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On Tuesday night, reigning European champions Manchester City continue the defence of their crown with the first leg of a round of 16 tie away to Copenhagen. Pep Guardiola's men arrive in Denmark as overwhelming favourites, with Opta giving them an enormous 93.9% chance of progressing to the quarterfinals.

However, Guardiola will remind his players that Premier League rivals Manchester United lost 4-3 at the Parken Stadium, while Bayern Munich required a late winner after falling behind. They still can't afford any complacency.

City have recently been boosted by multiple injury comebacks, with record-breaking Golden Boot winner Erling Haaland starting his first Premier League game of 2024 against Brentford last week. Haaland would then get back on the scoresheet by netting a late double against Everton at the weekend.

Kevin de Bruyne is fully fit again too, and John Stones and Manuel Akanji have returned to strengthen the defence. But just when Guardiola thought he was operating with a clean bill of health, he's been hit by a couple of setbacks elsewhere.

Gvardiol misses training before Copenhagen

Writing on X/Twitter, journalist Tyrone Marshall said he's taken a "look at the footage" from City's training session before Copenhagen and spotted that Josko Gvardiol was absent.

It's since been confirmed by the club that Gvardiol isn't part of the travelling party heading to Copenhagen, and the same is true of compatriot Mateo Kovacic, who plays in midfield.

How many games will "incredible" Gvardiol miss?

City paid £77m to sign Gvardiol from RB Leipzig during last summer's transfer window, making him the second-most expensive defender in football history behind £80m Man Utd man Harry Maguire.

He's since made 27 appearances for the club, starting three of their six Champions League group games and 16 of their 23 Premier League matches, including nine in a row before he dropped to the bench against Everton last weekend. Perhaps fitness concerns played a part in that decision.

Man City readying big-money bid to sign “really, really good” player

He is open to a move to the Etihad this summer.

By
Henry Jackson

Feb 12, 2024

The stats suggest that Gvardiol is one of the most impactful players in both the City squad and the league as a whole – he's averaged the sixth-highest points per appearance, and the third-highest at the Etihad Stadium behind Rodri and Nathan Ake.

"We knew he was an incredible person," Guardiola said in November. "That is what I look for first. He can play centre back, We decided to play him in a back four and play at full-back offensively and defensively. He is incredibly open minded to see what we want to do. At every training session he is an incredible professional."

Given their aforementioned margin of superiority, City should be able to cope without Gvardiol on Tuesday, but the bigger concern may be whether he's available for upcoming Premier League games in the heat of the title race. City host Chelsea at the weekend before playing their game in hand against Brentford the following midweek.

Manchester City have been linked with a little known Copenhagen striker in the final days of the summer transfer window.

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• Man City considered Alvarez replacements
• Copenhagen talent among them
• Formal approach not expected

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to , Orri Oskarsson has featured "high on the list" of targets that City have been exploring to beef up their options up front. The Premier League champions are considered "firm admirers" of the 19-year-old Iceland international.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Oskarsson played against City in a Champions league game last season and has already netted seven times in 11 appearances for Copenhagen so far in 2024-25. However, while City have seemingly shown interest in Oskarsson and he is expected to move before the upcoming transfer deadline, the same report from suggests the Premier League champions won't now mount a formal approach. Other English sides, as well Porto and Real Sociedad could benefit from that, with Oskarsson valued at €20 million (£17m; $22m) plus add-ons.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Having sold Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid for big money, City have been reluctant to jump into the transfer market for an expensive replacement. Instead, Pep Guardiola has talked up James McAtee and Oscar Bobb as they primarily seek to replace the Argentine from within, although the latter will spend the next few months on the sidelines with a fractured leg.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MAN CITY?

  Ilkay Gundogan has been an unexpected bonus in the final stages of the transfer window to boost depth in midfield with a proven and experienced star. But City appear happy with what they have as the transfer deadline approaches.

