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Free-scoring Arsenal made Premier League history against Newcastle on Saturday as Mikel Arteta's men kept their title charge on track.

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• Arsenal beat Newcastle 4-1
• Four different scorers for the Gunners
• Sets goal-scoring record in top-flight

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Gunners looked unstoppable against a depleted Newcastle side as they marched to a 4-1 win over the Magpies on Saturday evening at Emirates. A Sven Botman own goal handed them the lead which was quickly doubled by Kai Havertz in the 24th minute. Bukayo Saka and Jakub Kiwior found the net in quick succession after the break which helped them become the first team in Premier League history to score two or more goals in seven consecutive halves of football.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Arteta's men have been playing scintillating football since the turn of the year and the victory over Newcastle was their sixth league win on the bounce – a club record which further highlights their dominance in the English top flight. Although injuries have been a constant menace for the Gunners, they have shown time and again that they depend more on the collective than individual brilliance. In fact, they have 12 different goalscorers this campaign in the league which is a testimony to their incredible collaborative effort.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Saka also carved out a piece of history after beating Loris Karius between the sticks as he became the first English player to score in five consecutive Premier League games for Arsenal since Ian Wright did in seven between September and November 1994.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Arsenal are just two points behind leaders Liverpool in the standings and a single point separates them from second-placed Manchester City. They have hit top gear at the nick of time and would look to continue their winning streak when they face Sheffield United after a mini-break on March 4 at Bramall Lane.

The Yorkshire Evening Post’s Graham Smyth has revealed that Leeds United starlet Niall Huggins could be set for an exit from Elland Road in this summer transfer window.

What’s the story?

Smyth had previously indicated that the young left-back was someone who was prepared to fight for his place at the club and be a part of Marcelo Bielsa’s Premier League squad this season.

The journalist said: “A number of the 23s, inspired by what Pascal Struijk did quite unexpectedly last season in seizing a first-team opportunity and accruing a huge number of Premier League minutes, have set their hearts on staying put to try and do the same. Niall Huggins is among those preferring to stay put than head out on loan.”

But now, Smyth has claimed Huggins could be on his way out of the club on a permanent basis, adding: “The Yorkshire Evening Post understands an offer from a Championship club is on the table and Blackburn Rovers’ interest in the Wales Under-21 international is well documented, but nothing is imminent.

“Huggins signed a new contract last season, one that runs to the summer of 2023 but it would now be a surprise if he is still at Elland Road to see it through to expiration.”

Leeds fans won’t be happy

In a recent poll done on FFC about whether Huggins deserves a chance to impress in the first team next season in the Premier League, 77% of Leeds fans who answered, said yes (135 votes to 41).

While the 20-year-old may have made just one outing in the top flight last term – he was however a key member of the U23s squad under Mark Jackson which won the Premier League 2 Division 2 title (he scored twice and provided one assist in 17 games).

Leeds’ midfield talisman Kalvin Phillips has previously tipped Huggins for a bright future at Elland Road, saying just last summer: “We’ve got a few younger lads called Niall Huggins and Alfie McCalmont. They’re really good young players as well. They’ll be in the team in the next year or so, definitely.”

Keeping Huggins around as a potential squad option, or even just allowing him to build up experience away on loan, would surely be the right call here, especially given his age.

Instead, Leeds are making a ruthless call on someone who hasn’t yet been given a proper opportunity to shine in the first-team. While Junior Firpo may have arrived from Barcelona, the Whites still look short on natural left-back options, especially with Gjanni Alioski of course having departed in the summer.

Getting rid of Huggins permanently would surely not have Leeds fans happy. At just 20, he’s got all the time in the world to develop into a fine player, and the Whites should give him the chance to do so.

Meanwhile, Phil Hay has dropped a Leeds United transfer update…

Kylian Mbappe completed his hat-trick against Gibraltar on Saturday in some style, with a lob from long range bringing up 300 career goals.

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• Mbappe scored ridiculous lob effort
• Completed hat-trick on the night
• Frenchman celebrates reaching 300 career goals

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The France captain had already found the net twice as his side began an utter annihilation of their opponents – but he saved the best until last for his third strike. Spotting the goalkeeper off his line, Mbappe fired a shot mere yards from the halfway line, completing a fine hat-trick and reaching a staggering 300 career goals at just 24 years of age. The Paris Saint-Germain star is now third on France's all-time goalscoring list, too.

