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Lucy Bronze has explained the benefits of missing out on 2024 Olympics duty, with England turning collective focus towards the next “big” aim.

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• England missed out on Nations League finals
• Will sit out Paris Games as a result
• Attention turning towards Euro title defence

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Lionesses are responsible for Team GB sitting out an international showpiece in Paris. Sarina Wiegman’s side failed to quality for the Nations League finals, meaning that there will be no British representation at the football tournament staged on French soil later this year.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  There is understandable disappointment in the England camp that they were unable to book tickets for a gold medal bid. But attention is now being switched towards the defence of a European Championship crown – with another quest for continental glory set to begin when Euro 2025 qualification gets underway in April.

• WHAT BRONZE SAID

  Barcelona star Bronze, who will form part of England’s plans, has told of sitting out Paris Games in 2024: “I think we really exhausted ourselves during the World Cup, both as individuals and as a team. And for us, although we’d rather be at the Olympics, this gives us time to rest, regroup and refocus. The EURO is less than a year-and-a-half away and we are the European champions, so want to make sure we qualify and keep hold of that trophy. It meant the world to us to win that, and we’ve got a chance to keep our name on the trophy. That’s something big to aim for.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND?

  The Euro 2025 qualifiers draw will take place on March 5, with England in Pot 2 of Group A. Six matchdays will be staged through to the middle of July, with those missing out on automatic qualification spots set to take in play-off dates from October through to the end of the calendar year.

Callum McGregor has been named as the new club captain of Celtic, following Scott Brown’s departure to Aberdeen, as confirmed on the Hoops’ official website.

The Lowdown: Change engulfs all departments at Celtic Park

Moving into 2021/22, Ange Postecoglou will be desperate to make the right calls in order to give the Hoops the best chance of impressing on a domestic and European level.

Important senior roles have incurred new blood at Celtic in recent times, namely the managerial and chief executive positions in the form of Postecoglou and communications expert Dominic McKay.

The Celts finally look to have filled the most important on-pitch role, with McGregor getting the captaincy for the upcoming season.

The Latest: Callum McGregor named as new Celtic captain

Kicking off the new era at Parkhead in earnest, the 28-year-old has been tasked with the mammoth task of filling Brown’s boots as he becomes Celtic’s 22nd captain [celticfc.com].

Deputising as skipper on a number of occasions last season [Daily Record], the Scotland international shouldered added responsibility in a difficult campaign for the Hoops.

As the club’s new full-time captain, he will be desperate to repay the faith shown in him by his manager, who added: “He knows what it takes to be a successful Celtic player, and he knows what it means to captain this club, and I’m delighted that he will be wearing the armband and leading the squad going forward.” [celticfc.com].

The Verdict: McGregor is the correct choice to fill Brown’s boots

McGregor was always the most likely to be given the opportunity to take the armband of his boyhood club due to his leadership qualities – Postecoglou has said that he “leads by example, both on and off the park” [celticfc.com].

Coming through the Lennoxtown ranks, the Scot has went on to rack up an incredible 14-trophy haul at the heart of the Celtic midfield [Transfermarkt]. Within that timeframe, he has registered 116 goal contributions in 325 appearances for the Hoops, with 53 goals and 63 assists [Transfermarkt].

Once labelled “brilliant” by former Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers [Glasgow Times], his ability to consistently perform to a high standard has seen McGregor retain a reputation as one of the best players in the country, as evidenced by winning 34 caps for Scotland.

Now one of the elder statesmen within a youthful Celtic team, the Parkhead faithful will be desperate to see their hero leading the way on the pitch and justifying why Postecoglou is “delighted” to have him as the club captain going into the new season.

In other news, a Premier League side are keen on a Celtic talisman.

Despite emerging from the chaos with a 4-1 victory over the nine men of Spurs, the Blues were far from convincing

Victory over Tottenham Hotspur should always be sweet for Chelsea and their followers, but Monday night's unlikely 4-1 triumph over their high-flying foes somehow leaves a bitter taste. This was the definition of a scoreline not telling the whole story. While the two managers dominated the pre-match narrative, this was a tale of red cards, VAR drama and self-destructiveness.

Tottenham's implosion – reduced to nine men before the hour mark as Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie were dismissed either side of half-time – only seemed to bring the worst out of Mauricio Pochettino's side on the Argentine's return to north London.