Everything you need to know about the new Arsenal kit, including leaks, designs, where to buy and more.

Home

Home Kit

• Legendary cannon returns for the new Arsenal home kit
• Gold has been dropped for navy blue, which features on the Adidas stripes, and the jersey has a lot more white to it than the previous iteration

From

£80.00

Buy

Away

Away kit

• Created in collaboration with British African heritage brand Labrum London
• Honours the strong connection between Arsenal, North London, and Africa
• Features the vibrant colours of the pan-African flag – black, red, and green

From

£80.00

Buy

Third

Third kit

• A fresh and modern take on the colour palettes from the iconic away kits from ’94-95 and ’95-96
• Features a smart crew neck collar and matching sleeve detailing complement the elegance of the trefoil and the cannon crest

From

£80.00

Buy

Home

Home Kit

• Legendary cannon returns for the new Arsenal home kit
• Gold has been dropped for navy blue, which features on the Adidas stripes, and the jersey has a lot more white to it than the previous iteration

From

£80.00

Buy

Away

Away kit

• Created in collaboration with British African heritage brand Labrum London
• Honours the strong connection between Arsenal, North London, and Africa
• Features the vibrant colours of the pan-African flag – black, red, and green

From

£80.00

Buy

Third

Third kit

• A fresh and modern take on the colour palettes from the iconic away kits from ’94-95 and ’95-96
• Features a smart crew neck collar and matching sleeve detailing complement the elegance of the trefoil and the cannon crest

From

£80.00

Buy

Home

Home Kit

• Legendary cannon returns for the new Arsenal home kit
• Gold has been dropped for navy blue, which features on the Adidas stripes, and the jersey has a lot more white to it than the previous iteration

From

£80.00

Buy

Away

Away kit

• Created in collaboration with British African heritage brand Labrum London
• Honours the strong connection between Arsenal, North London, and Africa
• Features the vibrant colours of the pan-African flag – black, red, and green

From

£80.00

Buy

Third

Third kit

• A fresh and modern take on the colour palettes from the iconic away kits from ’94-95 and ’95-96
• Features a smart crew neck collar and matching sleeve detailing complement the elegance of the trefoil and the cannon crest

From

£80.00

Buy

Arsenal will be hoping to shine again in adidas when the 2024-25 season comes around, with the Gunners set to sport a series of fresh looks at the Emirates and further afield.

Shop Arsenal kits at adidasBuy now

It is their sixth season with adidas and the German sportswear manufacturer has produced a nice variety of takes on the legendary North London red and whites.

So, what will Arsenal be wearing in the 2024-25 season? GOAL brings you everything you need to know, including leaks, rumours, where to buy, prices and more.

• READ MORE: All the new 2024-25 football kits

• adidas
  

  Arsenal 2024-25 home kit, release date & price

  Shop Arsenal kits at adidasBuy now

  The new Arsenal home kit was released on May 16, just in time for the last game of the 2023-24 season.

  As you can see in the image above, the kit is quite different to the 2023-24 edition, with a lot more white making up the base.

  adidas has ditched the gold colouring on the three stripes and instead added a deep blue, with curved blue strips framing the smaller red section on the torso.

  The Gunners last had blue on their home kit in the 2021-22 season, when it featured on the three stripes. The new design is quite unlike any previous iteration, though it has shades of the early 1990s designs, as well as the late nineties home kits, which saw the red framed by blue (remember the Dreamcast kits?)

  In terms of prices, you will be looking at forking out £80 ($100) for the new Arsenal home kit for 2024-25, similar to last year.

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  Arsenal 2024-25 away kit, release date & price

  Shop Arsenal kits at adidasBuy now

  adidas and Arsenal revealed their new away kit for the 2024-25 season on July 18, 2024.

  Created in collaboration with British African heritage brand, Labrum London, the kit honours the strong connection between Arsenal, North London and Africa, and pays tribute to the club's African supporters and players of African descent who graced the side.

