
No Writer
Apr 17
Virgil van Dijk: Liverpool captain signs new contract to remain at Anfield until summer of 2027
The 33-year-old's previous deal was due to run out at the end of the season but it is understood Liverpool's captain's new deal runs for an additional two years. The announcement comes six days after Liverpool confirmed a new deal for Mohamed Salah. Transfer Centre LIVE! | Liverpool news & transfers🔴Liverpool fixtures & scores | FREE Liverpool PL highlights▶️Got Sky? Watch Liverpool games LIVE on your phone📱Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW 📺Choose the Sky Sports push notifications you want! 🔔 The Netherlands international joined Liverpool from Southampton for a then-world-record fee for a defender of £75m in January 2018. Van Dijk has enjoyed a hugely successful spell on Merseyside, winning a Premier League, a Champions League, an FA Cup and two League Cups in addition to a UEFA Super Cup, a FIFA Club World Cup and a host of individual accolades. Van Dijk is also on the verge of captaining Liverpool to a second Premier League title this season and record-equalling 20th English league title, with Arne Slot's side 13 points clear at the top with six games to play. The former Celtic centre-back had been linked with a move to French champions Paris Saint-Germain, but Van Dijk confirmed "it was always Liverpool". Van Dijk told Liverpoolfc.com on his new Reds deal: "I'm very happy, very proud. There are so many emotions obviously that go through my head right now speaking about it. "It's a proud feeling, it's a feeling of joy. It's just incredible. The journey I've had so far in my career, to be able to extend it with another two years at this club is amazing and I'm so happy." He added: "It was always Liverpool. That was the case. It was always in my head, it was always the plan and it was always Liverpool. "There wasn't any doubt in my head that this is the place to be for me and my family. I'm one of Liverpool. Someone called me the other day an adopted Scouser - I'm really proud to hear these things, it gives me a great feeling." It is understood Liverpool's sporting director Richard Hughes successfully oversaw negotiations with Van Dijk and his representative over several months, and throughout the discussions it was clear that both parties wanted to reach an agreement. Meanwhile, Real Madrid are confident of tying up a deal for Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is out of contract this summer. Real are believed to be progressing in talks and Alexander-Arnold's preference is to join the LaLiga club. Van Dijk: Liverpool planning a big summer But question marks around the futures of Van Dijk and Salah no longer remain with the pair extending their stays at Anfield. Van Dijk turns 34 in July, but his form this campaign has put him in contention for player of the year alongside Salah after re-establishing himself as one of the world's best centre-backs. After scoring a late winner in Sunday's win over West Ham, the Dutchman spoke about what Liverpool meant to him. "Being successful with Liverpool, the culture of the club, everything that embodies Liverpool - that is just part of me," he said. "I love the club, that's pretty obvious. I think you can see that in the way I speak about the club, the way I work for the club in terms of what I do on the pitch and off the pitch, and that will always be the same." Van Dijk also appears to have been encouraged by moves being made off the pitch to strengthen the squad in anticipation of defending their Premier League title, for which they require a maximum of two wins from their remaining six matches. "I think Liverpool should be able to challenge for titles in the upcoming years," he said. "I think they're planning to make it a big summer, so we all have to trust the board to do the right job." Analysis: Van Dijk is Liverpool's leader on and off the pitch Sky Sports News' Vinny O'Connor at Anfield: "This deal comes as no surprise in some respects, particularly after the interview he gave after the win over West Ham on Sunday. "You go back to March and it seemed Van Dijk didn't know exactly whether he'd be staying at Anfield or not. He said a few weeks ago progress had been made and so it's come to fruition with a deal lasting another two years. "Teams like PSG were rumoured to be interested to be taking Van Dijk but Liverpool are very happy to have got him nailed down to a new deal. "We see his influence on and off the pitch, he always fronts up and is available for an interview whether it's been a good game or bad. "You saw his leadership qualities against West Ham - there was the mistake leading to the equaliser, but then three minutes later he popped up with the winner. "He shoulders the captain's responsibility so well and you can see the influence he has on this Liverpool team - 314 appearances. He captained his 100th game against West Ham at the weekend. "Liverpool's winning rate at Anfield with Van Dijk in the side is 80 per cent. It shows the kind of influence he has on this side. "Now we wait to see whether this deal has any influence on Trent Alexander-Arnold. Obviously we're not hearing the noises out of him we did from Salah or Van Dijk. There is that interest from Real Madrid but maybe the fact these two have signed new deals could influence him." 