They got there in the end as Nicolas Jackson capitalised on Ange Postecoglou's insistence on an inexplicably high line with a late hat-trick, but Chelsea's toil against their depleted rivals made this feel like something of a hollow victory. With more stern tests on the horizon, the performance must actually be seen as a concern.

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  Inexplicable head-loss

  Many of Chelsea's initial problems with seizing their numerical advantage stemmed from almost being drawn into Tottenham's storm of ill discipline.

  In first-half stoppage time, both Levi Colwill and Reece James found themselves in hot water, moments after Romero had been given his marching orders for a wild lunge and Cole Palmer had brought the Blues level from the spot.

  Colwill became engaged in a completely unnecessary shoving match with Pape Sarr, while his captain James escaped punishment after catching Udogie with a stray elbow. Pochettino wisely opted to withdraw a fired-up Colwill at the break, but on another day Chelsea could have easily thrown their advantage away.

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  Lack of confidence & ruthlessness laid bare

  Tottenham's second red card in the 55th minute should have seen the floodgates creak open, but instead an excruciating 19-minute spell followed, as Chelsea were foiled by a combination of their own imprecision and profligacy, as well as some excellent goalkeeping from Guglielmo Vicario.

  The Blues looked incapable of scoring even if the match had gone on for a week – a microcosm of their problems in front of goal in recent months and years. This was arguably their worst half of football under Pochettino to date.

  Passes flew astray, players were caught agonisingly offside and Spurs looked remarkably comfortable despite their two-man handicap. When Jackson found the back of the net for the first time, there was a sense of relief more than anything else. That was the period that saw the outcome swing in the home side's favour, regardless of the result.

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  No composure, no control

  Pochettino would have hoped that that long-awaited go-ahead goal would steady the ship and Chelsea would be in the ascendancy from that moment onwards, but instead they looked wobbly and their defensive frailties were exposed on three occasions as Spurs missed gilt-edged chances to draw level.

  They were incredibly fortunate to see Eric Dier's immediate response chalked off for a marginal offside after some non-existent marking from a free-kick, before a carbon-copy set piece saw Rodrigo Bentancur somehow bundle the ball wide from three yards out.

  Then, in the third minute of added time, with the score still just 2-1 almost 40 minutes after Spurs had been reduced to nine, Chelsea gave the ball away and Son Heung-min drove at the defence before forcing a decent save from Sanchez.

  Chelsea's lack of authority was alarming, and Pochettino admitted his side needed to show more control after the game. "It's true that we concede some chances that we cannot concede that, I agree with you," he said. "Maybe we can assess the performance and to see the goal of Dier or this type of situation or Son, that we lose the ball and we allow them to run, of course, we need to control better."

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  Worrying signs

  The scoreline and performance were so wildly mismatched that it's hard to know exactly what effect this result will have. While it should boost confidence, Pochettino also has reason to be concerned – especially given the upcoming fixture list.

  Chelsea face Man City, Newcastle, Brighton and Man Utd in their next four games either side of the international break, and you would expect that they will need to hit a much higher level against a full set of players in each of those clashes.

  Had Tottenham maintained their full complement, they could have run out comfortable victors over their former head coach.

Darwin Nunez boasts plenty of supporters around the world, with one taking to getting the Liverpool striker’s face shaved into the back of his head.

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• Uruguayan striker starring in the Premier League
• Boasts supporters all over the world
• Some take fandom further than others

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Uruguay international has been plying his trade in the Premier League since completing a £64 million ($78m) transfer to Anfield from Benfica in the summer of 2022. He has endeared himself to the Merseyside locals, and is also a popular figure back in his homeland.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  One follower has taken fandom to the extreme, with barber Andres German Fondo asked to deliver a unique trim that involved shaving Nunez’s face onto the back of customer’s head – complete with blue accents to give it a truly Uruguayan flavour.

  Instagram

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Nunez is clearly impressed at the lengths that some supporters will go to, with the 24-year-old forward sharing an image of the aforementioned haircut on his Instagram account – alongside clapping hands, folded hands and fire emojis.

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Nunez has registered four goals and three assists for Liverpool this season and will be hoping to add to that tally when the Reds return to Premier League action in a derby date with neighbours Everton on Saturday. The South American heads into that game in good form having found the target in back-to-back World Cup qualifiers for his country against Colombia and Brazil during the October international break.