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  THE BIG PICTURE

  Mbappe is arguably the best player in the world right now but he is yet to pick up a Ballon d'Or, with 36-year-old Lionel Messi the latest winner of the award. The 24-year-old will be targeting those accolades in years to come and now he has brought up 300 career goals, he may have his sights on becoming one of the greatest goalscorers of all time.

  Remarkably, Messi has 821 goals in his career, whereas 38-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo is on 865 so far. On top of individual achievements, Mbappe will be targeting the biggest trophies – either at PSG or another club in the future.

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• WHAT'S NEXT?

  Mbappe could line up for France in their final Euro 2024 qualifier on Tuesday against Greece before Paris Saint-Germain return to Ligue 1 action on Friday against Monaco.

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have been hailed for leveraging their Hollywood status to "amazing" effect at Wrexham.

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• American duo invested in Wrexham in 2021
• Overseen the club's return to the Football League
• Finance guru expects celebrity ownership models to continue

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The American actors completed a £2 million takeover at Wrexham in February 2021, at which point the club were still competing in the National League. Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have taken a hands-on approach at SToK Racecourse, silencing critics that claimed their move into football was merely a gimmick, and it reaped rewards in 2022-23 as Wrexham secured promotion back to the Football League after a 15-year absence.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Celebrity owners are becoming more and more common as a result of Wrexham's success, with NFL legend Tom Brady the latest man to try his hand in English football as a co-owner at Championship club Birmingham City. Dr Christina Philippou, a Principal Lecturer in accounting, economics and finance at the Faculty of Business and Law, believes the trend will continue because of the huge impact celebrities can have when it comes to the commercial interests of football clubs.

• WHAT DR CHRISTINA PHILIPPOU SAID

  "It's a matter of a sporting celebrity bringing in money," Dr Philippou told . "Wrexham have a touch of Hollywood glamour, and the owners have been able to do amazing things by selling the story along with their on-pitch and community efforts. Leveraging that status sells and helps the commercial side, which in turn helps the on-pitch fortunes as the owners are able to input some of that money into the club."

  She added: "Sports have a global reach now due to the likes of social media. All sorts of things have changed since those days, but being able to leverage celebrities is a big thing in terms of the commercial and broadcasting side of things. The [Lionel] Messi effect at Inter Miami had a massive impact on match-day prospects. There's a reason for celebrities to be there, and I think it will continue. The generations coming through now are even more savvy when it comes to influencers and who the big stars are. That culture is definitely growing, and moving with those would make sense from a commercial side. I don't think it's something we'll stop seeing anytime soon."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Wrexham's growth has also been helped by the success of the Disney Plus docuseries tracking their rise under Reynolds and McElhenney. 'Welcome to Wrexham' was recently renewed for a third season, but Dr Philippou has warned that continued progress on the pitch is the only way to guarantee that interest levels remain high. "There may not be a compelling story to tell if Wrexham had stayed outside the Football League. It would get harder and harder to sell the story," she said. "There is a link between results and general interest. We see that across every level. Match-day interest is never as high after a team gets relegated. Social media content certainly plays its part when it comes to the commercial side, sponsorship deals, and broadcasting. If you can prove online interest in your club and demonstrate true engagement, then sponsors will come calling, and that only helps the club. Sunderland Till I Die sold too, but for different reasons! There have been a couple of documentaries made during great or terrible seasons. The problem is not being able to tell. A few of the NFL All or Nothing documentaries have been made as the chosen club has had an average season, and they never sell particularly well as it makes for less interesting viewing."

West Ham United kickstart their Premier League campaign later this afternoon as David Moyes and co will be looking to build on their phenomenal sixth-place finish.

And the Scot has plenty to ponder in terms of team selection, particularly as he’s only been able to secure the one senior addition in the transfer market, in the form of Paris Saint-Germain backup goalkeeper, Alphonse Areola.

The Hammers head to Tyneside to face Newcastle United at St James’ Park for their opener, in what can only be described as the battle of the threadbare squads.

Steve Bruce has only secured the one signing, too. They also look particularly weak for strength in depth across the pitch.

However, in the absence of loan sensation Jesse Lingard, Moyes will need to find a solution to the likely creative and goalscoring void left behind… enter, Said Benrahma.