  It features the vibrant colours of the pan-African flag – black, red and green. The white zig-zag graphic – commonly found in African designs, representing Cowrie shells – down through the sides and onto the shorts, is said to be hand drawn by Labrum London.

  One would notice the adidas logo without the brand name in green, and the stand-alone Arsenal cannon in red. The adidas three stripes that run down the shoulders are in alternation of green and red.

  Like the home kit, it will cost in the region of £80 ($100).

• adidas
  

  Arsenal 2024-25 third kit, release date & price

  Shop Arsenal kits at adidasBuy now

  Arsenal have played in various shades of blue over the years and their third kit for 2024-25 is a bold mixture of light blue, midnight blue and vibrant veronica purple.

  The main body of the jersey is sky blue, with midnight blue on the lettering of the sponsor, trefoil adidas logo and club crest, as well as the collar and shoulders.

  To the sides, a bright purple shoots out, framing the kit.

  The third kit was officially launched on August 12, with a cool video featuring actor Will Poulter, and the price range is the same as the home and away jerseys.

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• Arsenal 2024-25 goalkeeper kit, release date & price

  Arsenal will most likely have three different goalkeeper kits, to complement each of their kits as well as being available in the event of colour clashes.

  It is not yet clear what David Raya and Aaron Ramsdale will be wearing for the Gunners in 2024-25, but last year their kits consisted of black, blue and green, with each having white motifs.

Arsenal sporting director Edu will "genuinely" look into signing a marquee star this summer as journalist Dean Jones eases FFP worries.

Arsenal endure quiet January transfer window

Despite a lot of noise in the build-up to January, manager Mikel Arteta was forced to watch on as other Premier League sides spent while the Gunners were fairly inactive.

Expert reveals Arsenal January transfer decision that Arteta may now regret

This could prove to be a decision to forget…

By
Tom Cunningham

Feb 2, 2024

Arsenal were widely linked with a striker, midfielder and new full-backs in the months leading up to winter, but Edu's transfer plans ultimately amounted to nothing despite their glaring need in some areas.

After spending over £200 million last summer, journalist Graeme Bailey, among others, put Arsenal's inactivity down to both a cautionary FFP approach and a limited mid-season budget.

“Arsenal spent a lot of money in the summer window. Spending the amount of money they did on Declan Rice, it has implications,” the transfer expert explained to Arsenal Insider last month.

“We’ve seen big new contracts handed out in the last season or so, Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, and Gabriel Martinelli all signed new deals. In the January window, you do tend to overpay."

Brentford star Ivan Toney is one name who was regularly mentioned as a top striker target for Arsenal, and still is. The 27-year-old has just recently returned to action after serving a long footballing ban for alleged gambling breaches, and he's already bagged two goals in two league starts since.

Toney is undoubtedly going to be mentioned in the build-up to summer as well, with Jones sharing a small update to GiveMeSport while also easing some concerns surrounding FFP.

Edu set to "genuinely" look into signing Toney

Indeed, it is believed Arsenal will "genuinely" look into signing Toney and the club are actually in very healthy shape when it comes to avoiding the sanctions of breaching Profit and Sustainability Rules.

Everton and Nottingham Forest are the latest cautionary tales in regards to what could happen if you go over the line in that regard, with Sean Dyche's side already docked 10 points this season.

However, that isn't something Arsenal will have to be concerned about too soon.

"Arsenal suffered losses over the three seasons up to 2021/22 and have been rumoured to be on UEFA’s watchlist in the past in relation to Financial Fair Play," wrote Jones.

"However, UEFA’s old version of FFP is very different to the Premier League’s and the club have also stated a £122m Covid impact on revenue in their accounts.

"This figure, even before any other PSR exemptions, gets them to an adjusted three-year PSR calculation of a loss of £28.15m, well within EPL limits. Arsenal have prospects of signing a top striker and midfielder – and they may look to bring another exciting wide player too. Ivan Toney is rated upwards of £70million and is regarded as a player they genuinely will look into signing."