'Salah and Van Dijk can show true greatness by winning back-to-back leagues' The Anfield Wrap's Neil Atkinson: "First and foremost, it's a pleasure to watch Van Dijk at Anfield. I think he's the best centre-back to have ever played the game, certainly for Liverpool by some distance. "It always felt the likeliest [of the three]. You wondered whether Liverpool might think about having a complete fresh start, a clean sweep, and free up the wage bill a little bit. "But it seemed clear to me it was what Virgil has wanted all the way through. It gives him two years more of trying to win the biggest prizes in the game with Liverpool, it looks as certain as you can be that he's going to win the Premier League again. But there's more he can do and more he can win. "A few of these lads haven't won enough. They've had some really poor fortune, and may regret some injury issues or when the squad was left a little bit light in Virgil's position to retain the title. "They've won the title and won it well, by a distance. But they start back at zero next season and the challenge for Salah and Van Dijk now is to show genuine greatness, and win it back-to-back."

No Writer
Apr 17
Mikel Arteta reveals Pep Guardiola phone call before dumping Real Madrid out of Champions League
The Gunners dumped the holders out of the competition as a stunning 2-1 win at the Bernabeu sealed a famous victory to set up a semi-final tie against Paris Saint-Germain. Arteta called the victory one of the "best nights of his career" and also revealed he spoke with Guardiola - his former mentor at Manchester City, where he worked as assistant - on the morning of the second leg. He said: "I called him this morning. Because if I am here, it is thanks to him to a great extent. "He has been a big inspiration to me. I lived four amazing years with him and I will always be grateful to him. Without him, I wouldn't be here." Real Madrid 1-2 Arsenal (agg 2-5) - Match report and player ratingsChampions League fixtures | Premier League to have extra CL spotNot got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW 📺Get BREAKING NEWS notifications to your phone! 🔔 The buzzword ahead of Wednesday's second leg was 'remontada' - Spanish for comeback - with Jude Bellingham insisting Real Madrid were confident they could overturn Arsenal's 3-0 lead. However, it was a comfortable night for Arsenal, who opened the scoring through Bukayo Saka and added a second through Gabriel Martinelli three minutes into stoppage time. Asked if he had ever felt prouder of his players in his press conference, Arteta said: "Probably not. "Not only because we're in the semi-final for the third time in our history, but also for the manner and the way we did it, with the circumstances, the amount of injuries that we had. "I think overall, I think it shows the character of this team, of this club, and it's a night to be very proud of. "What this shows is that the feeling that we have is a reality. And the feeling that I had before the tie, with what the players were transmitting and how prepared I could feel they were, was that we are ready to compete against anybody. "Now, we have to continue to do that because I think we have some momentum." Arteta hailed his players' maturity in handling the hostile atmosphere inside the Bernabeu. "It's certainly another massive step," he said. "Where we finished last year and the way we've done it this year against the team with the highest honours in the competition, it's incredible. "But I want to be credit to them as well. It was my first time as a coach in that dugout and today I realised after three minutes that in this stadium, anything is possible. "They are specialists of creating such a chaos, such a belief, and it's very difficult to understand really what's going on in the game and have certain certainty about how we control it. But I think the players showed their own maturity." Arteta added to TNT Sports: It is just the third time in our history we have got this far so we need to build on that. "We are hungry. We are a young team that are determined. All these experiences, including for myself, will help us to try and achieve something big. "We had full belief we could beat this team and dominate them but then you have to do it and the players did it." Ancelotti: I could be done at Real Madrid tomorrow Carlo Ancelotti admitted his future at Real Madrid is in doubt, claiming his time could be up at the club as early as "tomorrow", but insisting he will always be grateful to the club regardless. Madrid looked a shadow of the team that won the competition in two of the last three seasons as they were outplayed by Arsenal over the two legs. Ancelotti's team are also four points behind Barcelona in LaLiga with seven games remaining. Ancelotti's contract at the Bernabeu runs until 2026. As it happened at the Bernabeu | Teams | Match stats When asked about his long-term future as Real Madrid boss, Ancelotti said: "It could be this year, next year when my contract runs out... "There's no problem about it. But when I am done here, I will be grateful to this club. It could be tomorrow, in one year, or in 10 years, but I will be grateful to this club. And that's it. Full stop."