On the Chalkboard

After signing in a £30m deal from Brentford last summer, the Algerian winger would go onto have a frustrating season in and out of Moyes’ starting XI.

Indeed, the 26-year-old dynamo notched 36 appearances in all competitions but only 14 of these were starts in the Premier League, and despite that, he still managed to provide one goal and six assists in the big time, as per Transfermarkt.

Benrahma was one of the Moyes’ most creative options, nonetheless – via WhoScored, he averaged 1.7 key passes per 90 minutes, which actually outranked Lingard, who managed 1.1 key passes per 90.

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With Bruce dealing with a number of defensive injury worries, particularly between the sticks, a player of Benrahma’s quality could well be exactly what the 58-year-old needs to get a result from this encounter.

The £18m-rated playmaker, who has been lauded as an “undoubted talent” by The Sun journalist Justin Allen and a “true magician” by former OGC Nice teammate Lorenzo Vinci in the past, has a great chance to prove a point if selected.

He’s been lighting up pre-season, scoring against Celtic and his former club, Brentford, as well as providing two assists in their final friendly against Atalanta last weekend.

The wing maestro is in red hot form going into the season, so Moyes has to unleash him from the off up in the northeast today.

On his day, Benrahma is simply “unplayable”, as once described by ex-Hammer Danny Gabbidon. He will offer the side the sort of pace, skills and trickery that no one else can.

He could be the Irons’ game-changer against the Magpies. He has to start.

AND in other news, Moyes could find West Ham’s “perfect alternative to Antonio” in 20-goal “huge talent”…

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino has apologised to referee Anthony Taylor for his furious outburst after his side's 4-4 draw with Manchester City.

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• Pochettino stormed onto the pitch
• Was fuming at Anthony Taylor
• Also apologised to Pep Guardiola

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Pochettino stormed onto the pitch after the final whistle of the 4-4 draw with City on Sunday. The Argentine manager has explained that he believed Raheem Sterling could score on the counter-attack but Taylor instead blew his whistle, prompting Pochettino to both snub a handshake from opposite number Pep Guardiola and take his complaints up with the officiating team. For his protests, he was shown a yellow card, and also needed to be restrained by his coaching staff.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The game featured a variety of controversial calls, as both sides scored penalties, and Chelsea came from behind to draw level on three separate occasions. Their final equaliser came through former City star Cole Palmer, who scored a spot-kick in the 95th-minute.

• WHAT THEY SAID

  Pochettino apologised for his outburst after the game, saying: "I need to apologise to Anthony and the officials – in this moment, I felt Raheem could go through on goal.

  "I deserve to be booked. I want to apologise to him also [Pep], I was focused on the action."

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  The international break will give both sides a rest, but Chelsea will return to action with a trip to Newcastle, while City will host Liverpool.

Al-Nassr have put the wheels in motion for a potential bid to sign Kevin De Bruyne from Manchester City, it has been claimed.

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• De Bruyne wanted by Saudi side
• Have contacted agent about meeting
• Star's Man City contract ends in 2025

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Saudi Arabian side have contacted the Belgium international's agent with the aim of arranging a meeting, according to Rudy Galetti. Al-Nassr's plan is to explain their long-term strategy to convince the attacking midfielder to join.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  De Bruyne, 32, is currently contracted to City until 2025. He remains a key part of Pep Guardiola's team but has featured just once in the Premier League this season, having been ruled out with a muscle injury he sustained in the early stages of their first game against Burnley. As a result of his fitness troubles, City are reported to have put a stop to talks over a new contract until he recovers

• DID YOU KNOW?

  De Bruyne would be one of many big names to make the move to the Middle East if Al-Nassr are able to convince him. He would reunite with ex-City team-mate Aymeric Laporte as well as the likes of former Premier League rivals Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane and Alex Telles.

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  De Bruyne will continue his recovery and prepare to return to the City team before he will consider making the switch to the Saudi Pro League.

Neymar may be facing up to another spell on the sidelines through injury, with Al-Hilal revealing that the Brazilian forward is nursing a knock.

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• South American now in Saudi Arabia
• Working on lucrative contract
• Suffered regular physical setbacks

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 31-year-old made it through the international break unscathed, becoming his country’s all-time leading goalscorer in the process as he pulled away from legendary three-time World Cup winner Pele.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Neymar may, however, be forced to sit out a crunch AFC Champions League clash with Navpakhor. Al-Hilal are due to face Uzbek opposition in continental competition on Monday. A South American superstar could be watching that contest from afar.