Their reaction follows reports that the BCB wants Tests to be shifted to a neutral venue

Umar Farooq23-Dec-2019With Bangladesh reportedly unsure of travelling to Pakistan to play Test cricket – though they are happy to play T20Is – the efforts to make the country a regular stop on the international circuit have hit a bit of a hurdle.Misbah-ul-Haq and Azhar Ali, speaking after Pakistan beat Sri Lanka in the second Test in Karachi to win the series 1-0 on Monday, were unequivocal in their displeasure with Bangladesh’s reported stance, with the head coach and chief selector calling it “a great injustice” and the Test captain saying “there is no excuse not to come”.”It’s very important to have this (Test cricket) going on. It will be a big disappointment for Pakistan if they (Bangladesh) do not come,” Misbah said in a press conference. “There is no excuse at this stage and making security a pretext is lame, because when international tours are happening, teams [are] coming and playing here, even you are agreeing to play T20 and refusing Test is something beyond my understanding.”I don’t see any reason. To me it’s just an excuse and nothing else. It will be a great injustice to Pakistan because already [we are] playing less Test cricket and we want more Tests on a regular basis. If this (Test series) doesn’t happen, we will be playing our next series in England after a long gap. Then we can’t blame our players – like Azhar Ali returned back in form after a long span and then again he has to wait for another four months playing nothing. He will be disadvantaged. It will again feel like a debut on the next series. Our players need to play continuous cricket.”According to the ICC future tours programme, Bangladesh are scheduled to play two Tests and three T20Is away against Pakistan in January. But, as ESPNcricinfo has reported, the BCB has asked for the Tests to be shifted to a neutral venue, a suggestion the PCB turned down immediately, questioning the rationale of the stance, coming as it did during Sri Lanka’s Test series in Rawalpindi and Karachi, which has passed without incident.According to the PCB, it sent its last correspondence to BCB last week, and there has been no response since.”I’m sure the PCB is looking at this, but I don’t understand what the reason for not visiting could be,” Azhar said. “This is the ICC World Test Championship. Lots of teams have come and gone, we’ve had several PSL matches here. The World XI side came and major current players have played here. Most special of all, the Sri Lankan team has come and played not just one, but two Test matches. If teams aren’t going to support each other here in Asia, and cricket boards in Asia don’t support each other, then where will we end up?”We play very little Test cricket anyway, and I’m sure Bangladesh don’t play many Test matches either. So we must support each other and I would urge the ICC to step in because there is no excuse not to come. Things are running so smoothly, and the crowds are coming here. Everything is running perfectly and we’ve seen quality cricket, so I don’t think there can be any excuse.”The PCB has been working actively with the ICC’s independent security consultants, and has hosted a good number of matches involving international players and teams over the past three years. The next tour of the country that has been confirmed is one by an MCC team, to be led by Kumar Sangakkara, next year, while the entire PSL will be held in Pakistan too, across four venues.The PCB has been insistent that the days of Pakistan playing their “home” matches at neutral venues are over. As to what the board plans to do if visiting teams continue to refuse touring Pakistan, PCB chairman Ehsan Mani has hinted at the possibility of taking such disputes to the ICC for resolution.