The Italian coach opted to start five central midfielders at the Metripolitano, but it didn't work at all as Los Blancos lost 3-1

In recent years, Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid have been immune to the challenges that have come with major games. This is a side that does not fear the biggest occasions, mainly because their manager does not allow it. Ancelotti has his system, his players, and his philosophy. There are tweaks — there have to be some — but no rival has brought about drastic change.

That is, until Sunday. Ancelotti had a rare tactical blip in one of his poorer days as Madrid manager, setting up a puzzling system that saw his side battered on the break by an eager Atletico team who ran out 3-1 winners in the Madrid derby.

The troubles were clear early on as Atletico embarked on a sweeping move down the left wing, with Samuel Lino afforded the time to reflect on the necessary angles, peer into the open space available to him, and deliver a whipped cross that Alvaro Morata simply nodded home.

Atletico added a second shortly after. This one came down the same wing with Saul, enjoying something of a revival after a forgettable loan spell at Chelsea, finding Antoine Griezmann, who rose from the penalty spot, entirely unmarked, to put his team 2-0 up. The third was nearly identical. Saul delivered the pass again for Morata to creep into a yard of space to evade three static Madrid defenders.

And those three crucial moments decided the contest. Ancelotti played five midfielders and no real striker, put Jude Bellingham on the wing, and asked a 38-year-old Luka Modric to start for the second game in a row. The Madrid attack was as discombobulated as expected, the only goal coming from a 20-yard Toni Kroos effort.

Changes did eventually come late in the game, Ancelotti abandoning his new system in favour of the 4-4-2 diamond that had handed Madrid a perfect start to the season. But his mishaps had done their damage, Madrid slumping to a derby loss to the tune of a tactical and defensive nightmare.

GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from the Metripolitano…

• WINNER: Alvaro Morata

  Few would have guessed that Atletico's often maligned striker would prove to be the difference between the two sides, but Alvaro Morata's brace was vital.

  His role was stripped down from an attacking perspective here. The forward only had 28 touches all game, and was seldom involved off the ball. Instead, he provided an able body in transition, and, crucially, a clinical finisher when required.

  Madrid will feel, correctly, that they should have defended Morata more effectively. Still, he took both of his goals well, meeting angled crosses and judging his headers expertly, leaving Kepa Arrizabalaga helpless on both occasions.

  Morata is, contrary to social media belief, a rather decent centre-forward, despite all of the criticism levelled at him on a weekly basis. He showed just how impactful he can be on Sunday evening.

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  LOSER: David Alaba

  In the 47th minute, after Morata bagged his second goal, David Alaba turned around, looked angrily at his team-mates, and pounded the Metropolitano turf. But for all of his protestations, the Austrian could only blame himself. For the second time in the fixture, he had lost the Spanish striker, and been far too easily exploited with a simple cross.

  It was the culmination of a rare poor showing from Alaba, who always seems to get the fundamentals right. He doesn't usually lose his man, or miss a header. He tends to time his tackles, and read passing lanes. Against Atletico, though, he was all over the place.

  He can certainly be blamed for both of Morata's goals, and didn't offer much help on the Atletico second either, failing to communicate with his centre-back partner Antonio Rudiger as Griezmann found far too much space. He doesn't have bad nights often; this one was awful.

• WINNER: Barcelona

  It is certainly too early in the season to be calling the Liga title race. Barcelona and Real Madrid will likely compete deep into the fixture list for the crown, these two fundamentally flawed but immensely exciting sides engaging in what should be an intriguing duel.

  And although we are far too early to extrapolate points, performances and results into anything concrete, this would have made for a nice watch for the Blaugrana, especially after their own epic comeback win on Saturday.

  Madrid were easily exploitable here, their defensive weaknesses laid bare. It is perhaps a showing that others can take inspiration from, too. Hit Madrid on the break, exploit the wings, and you will have a chance. And if this was the game that showed Madrid's biggest flaws — and gave other sides a clue as to how they might take a point or three off Los Blancos — then Barca might just have the upper hand in the weeks to come.

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  LOSER: Luka Modric

  Ancelotti has promised for a year now that Modric would be steadily phased out of the Madrid line-up. He admitted in February that both the Croatian and Kroos would have to accept a "moment of transition" in the Spanish capital, and suggested that they will not be regular starters this year. On Sunday, it was easy to see why.

