Stories By Graham Ruthven

• 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.

• Sport

  Leandro Trossard is proving his class for Arsenal

  Leandro Trossard wasn’t Arsenal’s first choice. Instead, the Gunners wanted Mykhailo Mudryk to be their marquee transfer for the January transfer with the Ukrainian winger trailed for a number of months before he ultimately signed for Chelsea.

• Sport

  Militao could be Real Madrid’s next great central defender

  Real Madrid lost their first-choice centre back pairing in the space of just a few weeks in the summer of 2021. First, Sergio Ramos departed the Santiago Bernabeu after a 16-year stint that saw him become the club’s heartbeat.

• Sport

  Which ‘Big Six’ club would Palhinha most improve?

  Even after Sunday’s disappointing defeat to Arsenal, Fulham have widely exceeded expectations this season. Widely tipped for relegation, the Cottagers are well on course to finish in the top half of the Premier League table with Marco Silva and his players preparing for a clash with Manchester United in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

• Sport

  Arsenal proved they have the depth to be Premier League champions

  If Arsenal go all the way and win this season’s Premier League title race, they will look back on Saturday’s comeback win over Bournemouth as a landmark moment. The Gunners fell behind after just nine seconds against the Cherries and didn’t find a winner until the eighth minute of stoppage time.

• Sport

  Mbappe still makes PSG Champions League contenders

  At 24, Kylian Mbappe is already the all-time top scorer in Paris Saint-Germain’s history. The French international found the back of the net in Saturday’s Ligue 1 win over Nantes to surpass the record previously held by Edinson Cavani with Mbappe a club legend in the eyes of everyone at the Parc des Princes.

• Sport

  Cody Gakpo is the perfect successor to Firmino

  It was always destined Cody Gakpo would score for Liverpool against Manchester United given how close the Dutchman came to signing for the Old Trafford club instead. Indeed, United were made to watch as Gakpo found the back of the net twice in Liverpool’s 7-0 demolition of their biggest rivals on Sunday.

• Sport

  What is the right job for Mauricio Pochettino?

  Eight months have now passed since Mauricio Pochettino last held a job in football management. Paris Saint-Germain was a difficult environment for the Argentine coach and he has since been waiting for the right opportunity to get back into the game, but what would the right opportunity look like? Pochettino’s name is frequently mentioned in the gossip column with Chelsea the latest to be linked with the 50-year-old.

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