The openers broke a 52-year-old South Australia Shield record with a 293-run stand

The Report by Alex Malcolm11-Nov-2019Openers Jake Weatherald and Henry Hunt both made centuries as they broke a 52-year-old South Australia record with an opening stand of 293 runs to put the Redbacks in command against Tasmania at Adelaide Oval.Hunt made his maiden Sheffield Shield century – 132 – while Weatherald thumped his highest first-class score of 195 not out and his third score of 150-plus in Shield cricket.Their partnership passed the previous South Australian record of 281 set by Les Favell and John Causby against New South Wales back in 1967.Tasmania, who were asked to field after losing the toss, managed to take just one wicket on the day on what was an excellent batting strip. Their attack lacked penetration without the extra pace of Riley Meredith, who is away on Australia A duty.Weatherald and Hunt cashed in. Weatherald’s performance was quite against the run of his recent form; since scoring 150 in February, also against Tasmania in Adelaide, he had made just 123 runs in 11 Shield innings with a highest score of 37 and four ducks. But he plundered 29 boundaries in his career-best knock, and was particularly savage square of the wicket.Late in the day, Tasmania had three gullies and a deep point and Weatherald was still able to find the rope with his powerful cut. He finished the day five runs shy of a maiden double-century.Hunt showed the same patience and diligence he had in his 75 on debut against Victoria. He struck 16 fours and a six and brought up his century with a classy late cut before becoming the only wicket to fall. He succumbed to a top edge when he attempted a front-foot pull late in the day. Callum Ferguson made an easy 20 not out to take his team to stumps alongside Weatherald.

Kylian Mbappe buried two penalties to overcome a fine finish from Tim Weah as Real Madrid opened their Champions League campaign with a narrow 2-1 win over Marseille. It was a rather mixed night from Los Blancos, who lost Trent Alexander-Arnold to injury and saw Dani Carvajal sent off, but managed to snag a late win in their search for Champions League redemption.

Marseille grabbed their opener on the break. It was a nicely crafted move, with ex-Manchester United man Mason Greenwood feeding USMNT winger Weah, who lashed home from close range past Thibaut Courtois.

But the visitors were leaky at the back, and never seemed equipped to hold onto their lead. Madrid responded swiftly after veteran French midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia tripped Rodrygo – handed an unlikely start over Vinicius Jr – in the box. Mbappe stepped up to slam home the penalty.

Madrid had plenty of chances as the game wore on. Their goal-scorer stung the palms of the goalkeeper on a couple of occasions, and Arda Guler created problems. But Marseille, too, were dangerous on the break, as Weah forced Courtois into action here and there.

A hugely rash moment from Carvajal with less than 20 minutes to go seemed to hand the visitors the advantage. The veteran defender headbutted Geronimo Rulli after a heated exchange, and was given his marching orders once the referee had been sent to the monitor following a lengthy VAR check.

But Los Blancos, in typical Champions League fashion, found a way. They needed a stroke of luck, with Facundo Medina inadvertently handling the ball while making a tackle in the box. The referee rather harshly handed Madrid their second penalty of the night and Mbappe, inevitably, converted to snatch the three points.

GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from the Santiago Bernabeu…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Thibaut Courtois (7/10):

  Made a few crucial saves to keep his team in it. Could do nothing about the goal. 

  Trent Alexander-Arnold (N/A):

  Lasted fewer than four minutes before being removed with what seemed to be a hamstring injury. 

  Eder Militao (5/10):

  Rather disjointed in his defending. Picked up a silly yellow and wasn't particularly clean in his distribution. 

  Dean Huijsen (8/10):

  Composed after giving away a silly red at the weekend. Won his headers and was strong in his duels. 

  Alvaro Carreras (7/10):

  Solid at left-back. Was effective one on one against Mason Greenwood, and gave as much as he got. 

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  Midfield

  Aurelien Tchouameni (7/10):

  Solid at the base of midfield. Won the ball back a lot, passed well, but could really do with shuffling it forward more quickly. 

  Federico Valverde (7/10):

  Covered plenty of ground, helped out defensively, and moved the ball effectively, too. 

  Arda Guler (5/10):

  Tricky and dangerous in the final third. Linked up with Mbappe well and created all sorts of clever angles. But lacking defensively, asleep as he gave the ball away leading up to the Marseille goal.

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  Attack

  Franco Mastantuono (6/10):

  Full of energy, but could have been cleaner. Well denied after one nice winding run through and had a clear chance easily saved. Will be encouraged to grab another start. 