  Modric appeared in the Madrid line-up for the second straight game, just five days after playing 70 tricky minutes against Union Berlin. And he looked tired from the first whistle, overwhelmed by the pace and bite of the contest. He struggled to get back, and was uncharacteristically squalid on the ball.

  He played only 45 minutes, touched the ball 38 times, and didn't create a single chance. This was not the showing of the former Ballon d'Or winner. Rather, it was the trudge of a 38-year-old starting to look his age.

The Ivorian winger spectacularly failed to live up to his hefty £72m price tag during his four-year spell at the Emirates Stadium

Unai Emery gave Nicolas Pepe quite the billing upon his arrival at Arsenal on August 2, 2019, telling reporters: "Nicolas is a highly-rated and talented winger who was wanted by many of the top teams in Europe. Signing a top-class winger has been one of our key objectives in this transfer window and I'm delighted he's joining. He will add pace, power and creativity, with the aim of bringing more goals to our team."

The Spanish manager was alkl smiles on the surface, but deep down, he had serious reservations over whether Pepe was the right man give the Gunners a much-needed spark on the right wing. The former Lille talisman's failure to hit the ground running contributed to Emery's sacking some four months later, and he has since admitted that he was never his first-choice target.

"I favoured someone who knew the league and wouldn’t need to adapt," Emery told in May 2022. "[Wilfried] Zaha won games on his own. I told them: ‘This is the player I know and want.’ I met Zaha and he wanted to come. The club decided Pepe was one for the future. I said: ‘Yes, but we need to win now and this lad wins games.’ He beat us on his own."

Arsenal wouldn't have had to pay anywhere near the £72 million ($90m) they spent on Pepe to sign Zaha from Crystal Palace at the time, and he was ready for the step up. And they were quickly made to regret going all out for his Ivory Coast team-mate instead.

Pepe's four-year stay in north London ended last week as the Gunners agreed to terminate his contract a year early. They'd given up on the 28-year-old long ago, with Mikel Arteta having also failed to to polish the rough diamond that lit up Ligue 1 with Lille.

Trabzonspor have snapped Pepe up on a free transfer, and he could enjoy a new lease of life in Turkey. But it's safe to say he'll never get another shot at the very highest level after being written off as arguably the biggest flop in Premier League history.

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  'No excuses'

  Pepe had his moments in his first season at Arsenal. He scored eight goals and set up another 10 – including Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang's winner in the 2020 FA Cup final.

  And by the end of the 2020-21 campaign, which saw Pepe record 21 goal contributions in 41 appearances across all competitions, it seemed as though he was beginning to flourish under Arteta. But the Gunners boss made it very clear that he wanted much more from the mercurial attacker.

  “He needed a period of adaptation but that is gone now,” Arteta told reporters in April 2021. "We cannot rely on adaptation again: now it is about performance. And he can do it.

  “He has got the players to support him, a manager that trusts him, he has got all the staff that are willing to help him and all the team-mates who really like him because he is a really likeable character, so there are no excuses.”

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  Disruptive clique

  Arsenal could only manage an eighth-place Premier League finish in Arteta's first full season at the helm, failing to qualify for European competition for the first time since 1994-95 as a result. The Spanish tactician was on the brink, and had to take decisive action to inspire change.

  Arteta felt that the squad was being held back by a disruptive clique, which included Pepe – according to . The Ivorian had formed a strong bond with Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette, which was clear to see on the training ground.

  The report states that the trio would hang back and talk amongst themselves before sessions, while failing to acknowledge staff members that were not involved with the senior team. Aubameyang was eventually punished for a series of disciplinary breaches, with Arteta stripping him of the club captaincy in December 2021.

  There was no way back for the Gabon frontman, who was released from his contract 18 months early before being allowed to join Barcelona on the final day of the winter transfer window. By that time, Pepe had fallen way down the squad pecking order at the Emirates.

  Bukayo Saka had nailed down the first choice spot on the right-flank after a string of brilliant performances, with Pepe having to make do with a bit-part role from the bench. Indeed, the former Lille star was restricted to just eight starts across the entire 2021-22 campaign, and only scored three goals.

  To make matters worse for Pepe, Lacazette dropped into the free agency pool in the summer after failing to agree a new contract. His two main allies were gone, and he'd lost all favour with Arteta.

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  'We cannot understand'

  Pepe had plenty of low points at Arsenal – the standout being his rash headbutt on Ezgjan Alioski during a 0-0 draw away at Leeds in November 2020. He ended up being sent off after a VAR check, and faced the full wrath of his manager after the game.