• WHAT THEY SAID

  Al-Hilal coach Jorge Jesus has told reporters when delivering a fitness update on his squad: “After today's training, we will decide the five foreign stars that will be in the game's list. Neymar and Michael have minor discomfort and we need to make sure that they are 100 per cent ready to play the game.”

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Neymar has suffered with muscular problems since leaving Paris Saint-Germain for Saudi Arabia, forcing him to miss four games. He did provide an assist when gracing a 6-1 demolition of Al-Riyadh on Friday, but now faces a race against time to figure in back-to-back games for his new Middle Eastern employers.

Manchester United have reportedly received no contact from Paris Saint-Germain over a possible move for Paul Pogba.

What’s the story?

Several outlets have linked the French giants with a move for the 28-year-old in recent days after he entered the final year of his contract at Old Trafford, but no formal approach has been made, according to the Manchester Evening News.

Pogba is believed to be relaxed over his future and settled in Cheshire with his family, although United players closest to the midfielder are thought to be of the opinion he should be allowed to leave as it’s in the best interests of the player and the club.

Solskjaer will be delighted

Despite the continued speculation and uncertainly regarding Pogba’s future, United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will surely be delighted that no approach has been made by PSG.

The France international has established himself as a pivotal player for the 20-time English champions during his time at the club and arguably produced his best-ever form in a Red Devils shirt in the second half of last season.

After becoming United’s record signing in an £89m move from Juventus back in 2016, Pogba has scored 38 goals and provided 42 assists in 206 appearances, winning the League Cup and Europa League along the way.

However, he’s been unable to drag the club towards football’s biggest prizes, often struggling for consistency and drawing his fair share of criticism as a result.

Some of the negative narratives have been extremely harsh on the £54m-rated beast, though. United haven’t built a strong enough team to compete for the Champions League or Premier League during Pogba’s time at the club, and only now are they moving in a positive direction.

Since Solskjaer has taken charge, the Old Trafford outfit have recorded consecutive top-four finishes for the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirements, reached multiple semi-finals and were beaten in the Europa League final last term.

With the imminent arrival of Jadon Sancho and the potential addition of Raphael Varane, the Norwegian tactician is close to building a team with the ability to return United to the sport’s summit.

Losing Pogba, who has been lauded as a “monster” in recent seasons, would be a devastating blow to the progress that Solsjaer has made during his two-and-a-half-year tenure, and he’ll be hoping the World Cup-winning dynamo puts pen to paper on a new deal and commits his future to United for many years to come.

And, in other news…“Matter of hours”: Fresh Man Utd transfer update is revealed that’ll have fans buzzing 

Tyler Adams has revealed that he is hoping to play in a friendly during the international break, with a debut for Bournemouth to follow after that.

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• Midfielder has joined Cherries from Leeds
• Working his way back to fitness
• Confident of making a positive impact

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The United States international has been out of action since March, with an unfortunate hamstring problem holding him back. That fitness issue has not prevented Bournemouth from snapping him up in a £23 million ($29m) deal with Leeds.

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  Adams is eager to open a new chapter in his career, having seen his former club suffer relegation out of the Premier League, and hopes that he will be ready to make his bow for the Cherries in mid to late-September. He has told : “It's tough to watch from the sidelines but I'm very close though. About a couple of weeks out I would say, so I think after the international break is going to be my first look at games. Hopefully in the international break there's a friendly of some sorts I'll play some capacity in that and getting back after the international break.”

• AND WHAT'S MORE

  Adams believes that he has the qualities to make a telling contribution at Bournemouth, adding on what he will bring to the fold: “After I talked to the staff, the ownership group and exactly what they wanted to do here, I knew I could fit right in. I think I'm going to bring a little bit of tenacity to this team. The way that Andoni [Iraola] wants to play, which is a high press on the front foot, looking to win balls, I think that's something that I'm good at and I'm certainly going to try and bring that here.”

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Bournemouth will head into the latest international break on the back of a Carabao Cup clash with Swansea and a Premier League trip to Brentford. They will return to action against Chelsea on September 17 – a club that Adams came close to joining this summer – before then heading to south coast rivals Brighton a week later.