  Kylian Mbappe (8/10):

  Created problems with his pace and dribbling ability. Scored two penalties, and could've had one or two more. 

  Rodrygo (7/10):

  Won the first penalty, created three chances, and turned in a fine hour of work before being subbed. Not bad on the left, funnily enough. 

• Getty
  

  Subs & Manager

  Dani Carvajal (3/10):

  Came on, played well for 70 minutes, then got sent off for a braindead headbutt. 

  Brahim Diaz (5/10):

  A solid 30 minutes on the wing. Doesn't look entirely sharp yet.

  Vinicius Jr (6/10):

  Ran at his man relentlessly, sort of won the pen that sealed it. There will be more to come.

  Raul Asencio (N/A):

  Late cover at right-back after Carvajal was sent off.

  Xabi Alonso (6/10):

  What a weird night for him. Lost one right-back to injury and a second to a red, and saw his team win without playing very well. Welcome to Real Madrid in the Champions League.

As he closed in on the expiry of his contract in the summer, Celtic youngster Rocco Vata had seemed all set to leave Parkhead. Clubs in Italy have been showing interest, with Bologna the first to emerge as a potential suitor and then Serie B side Como FC making an approach too.

The Hoops reportedly rejected multiple bids for Vata during last summer's transfer window, but they initially gave him permission to leave this month, even though they were set to earn less than £350,000 in compensation. Now, though, there's seemingly a twist at Parkhead following developments on Wednesday.

Vata could yet stay at Celtic

According to Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph, who shared a Rocca Vata update, Celtic have now begun contract talks with the Irishman. Hoops officials have initiated discussions with the players' agency, CAA Base, in the hope of convincing him to stay in Glasgow.

Vata is "believed to be keen" on remaining with the club, but on the condition that he's shown the "right pathway" to Brendan Rodgers' first-team. It remains to be seen, then, whether the negotiations have the desired outcome.

Vata can make Celtic forget about Van Hooijdonk

It's promising for Celtic that Vata camp are at least receptive to sitting down for a fresh round of talks. The 18-year-old, who can play as a striker, winger or a number 10, has underlined his potential this season while in action for the club's b-team in the Lowlands League, scoring 12 goals in 15 appearances. He's also making waves at the international level too, having scored a double on his debut for Ireland's under-21s in September.

Last weekend, as Celtic returned to action following their winter break against Highland League side Buckie Thistle in the Scottish Cup, Rodgers handed Vata a start, perhaps a sign that progress had been made behind the scenes. The 18-year-old took his opportunity by scoring his first goal for the club in a resounding 5-0 win.

At every level, he's showing that he's an "exciting" talent (in the words of talent scout Jacek Kulig), and it feels like Celtic could end up regretting it if they lose him. As stated, Vata needs to be shown a pathway, and that could involve more opportunities in the Scottish Premiership. For all his promise, he hasn't even been named in the matchday squad for a league game this season.

It was reported in Italy that Bologna's interest in Vata could potentially smooth over a deal for their striker Sydney van Hooijdonk, with Rodgers looking to strengthen at centre-forward before the end of the window. It's theoretically possible that taking Vata off the table will scupper that move, but the hope will be that the youngster reaches such a high level in a few years' time that Van Hooijdonk is ultimately forgotten about.

While it isn't a new face and may not generate the same level of excitement, this could end up being one of the most important pieces of business Celtic conduct this month.

Leeds United closed out their January run of fixtures in th Championship with a fourth straight victory, overcoming a lacklustre Norwich City 1-0 under the lights at Elland Road.

Picking up another three points to put on the board means the Whites are now only two points behind second-place occupied by Ipswich Town, with winnable games to follow to start February versus Bristol City and Rotherham United.