  "Considering how early we got Pepe sent off we have to take it," Arteta told reporters. "I never like a draw but in the circumstances it's a point. It is unacceptable." Pepe later apologised for that incident, and was able to mend his relationship with the Arsenal boss.

  But Arteta was far less forgiving when it came to his general level of performance. When the Gunners met Leeds again at Emirates Stadium in May 2022, with victory an absolute necessity amid their battle for a top-four finish, Pepe almost blew it single-handedly.

  With Arsenal holding a precarious 2-1 lead later on, Pepe was presented with a golden chance to score on the break with Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier caught out of position, but failed to even get a shot away. “When you see that he’s got an empty net in front of him and he’s taking a touch backward, we cannot really understand," Arteta said after the final whistle.

  The Gunners did hold on for all three points that day, but Arteta knew then it was time to let Pepe go.

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  No redemption in France

  Pepe was heavily linked with a transfer away from Arsenal throughout the 2022 summer window, with Nice eventually snapping him up on loan towards the end of August. He had pushed for the move after crunch talks over his playing time with Arteta, who couldn't give him what he wanted.

  “He has tried everything, his attitude and the way he is, is just phenomenal. You just have to meet the person because you just love him for the way he is," the Arsenal manager said after Pepe's exit. "But then in terms of the decision you have to make on the pitch, who do you select, we made other decisions and obviously that has had an impact in the chances he had to prove his quality.”

  Arteta's decision was quickly vindicated, as Pepe endured a nightmare debut for his new club. Nice suffered a 3-0 battering at home to Marseille, and Lucien Favre singled out the Arsenal loanee for criticism after the game.

  "He hasn’t played for a long time in England. He has done the pre-season with Arsenal but he hasn’t played any matches," said the then-Nice coach. "He is lacking a bit of rhythm, intensity in his placements, his pressing and in his ball recovery, because everyone has to do that. There aren’t any exceptions. If one or two players don’t do the work, the whole team is in trouble. Everyone has to do it at the same time, everyone has to defend to recover the ball."

  Pepe never did manage to get up to speed, as he missed a total of 20 matches through injury in the 2022-23 season. Nice could only finish ninth in the Ligue 1 table, and it was no surprise when they didn't push to sign Pepe on a permanent deal given his mediocre tally of six goals from 17 appearances.

  Still, mid-way through the campaign, he had the audacity to fire a not-so subtle dig at Arsenal at Arteta. "I don’t know what Arsenal want. I still have a lot of friends there. I could have been important for the club, but those are the coach’s choices," Pepe told a press conference in January.

Donny van de Beek’s attitude reportedly cost him a move away from Manchester United, with Lorient snubbing the chance to do a deadline-day deal.

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• Dutch midfielder struggling for game time
• Was expected to leave in summer window
• U-turn unacceptable in eyes of French club

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Dutch midfielder was among those expected to head out of Old Trafford during the summer window. No transfer was agreed, though, and the 26-year-old – who has struggled to make any kind of impact in English football – finds himself stuck in Manchester as a result.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Interest was shown in Van de Beek prior to the latest recruitment deadline passing, with Ligue 1 side Lorient making it clear in mid-August that they would be happy to enter into discussions. The Netherlands international refused to speak with the French outfit at that time as he waited on other offers.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  According to , Van de Beek’s representatives reached out to Lorient as the window ran down – only to be informed that the invitation had expired. The French outfit are said to have been unimpressed at the Dutchman’s supposed arrogance, as he sought a better deal elsewhere, and refused to rekindle their earlier interest.

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Van de Beek is unlikely to see much game time for United before another window opens in January – if he does not secure a switch to Turkey or Saudi Arabia – with Erik ten Hag having continued to overlook him despite the pair having previously worked together at Ajax. The talented playmaker has been restricted to just 60 appearances for the Red Devils in three years.

Who are the must-have strikers in FPL for the upcoming season?

Wondering who are the best Fantasy Premier League forwards for 2022-23? You've come to the right place.

The Fantasy Premier League is now live for the 2023/24 season with FPL managers able to start picking their 15-man squads ready for the return of the EFL’s top-flight competition, including three strikers.

With that in mind, GOAL takes a look at the top fantasy football forward picks in the Premier League, including a few cut-price bargain options.

