Stories By Graham Ruthven

• Sport

  Martial still has a part to play in Man Utd’s future

  Anthony Martial can certainly be counted on to score or create a goal against Everton. By finding the back of the net in Manchester United’s 2-0 win on Saturday, the Frenchman lifted his tally to 12 goal contributions (eight goals and four assists) in 16 matches against the Goodison Park outfit.

• Sport

  Lampard’s return shows Chelsea have run out of ideas

  Chelsea’s result and performance against Wolves on Saturday was very much in keeping with what the club’s fans have grown accustomed to in recent weeks and months. The Blues were generally lethargic at Molineux and deserves to lose 1-0.

• Sport

  The importance of John Stones to Man City

  Not many defenders could do what John Stones has done these past few weeks. The 28-year-old is currently operating in central midfield for Manchester City with Pep Guardiola’s team building momentum.

• Sport

  What’s next for Leicester City?

  In the end, Leicester City had no real choice but to sack Brendan Rodgers. The Foxes have been dragged down into the bottom three in the Premier League table with relegation from the top flight now a very genuine possibility.

• Sport

  Grealish is finally living up to his £100m price tag

  Everything Jack Grealish was meant to be for Manchester City, he was against Liverpool on Saturday. The 27-year-old has faced a lot of criticism since making the £100m switch to the Etihad Stadium from Aston Villa two years ago, but it all washed away as he found devastating form in a 4-1 win.

• Sport

  Rice’s England performances show he’s ready for a step up at club level

  Harry Kane became England’s all-time top scorer in last week’s Euro 2024 qualification win over Italy, but one player arguably shone even brighter at the Stadio Olimpico. Indeed, Declan Rice was one of the best players in a white shirt as Gareth Southgate’s side controlled the majority of the match in Italy.

• Sport

  Man City-Liverpool rivalry could still produce fireworks

  Liverpool and Manchester City’s rivalry defined an entire era of the Premier League. Over a number of seasons, the two teams fought for English and European football dominance with the pair pushing each other to higher and higher heights.

• Sport

  Hodgson’s return is a backwards step for Palace

  A record 11 managers have left their job in the Premier League so far this season and almost all of those dismissals have been made out of fear. That was certainly the case when Crystal Palace got rid of Patrick Vieira.

• Sport

  Luis de la Fuente planning major Spain rebuild

  Less than one week after being knocked out of the 2022 World Cup, Spain had a new manager. Luis Enrique’s resignation after the shock penalty shootout loss to Morocco came as no surprise to those who expect the former Barcelona boss to re-enter club football again at some point in the near future.

• Sport

  Chilwell’s return could be as important for England as it has Chelsea

  Chelsea have lost just one match since Ben Chilwell returned to fitness in early February. So much was made of the Blues’ attacking woes that little attention was paid to how the 26-year-old full back had been missed.

• Sport

  Mount could have used England fixtures to find confidence

  Mason Mount’s future as a Chelsea player is far from certain. The 24-year-old has not featured for the Blues since February due to injury, but even when fit Mount has been on the periphery of Graham Potter’s team of late.

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