No Writer
Apr 16
Aston Villa 3-2 PSG: Unai Emery 'proud' of Champions League performance and insists his side 'deserve' to play at the level
Villa headed into the fixture facing a 3-1 deficit on aggregate following the defeat at the Parc des Princes last week, before conceding two early goals to Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes in the opening 30 minutes of the second leg at Villa Park. Youri Tielemans' deflected effort pulled one back before half-time, with captain John McGinn and Ezri Konsa striking within the space of two minutes after the restart to tee up a tantalising finish with the scoreline finely poised at 5-4 in the tie. Aston Villa 3-2 PSG (4-5 on aggregate) - Match reportAs it happened | Teams | Match statsChampions League fixtures | Premier League to have extra CL spotNot got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW 📺 Villa had chances to draw level through Marco Asensio, playing against his parent club, and Konsa but ultimately fell short before bowing out of the competition with their heads held high. "I am very proud of everything we did," Emery told Amazon Prime. "To get to this level is the best step forward to get to where I want to be at with Aston Villa. "We competed well in the first leg, but not enough. We were even better today and close to coming back. The last step forward is still [missing], and this is the only [aspect] I want to [work on] for our process." Villa have are now facing a short turnaround before another crucial clash, as they host fellow Champions League chasers Newcastle, live on Sky Sports, this Saturday. The Magpies currently sit in fourth place, two points ahead of Villa in seventh, with a game in hand. Emery continued in his press conference: "The players showed capacity. We beat Bayern Munich and we won tonight, the players showed their capacity at this level, they are here because they deserve to be here and facing matches like today. "I want a club with same the challenges as I have - adding more quality players if we need it - so proud of these players, confident we will get our objectives until the last match we'll face." McGinn: We have come a long way The Villa captain kickstarted the second-half resurgence after driving deep into the PSG half and firing into the top corner. He insists, despite exiting the competition, the team can be proud of their efforts and the journey they have been on. McGinn signed for Villa from Hibernian in 2018 and played a major role in their rise from the second tier of English football to competing with Europe's elite. "Obvious disappointment but I am proud of my team-mates, proud of the club," he told Amazon Prime. "We have come a long way. We were so, so close tonight. We just fell a little bit short. "We had chances to take the game to extra-time but we've got to be proud about the way we came back against one of the best teams in the world, to fight to the end. "We want more. We want to be back here next season and we will try our best to do that." When asked about what Emery said at half-time, when his side were still staring down the barrel of a 5-2 deficit on aggregate, McGinn added: "He said, 'I'm proud of the performance, keep going, you just never know'. "We never gave up. It was chaos, but we gave absolutely everything and I think every Aston Villa supporter will leave with a huge sense of pride." Konsa: We will be back! Konsa echoed the claims made by his manager and captain, while also referencing the chance he missed when Marcus Rashford's cross flashed across the face of goal but the defender failed to make the necessary connection from point-blank range. "I'm proud of the boys," Konsa said. "The two goals at the start killed us but we showed great belief and character to get back into it. We won the second leg but it wasn't enough. "At half-time we felt we had nothing to lose. We wanted to go out there and prove a point. We had chances, I think I scored the hardest one. I don't think we could have done any more. I missed the ball [for the headed chance], it happens. "Donnarumma made some excellent saves. We showed tonight we can compete at the highest level and we want to do it again next season." Enrique: PSG have not been dominated in this way before PSG boss Luis Enrique acknowledged the spirited performance from Villa and even claimed he had not seen a team "dominate" his side in that manner before travelling to the west Midlands. "I do not think this team has been dominated by a team in this way but the opponent had to take risks because they were going out of the competition. "They attacked with real intensity and in front of a great crowd as well. We will improve with this experience. "I was not happy at the end of the first half. We were playing at a level that was not befitting of the Champions League. Then in the second half, we were really suffering and Villa had chances to equalise."