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  Erling Haaland | Manchester City | £14.0m

  With a £2.5m increase from his already high £11.5m base price from last season, Haaland joins the likes of Robin van Persie, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Thierry Henry as the joint-most expensive player in the game's history.

  The Norwegian hitman broke the all-time Premier League goals record in a phenomenal first campaign in England, with his 36 strikes in 35 appearances, including a run of three consecutive home hat-tricks.

  He also provided nine assists and, as a result, was the top-scoring FPL player on 272 points, although that was still less than Mohamed Salah's record single-season return (303 points) in 2017/18. That's something the former Dortmund man will have on his list of records to shatter next season.

  Although purchasing him will leave you on the verge of bankruptcy, he will be worth every penny of his new price-tag, especially considering Man City’s kind early fixture list.

  The treble winners’ season starts with a trip to newly-promoted Burnley, followed by encounters against Sheffield United, Fulham, West Ham United, Forest and Wolves before October.

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  Harry Kane | Tottenham | £12.5m

  Kane enjoyed arguably the greatest individual goal-scoring season of his already iconic career, which was somewhat overshadowed by Man City goal-gobbler Haaland.

  Indeed, Kane's return of 30 goals in the top-flight last season looks more impressive than Haaland's 36, when you consider that he bagged those for a shambolic Spurs side that finished eighth in the table.

  Haaland’s arrival in the Premier League has had a negative impact on Kane’s ownership. But considering the England skipper finished narrowly behind the Norwegian with 273 FPL points, and can both score goals and create chances regularly, it will be difficult for managers to leave out Kane this term, especially now that he will have a quality service provider sitting just behind him in summer signing James Maddison.

  Kane could be the top captain pick as well thanks to Tottenham's over-reliance on him to provide the goods in the attacking third. Indeed, no player across the Premier League has scored a larger proportion of their team’s goals than Kane – who accounts for 43% of Tottenham’s haul.

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  Callum Wilson | Newcastle United| £8.0m

  Wilson enjoyed his most productive top-flight campaign last season, as he netted 18 Premier League goals to help Newcastle achieve Champions League football.

  The former Cherries forward's prolific campaign was largely influenced by a bizzare clinical streak in front of goal between Gameweeks 29 and 36 that saw him find the net 11 times despite starting just five matches and playing as low as 555 minutes.

  He finished as the fourth-best forward for xG (17.49) and, of those with over 300 minutes, only Haaland has a better minutes-per-goal rate (104.8). Even so, the presence of Alexander Isak (£7.0m) means Wilson remains a rotation risk, which will only increase with Champions League action on the horizon.

  What's more, Newcastle's tough opening run of PL fixtures further limits the appeal of Wilson as an option. However, he could be a useful option on the bench for later weeks, given he's likely retain spot-kick duties for Newcastle.

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  Ollie Watkins | Aston Villa| £8.0m

  Watkins' fortunes have changed dramatically since Unai Emery took over as new boss at Villa Park. The former Bees forward netted once in his first ten starts and was on a mere three going into Gameweek 21.

  However, the January sale of Danny Ings to West Ham meant Watkins re-established himself as the main man up top, he scored in ten of the following 12 matches – delivering 11 goals and three assists.

  Goals dried up in the closing weeks, but he grabbed one more on the final day. His explosive turn of speed, dribbling, and link-up play, as well as his recoveries and tackles, all contribute largely to bonus points, which makes him an attractive budget option.

Fulham centre-forward Aleksandar Mitrovic is edging closer to a move away from Craven Cottage this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football League World, who claim that the 26-year-old looks likely to push for a summer exit from the Championship club should Scott Parker remain in charge of the Cottagers ahead of next season.

It is reported that the Serbia international could begin to consider offers from European clubs in the coming weeks as a direct result of his poor relationship with the 40-year-old Fulham manager.

Big mistake

While Mitrovic undeniably struggled to find the back of the net in the Premier League last season, the £14.4m-rated man’s history of goalscoring in the Championship should be enough to make Parker attempt to set his differences with the centre-forward aside.

Indeed, over his 27 top-flight appearances for Fulham last term, only 13 of which came as starts, the 26-year-old scored three goals, registered three assists and created four big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.2 shots and making 0.9 key passes per game.

However, despite his distinct lack of goals, Mitrovic nevertheless earned an impressive seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.93, ranking him as Parker’s joint seventh-best performer in the top flight of English football.

