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Ten Hag’s rallying cry

Erik ten Hag thinks Manchester United must produce their "best performance of the season" to knock Barcelona out of the Europa League tonight.

The two European giants meet again at Old Trafford after sharing a thrilling 2-2 draw in the first leg of their knockout round play-off in Catalonia last week.

Days after the blockbuster showdown, the Red Devils have the chance to win their first trophy since 2017 when they face Newcastle in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final.

Having earned plenty of plaudits for turning around United’s fortunes, the Dutch coach insists winning silverware is what matters. 

The 53-year-old said: "It’s not about credit, it’s about trophies.

"We have the opportunity [on Sunday] but the first focus point is always the next game.

"We have to go from game to game with the focus, but especially we have to keep in the same mindset that every day we want to give a better version of ourselves.

"We are sure when you face such big teams as Barcelona you have to play your best otherwise you don’t have a chance.

"We want to get through, to go to the next round, so we have to give the best performance of this season.

"We believe in it, we’re looking forward to it, so it gives a lot of energy."

Maddison doubt for Gunners

James Maddison is a fitness doubt ahead of Leicester’s Premier League clash with Arsenal on Saturday.

The England midfielder, 26, has been nursing a knee issue after playing 90 minutes against Manchester United last Sunday for the first time since returning from a two-month absence.

Leicester have earned seven points from their last four games with their talisman back in the side but manager Brendan Rodgers has revealed a late fitness check will be made ahead of facing the league leaders.

The Foxes boss, 50, said: "We’re obviously starting to get a lot of players back but we have to see how James Maddison is.

"He’s still nursing a knee issue, so we’ll just have to assess that tomorrow after training."

Rodgers also revealed Ryan Bertrand is close to a return after a year out, while centre-back Jonny Evans remains on the sidelines.

Sullivan slams regulator plans

Government plans to introduce an independent regulator in football are a "terrible idea", according to West Ham owner David Sullivan.

The regulator will bid to ensure English clubs are run more sustainably as well as preventing sides from joining breakaway leagues.

There are also ambitions for more robust owners’ and directors’ tests and to give fans power to prevent club chiefs from changing its heritage, such as the crest or colours.

Despite being warmly welcomed by the Football Supporters’ Association, Hammers chief Sullivan was scathing in his assessment.

Sullivan, 74, said: "A football regulator is a terrible idea. The government are terrible at running everything. 

"The regulator will have a huge staff that football will have to pay for. It will be a total waste of money. I bet it grows in size and cost every year.

"The Premier League is the best run and most successful league in the world. It gives more to the lower leagues, the PFA [Professional Footballers' Association] and grassroots than any other league in the world. It's a fantastic export.

"The government is doing this for a PR win. They think it will be good PR to be seen backing the ordinary football fan and smaller clubs but I bet you it won't get them a single extra vote. I believe in free enterprise, not government interference."

Gundogan left frustrated

Ilkay Gundogan thinks Manchester City have a responsibility to put things right after a "sloppy" performance against RB Leipzig.

The Citizens were held to a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie in Germany, with Josko Gvardiol’s towering second-half header cancelling out Riyad Mahrez’s opener.

On the display, City’s captain, 32, said: "I think after the first-half performance, it felt a little bit disappointing not to get the win.

"I felt that our game was a bit sloppy in the second half, at least in some periods. We probably lost some easy balls, allowed them to get opportunities. It’s a bit like we gave parts of the second half away easily.

"Unfortunately, we were not able to maximise our gain when the momentum was on our side — by scoring maybe one or two more goals — and then when the momentum was on their side, we were not able to minimise the damage.

"But this is the Champions League, so simple things get punished quite quickly.

"We know how difficult it is to proceed but it is our responsibility, with the squad that we have, to always get far and to do better and better. And that’s the aim for the second leg now."

USA win SheBelieves Cup

Alex Morgan and Mallory Swanson were on target as the United States won their fourth consecutive SheBelieves Cup with a 2-1 victory over Brazil.

It caps a turnaround in form for Vlatko Andonovski’s side after a poor end to 2022 with three successive defeats.

But after beating Canada and Japan alongside Brazil to lift the trophy, the Stars and Stripes will be full of confidence as they look to win a record third successive World Cup in Australia and New Zealand later this year.

They are one of the favourites to win the global showpiece alongside European champions England, who themselves were crowned Arnold Clark Cup champions last night.

Andonovski, 46, said: "The whole time throughout the tournament, while we're in camp, we're talking about how it's not just about this tournament it's about preparation for the World Cup.

"The fact we were able to do well against such great opponents — all three of them, Canada, Japan and Brazil — is very motivating for us going forward because we believe we still have a few things to fix and get better."

Ryan and Rob to take to the field

Wrexham co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney will represent the Welsh side in a seven-a-side tournament taking place in the United States this summer.

The Hollywood actors, who bought the club in 2021, have been named in the Red Dragons’ initial squad for The Soccer Tournament, a 32-team competition in Cary, North Carolina.

They will line up alongside player-coach David Jones and club legends Paul Rutherford, Shaun Pearson and Mark Carrington.

Other teams taking part include Clint Dempsey’s Team Dempsey, Hashtag United, Liga MX side Club Nexaca and US Women, made up of former United States internationals.