Amar Mehta
Apr 17
Carlo Ancelotti: Real Madrid boss expected to leave club at end of month after Copa del Rey final
Ancelotti cast doubt over his future as Real head coach after Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final defeat to Arsenal, which saw his team lose 2-1 at home and 5-1 on aggregate. It is understood the 65-year-old will remain in place until the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona in Seville but is expected to depart the club after that game. Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW 📺Real Madrid fixtures | LaLiga tableChoose the Sky Sports push notifications you want! 🔔 Real and Barcelona are fighting it out for the domestic double, with Ancelotti's side sitting four points behind Barca in the league with seven games to play. The pair meet in El Clasico on May 11 but the Italian is not expected to be in charge for the game in Barcelona. Brazil want to appoint the ex-Everton boss as their new head coach and he could be installed in the role before the end of the Spanish domestic campaign. Speaking about his Real future following Wednesday night's defeat to Arsenal, Ancelotti said: "Maybe the club decides to replace me and maybe it could be this year, or next year when my contract is over. "But when I am done here, I will be grateful to this club. That could be tomorrow, 10 days, one month or in one year, but if my contract ends or doesn't end, I really don't care. "We have managed the bright side many times and we have won titles, but we need to manage the dark side too. We need to accept it because over the two games, Arsenal have been better than us." Ancelotti rejoined Real in the summer of 2021 and has won 11 trophies in his second stint in charge, including two LaLiga titles, two Champions Leagues and the Club World Cup. Could Alonso or Klopp replace Ancelotti? Former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon speaking to Sky Sports News: "Of course, there are many names like Xabi Alonso, who played for Real Madrid. And (Jurgen) Klopp, many in the next days and months will be linked with Real Madrid. "But I hope that the president will decide to keep Ancelotti. I don't know if he's willing to stay. This bench is very difficult for any coach. It is an obligation to win, which is not possible to do it all the time. "They are talking about Xabi Alonso, but he is still with Leverkusen. I think he extended his contract, so it won't be easy to get him." Brazil 'hopeful' of appointing Ancelotti Brazil are understood to remain hopeful of appointing Ancelotti as their new head coach. A source has told Sky Sports News that Diego Fernandes, a prominent Brazilian businessman, is attempting to broker a deal. It is understood Fernandes has ties with Ancelotti's team and the Brazilian Football Federation (CBF). Although not officially affiliated with the CBF, Fernandes is said to be in close contact with the ex-Bayern Munich boss and his involvement is being described by the source as "highly strategic", as part of the CBF's attempts to bring the Italian to Brazil. However, it is understood there is mounting concern within the Brazil camp that time is running out to make the appointment and the national team cannot afford to remain without a head coach until August. Their next games come in June against Paraguay and Ecuador in World Cup 2026 qualifying and Brazil have been without a manager since sacking Dorival Junior following a 4-1 loss to Argentina in March. Ancelotti has been widely reported to be the Brazil national team's target since last year's Copa America. They are also reportedly interested in Jorge Jesus, the manager of Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League. The CBF has been contacted by Sky Sports News.

