LiveScore Daily: Today's football news in bite-sized chunks
LiveScore Daily is here to deliver all the big talking points from the world of football throughout the day. Keep refreshing this page for the latest stories in bite-sized chunks.
Rodgers optimistic
Brendan Rodgers is hopeful that Leicester can go toe-to-toe with Premier League leaders Arsenal on Saturday.
The Foxes have seen an upturn in form in recent weeks, picking up wins against Aston Villa and Tottenham, but were brought back down to earth by Manchester United last time out.
Rodgers, 50, has not allowed the defeat to dampen his hopes of an upset at the King Power Stadium tomorrow.
Arsenal returned to winning ways at Villa on Matchday 24 but will be wary of the threat that the East Midlands side possess.
Ahead of the Gunners clash, the Northern Irish coach said: "I think both teams want to play, that’s the identity and philosophy of both Mikel [Arteta] and myself.
"We want to create and score goals. I think we’ve shown that but, of course, you have to be mindful of the quality they have.
"Like in all the big games against top teams, you have to defend well, you have to be strong, do all the basics of the game well.
"Track runners, be competitive, and then you have to believe in your football, believe that you can create and score goals. It should be a fantastic game."
Ramsey fired up for Dragons duty
Aaron Ramsey has said there is more to come from him as he settles into life at Nice.
The Welsh midfielder has featured in 19 Ligue 1 games this season for a side that sits eighth.
Arsenal's former maestro struggled for minutes before the World Cup but has returned to become a prominent feature under Didier Digard.
On life in France, Ramsey said: "I think you can always improve as a player. I’ll always try to work on weaknesses in my game. At the moment I feel confident and I think that I’m playing well, but that there is still more to come.
"I’d like to score a few more goals at the moment. Naturally, I always want to improve somewhere and hit new heights.
"There will come a stage where the progression won’t be as easy, but as long as I’m feeling good, feeling fit, feeling healthy and realising what I’m capable of doing, then I’ll be trying to do that."
Skinner: Summanen ban shows lack of consistency
Tottenham manager Rehanne Skinner has criticised the inconsistency between the men's and women’s games after Eveliina Summanen was handed a two-match ban for deception.
The FA recently rescinded a red card that was shown to Manchester United star Ella Toone in a Women's Super League game at Spurs and instead found Summanen guilty of deceiving the referee.
Toone was sent off after she shoved Summanen to the ground but the England midfielder’s red card was rescinded and the FA this week confirmed a two-match suspension for the Spurs ace.
On the saga, Skinner said: "First of all myself and the club don’t agree with the charge that has been made against Eveliina.
"We were really shocked and disappointed. I was unimpressed with the way this whole process has happened.
"I think it has opened a can of worms. I am not sure what we’re advocating, I am slightly concerned for the example we are trying to set for the wider game and also for the kids that are watching that.
"The last part is the Premier League, Football League and WSL all go by the same rules and this massively highlights the inconsistency around how things are dealt with.
"That is something that definitely needs to be addressed moving forward to make sure we move the game forward in the right direction."
Gracia set to make Leeds debut
Javi Gracia will be in the dugout for Leeds after he was granted a work visa on Friday.
The Whites will host Southampton at Elland Road on Saturday and are in desperate need of three points against their relegation rivals.
Southampton have appointed Ruben Selles as their manager until the end of the season, making this a huge clash with both men looking to get off to winning starts.
Spaniard Gracia left Al Saad in June but will now return to work after the Premier League club lost faith in Jesse Marsch.
A 1-0 loss to Everton last weekend left the Whites sitting 19th in the table, just one point above Saturday's opponents.
Gracia has been unable to take training during the week but will dive straight into the action against the Saints.
Shaw sets sights on Sunday
Luke Shaw has said it would be huge if Manchester United were to end their trophy drought against Newcastle on Sunday.
The two clubs will meet at Wembley to battle it out for the Carabao Cup as Erik ten Hag looks to pick up his first silverware in charge of the Red Devils.
Shaw has been a part of the United squad since 2014 and has not been presented with a winners medal since 2017.
Ahead of Sunday's clash with the Magpies, the England defender, 27, said: "For the position we have been in over the past years and the feeling we have inside the dressing room, it means everything,
"It has been such a long time since we have won a trophy. People will say it is the Carabao Cup but for us, it is massive.
"It is something we have been aiming for, for a long time — to get that winning feeling back, that feeling of winning trophies."
United will enter Sunday's final having been pushed all the way by Barcelona in the Europa League on Thursday, where Shaw helped his side win 2-1 on the night, 4-3 on aggregate.
Dyche relishing Everton role
Sean Dyche is loving the challenge of being Everton's head coach and leading them in the fight against relegation in the Premier League.
The former Burnley boss took over from Frank Lampard and has made an instant impact at Goodison Park, picking up two wins from his first three matches at the helm.
The Toffees have the chance to make it three home victories in a row with three points against Villa on Saturday which could see them put some distance between themselves and the relegation zone.
On the challenge the Merseysiders face, Dyche said: "I’ve walked into an environment where people work hard which is a great start.
"It’s not about easy or hard — no job is easy, it’s always about hard work. We’ve got a way of working that can develop between the people here and my mini-group that has come in, then working with the players.
"That’s the end product that you want, to get the players in the best shape mentally, physically and tactically to give performances.
"So far, it’s been very enjoyable. Yes, it’s a big challenge but it’s very enjoyable."