Furthermore, in the Cottagers’ promotion-winning campaign in the season prior, the £63k-per-week forward bagged 26 goals, provided two assists and created six big chances over his 40 Championship appearances, in addition to taking an average of 3.8 shots and making 1.1 key passes per game.

These returns saw the striker earn an average SofaScore match rating of 7.17 that season, enough to rank him as Fulham’s best player in the second tier, playing a huge role in securing the return of Premier League football to Craven Cottage.

As such, with the west London side undoubtedly hoping for an immediate return to the top flight once again in their upcoming campaign, retaining the services of the man Parker previously dubbed “relentless” would very much appear to boost the club’s chances of going on to achieve this feat, leading us to believe that allowing the 26-year-old to leave this summer would be something of a mistake by the Fulham boss.

In other news: Fulham dealt transfer blow over “decisive” 16-goal gem that’ll leave Parker gutted

How to watch Manchester United against Aston Villa in the Premier League in the US as well as the kick-off time and team news.

Manchester United have a tricky game against Aston Villa, who are also battling for a Premier League top-four finish, when the two teams clash at Old Trafford on Sunday.

United responded to a 2-0 Newcastle loss with three successive victories, but since then have dropped points as Erik ten Hag's men threw away a two-goal lead a the 2-2 draw against Tottenham on Thursday.

Unai Emery's Aston Villa have come within six points of the Red Devils They registered their last league defeat back in mid-February and recently secured a 1-0 win over Fulham to extend their unbeaten run to 10 games (W8 D2).

GOAL brings you details on how to watch the game on TV in the US as well as how to stream the match live online.

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  Kick-off time

  Game:	Manchester United vs Aston Villa
  Date:	April 30, 2023
  Kick-off:	9am EDT
  Venue:	Old Trafford

  The Premier League game between Manchester United and Aston Villa is scheduled for April 30, 2023, at Old Trafford football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England.

  It will kick off at 9am EDT in the USA.

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  How to watch Manchester United vs Aston Villa online – TV channels & live streams

  TV channels & streaming options

  Country	TV channel	Live stream
  U.S.	N/A	Peacock Premium

  In the United States (US), the game can be watched live on Peacock Premium.

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  Team news & squads

  Manchester United team news

  Scott McTominay and Harry Maguire are doubts, with injury woes deeming Tom Heaton, Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane unavailable long-term.

  Alejandro Garnacho is inching closer to his return from injury, but Donny van de Beek is out for the season.

  Manchester United possible XI: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Shaw, Dalot; Casemiro, Eriksen, Fernandes; Antony, Rashford, Sancho

  Position	Players
  Goalkeepers	De Gea, Butland
  Defenders	Maguire, Lindelof, Jones, Shaw, Malacia, Williams, Dalot, Wan-Bissaka
  Midfielders	Casemiro, McTominay, Eriksen, Sabitzer, Fred, Fernandes, Pellistri
  Forwards	Rashford, Elanga, Antony, Sancho, Martial, Weghorst

  Aston Villa team news

  Matty Cash and Philippe Coutinho will be out for at least a week more with a calf and thigh injury, respectively, while Boubacar Kamara and Leon Bailey are also out for this one with injuries.

  Ollie Watkins should continue up front for Villa.

  Aston Villa possible XI: Martinez; Young, Konsa, Mings, Alex Moreno; Dendoncker, Douglas Luiz, McGinn, Buendia, Ramsey; Watkins

  Position	Players
  Goalkeepers	Martinez, Olsen, Steer
  Defenders	Sinisalo, Carlos, Mings, Konsa, Chambers, Digne, Moreno, Young
  Midfielders	Dendoncker, Luiz, McGinn, Ramsey, Sanson, Buendia
  Forwards	Watkins, Duran, Traore

  Head-to-head record

  Date	Result	Competition
  November 11, 2022	Manchester United 4-2 Aston Villa	Carabao Cup
  November 6, 2022	Aston Villa 3-1 Manchester United	Premier League
  July 23, 2022	Manchester United 2-2 Aston Villa	Club friendly
  January 15, 2022	Aston Villa 2-2 Manchester United	Premier League
  January 11, 202	Manchester United 1-0 Aston Villa	FA Cup

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  Useful links

  • Manchester United team page

  • Live soccer on TV in the U.S.

  • Transfer news