No Writer
Apr 17
Arsenal's Bukayo Saka channels Thierry Henry with 'remontada' in Champions League triumph over Real Madrid
An early reducer from David Alaba set the tone. A shoulder barge from Antonio Rudiger followed his missed penalty. There were even intimidatory words in his ear from Dani Carvajal as the players went into the tunnel at half-time. None of it worked. In the end, the defining image of a famous Arsenal triumph at the Bernabeu, another one, was that of Saka celebrating his opening goal in the same style as Thierry Henry 19 years earlier, with a finger to his lips having silenced the Real Madrid noise. Real Madrid 1-2 Arsenal (agg 2-5) - Match report, player ratingsChampions League fixtures | Premier League has extra CL spotGet BREAKING NEWS notifications to your phone! 🔔Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW 📺 The hosts had tried to manifest another 'remontada'. The messaging, from all angles, had been relentless. On Thursday morning, though, the Madrid newspapers, whose front pages touted their chances a day earlier, were lauding the fearlessness of their opponents. It was summed up by Saka. Carlo Ancelotti had asked his players to play with their "heads, hearts and cojones" in his pre-match press conference. But it was Arsenal, and their talismanic No 7, who demonstrated those qualities, a young side coming of age against European royalty. Arsenal had of course shown their superiority, as a collective, in the first leg, scoring three goals and seizing control of the tie. But the bigger test was still to come. "Ninety minutes is a long time at the Bernabeu," they say. Arsenal flipped the narrative. It was Real Madrid who suffered. It could, of course, have gone differently after Saka's 'Panenka' penalty was palmed away by Thibaut Courtois in the 11th minute. "That could have been a turning point emotionally in the game because it gives them a lot of belief," acknowledged Mikel Arteta after the game. But Saka had already demonstrated his resilience at that point, flashing a shot narrowly wide within a minute of the crunching challenge by Alaba that earned the defender a booking. Two minutes after that, Saka was running at him again, cutting inside and this time forcing a diving save from Courtois. Another player would have retreated into themselves after the penalty miss, which prompted the loudest roar of the night from the expectant home fans. But Saka's focus was unwavering. "The way he handled the situation, the way he played afterwards, and the personality that he showed at his age, on his first time playing in this stadium, is incredible," added Arteta. By the time the players went down the tunnel for half-time, and Carvajal made his forlorn attempt to rattle Saka, the belief had been sucked out of the stadium. Even the equaliser that followed Saka's brilliantly-taken opener, lifted over Courtois in the intended style of his penalty, could not bring it back. Real Madrid, 15-time winners of this competition, with all that history behind them, had been brought to their knees. Arsenal's cohesion, discipline and organisation was too much. And Saka's display, along with those of several of his team-mates, the brilliant Declan Rice among them, was a reminder that Arteta's side have individual quality to rival opponents of this level too. Saka showed, again, that he has the self-belief to match his talent. He had been asked before the first leg about one day winning the Ballon d'Or and how far away he is from the level of Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe. "I don't want to sit here and say they are the level above me, because that's not the way I think," he replied. Certainly, his record in this competition puts him in that tier. Across his two campaigns in the Champions League, Saka now has nine goals and six assists in only 16 appearances. It is a combined total bettered by only Mbappe, Serhou Guirassy, Vinicius Jr, Raphinha and Harry Kane, most of whom have played considerably more games in the same timeframe. The numbers highlight Saka's ability to rise to the big occasions. "He stepped up," said Arteta at the Bernabeu. It should be noted, too, that his latest efforts have come straight off the back of a serious hamstring injury, and that he was decisive even in the first leg, on his first start in four months, tormenting Alaba and winning both of the free-kicks for Rice's goals. Saka had more shots, with four, and more touches in the opposition box, with five, than any other Arsenal player at the Bernabeu but, crucially, he also showed qualities that typify this Arsenal side. When he was not pushing Real Madrid backwards from the right flank, he was tracking back himself, helping his full-back Jurrien Timber contain Vinicius Jr; intercepting, clearing, harrying. Ancelotti had been asked before the game about the lack of off-the-ball running from his attacking superstars in the first leg. It is never an issue for his Arsenal counterpart. Saka is Arteta's attacking leader but he is also one of his hardest workers. The same goes for Gabriel Martinelli on the opposite wing. It was Martinelli who produced the crowning moment of Arsenal's night, dispatching the winner coolly following a scintillating break. But the much talked-about remontada came from Saka, the 23-year-old channelling an Arsenal great in Henry, and now hoping to drive this thrilling new generation all the way to the trophy.