There were a number of standout performers in the assured win over David Wagner's uninspiring Canaries, including goalscorer Patrick Bamford who continued his goalscoring purple patch to steer Daniel Farke's men away from firing an unwanted blank and pile even more pressure onto the Tractor Boys as a result.

Patrick Bamford continues to shine

With four goals in his last five games since being reintroduced into the first team fold this year, Bamford continued to be the focal point in attack for the promotion chasers on Wednesday night.

Found in acres of space free in the box after a delightful Daniel James delivery into the danger area, Bamford had the simple task of connecting with the cross and powering a header in to give Leeds a 1-0 lead early into the first 45 minutes.

The reinvigorated number nine was also useful in his attempts to play others into the contest to try and make the lead more emphatic, registering two key passes during his excellent 90 minutes on the Elland Road turf and only misplacing three of his 26 passes.

Yet, Georginio Rutter was even more unerring in his calmness spraying the ball around the park with ease against the visitors from Norfolk and arguably stole the spotlight away from the 30-year-old centre-forward.

Georginio Rutter's performance in numbers

Not exactly endearing himself to the expectant Leeds fanbase last season as the club suffered relegation, alongside Bamford, Rutter is now a firm fan's favourite in West Yorkshire and for good reason.

The 21-year-old is oozing confidence at this moment in time when he struts onto the field of play, successful with six dribble attempts in the game as Norwich found it hard to keep tabs on the intricate Frenchman foraying forward all night.

Rutter also helped himself to two key passes in the contest, alongside two accurate long balls in a bid to push his team up the pitch and to help his side not just sit back with a precarious one-goal advantage.

Leeds did get over the line in the end – picking up their 11th clean sheet of the campaign – but they could have had more goals courtesy of their dynamic number 24.

The 21-year-old would have one on-target effort on Angus Gunn's goal in the 1-0 win, with his dogged determination to continually regain the ball also not going unnoticed.

Winning a staggering 13 duels, there's no doubt in Farke's mind that his star Frenchman will continue being a fixed presence in the first team for some time to come after such a tireless display.

Given an 8/10 post-match rating by Leeds Live journalist Beren Cross – with Cross stating that Rutter's trickery constantly 'bamboozled' a stunned Canaries back four – the Leeds number 24 arguably offered more in the win than Bamford.

Farke will want both of his star players firing on all cylinders next month, the West Yorkshire giants still very much in the automatic promotion mix.

Wayne Rooney has reportedly braced himself for an 'awkward' possible meeting with Ruben Amorim after criticising the Manchester United head coach. This is partly because the ex-Red Devils striker picks his son up from the club's training ground – a place the Portuguese regularly frequents.

• Rooney continues to criticise Man Utd's Amorim

  Following United's 3-0 loss to rivals Manchester City at the weekend, Rooney said his former team are now even "worse" under head coach Amorim. The 39-year-old is often seen at the club's headquarters due to son Kai's role in the academy, so things could be 'awkward' if he bumps into Amorim there.

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  Rooney on his 'uncomfortable' situation with Amorim at Man Utd

  He said on : "I was speaking with Rio [Ferdinand] yesterday on this. We want to support the team, we want to support the manager as best we can, but we also have to be honest as well because the fans are not fools and we have to give our honest opinion on what we're seeing.

  "That does put us in uncomfortable positions at times. Rio was out in Chicago with the team for pre-season. Obviously I go into the training ground quite a lot with my children. It does put us in an uncomfortable position but we have to be honest with what we're seeing. Frankly it's just not good enough."

• Amorim under pressure at Man Utd

  With their heavy defeat at the Etihad, United have now picked up just four points from four games – their worst start to a Premier League season in 33 years. Amorim is said to retain the support of the club's hierarchy but that may waver if results don't improve soon.

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  What next for Amorim and Man Utd?

  Amorim's United, who sit 14th in the Premier League, will hope to return to winning ways on Saturday when they host fifth-placed Chelsea at Old Trafford. They then round off the month away at Brentford on September 27.