierney) wouldn’t allow it.”

PGMOL is understood not to have received any further correspondence from Forest regarding the incident on Saturday beyond Clattenburg’s comments.

Tierney sent off Forest’s first-team coach Steven Reid after he came onto the pitch at the end of the game to protest. Forest later dismissed reports that club owner Evangelos Marinakis had to be restrained by security staff in the tunnel.

Paul Tierney, who was at the centre of a dropped ball controversy in the Nottingham Forest v Liverpool match last Saturday, will not referee a Premier League match this weekend.

Tierney faced criticism after he failed to award a dropped ball to Forest in an attacking area after stopping the match for a head injury to Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate.

Forest did regain possession after Tierney’s error, but conceded a 99th-minute goal which cost them a valuable point in the race for Premier League survival.

Tierney has been selected as the video assistant referee (VAR) for the Arsenal v Brentford match on Saturday evening. Sources close to Professional Game Match Officials Ltd insist Tierney has not been dropped.

He is one of a group of officials who regularly alternate between being referees and VARs.

Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg, who has been employed by Forest on a consultancy basis as a referee analyst, told BBC Radio 5 Live at the weekend: “(Forest) should have had the ball back. If the referee stops the game, he has to give the ball back to the team in possession. That was Forest.

“When (the ball was) given to the keeper, with Liverpool scoring afterwards, you can see why (Forest) are aggrieved,” Clattenburg added.

“I haven’t spoken to the referee – I’ll leave that to the club. I went to go into the referee’s dressing room (after the game) but he (Tierney) wouldn’t allow it.”

PGMOL is understood not to have received any further correspondence from Forest regarding the incident on Saturday beyond Clattenburg’s comments.

Tierney sent off Forest’s first-team coach Steven Reid after he came onto the pitch at the end of the game to protest. Forest later dismissed reports that club owner Evangelos Marinakis had to be restrained by security staff in the tunnel.