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Steven Gerrard has implemented a new code of conduct at Aston Villa, and The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath has revealed some of the details.

The club’s new manager has apparently banned fizzy drinks, sauces, puddings and hot chocolate as he seeks to improve the condition of his players.

Gerrard inspired by Houllier as he puts stamp on Villa

The 41-year-old left Rangers during the international break to fill the vacancy left by Dean Smith’s sacking.

He spoke during his first official press conference about the influence of Gerard Houllier, his manager at Liverpool between 1998 and 2004. The late Frenchman apparently monitored what he was eating, an indication of ‘what it takes to stay at the top level’.

Gerrard enjoyed a successful start to his tenure at Villa Park, with late goals from Ollie Watkins and Tyrone Mings securing a 2-0 victory at home to Brighton on Saturday. He now has a full week of training to prepare for his next test – a trip to Crystal Palace.

Fan feed Villa Report shared McGrath’s reveal, and here’s what supporters had to say, with one enjoying the 41-year-old’s “ruthless” stance in comparison to the reign of his predecessor Smith and others poking fun at how John McGinn would cope without Irn-Bru, a beverage with which he has become renowned.

Villa fans react to Gerrard’s code of conduct

“John McGinn needs Irn Bru, though. It’s in his contract.”

Credit: @cratesofhippos

“Irn Bru have just gone bankrupt”

Credit: @Josh1874_

“John McGinn puts in transfer request as Irn Bru is dropped from Villa’s drinks menu”

Credit: @B6Nigel

“Ruthless”

Credit: @mrmglloyd

“Smith would give them the day off and a bag of Haribos each”

Credit: @Scott78273205

“Praying for McGinn”

Credit: @catrinavfc

In other news, Gerrard’s latest Rangers target has emerged.

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Manchester United have confirmed that Marouane Fellaini has left the club to join Shandong Luneng Taishan FC, via a statement posted on their official website.

The Belgium international joined the club in 2013 under David Moyes, with United paying £27.5million to Everton to secure his signature, per BBC.

Per Transfermarkt, Fellaini made 177 appearances for the Red Devils, winning the FA Cup, the EFL Cup, the Community Shield and the Europa League.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

He fell out of favour under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, however, after the Norwegian replaced former boss Jose Mourinho.

Fellaini’s last United appearance came in December as he played three minutes in the 5-1 thumping of Cardiff City.

He was subsequently on the bench for wins over Huddersfield Town and Bournemouth but was left out of the squad for games against Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton & Hove Albion and Burnley – missing the latter three due to a calf strain.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

With four wins and three defeats in his first seven Premier League games as Aston Villa manager, the upcoming January transfer window will provide Steven Gerrard with the opportunity to make his mark on the squad, whether that’s with some new faces being brought in or some of the current squad making their way out.Even though the Midlands club spent a significant sum of money to bring in the likes of Emi Buendia, Leon Bailey and Danny Ings during last summer’s transfer window, it seems unlikely that no business will take place in January.

What could Villa’s starting XI look like by the end of January 2022? Here’s our prediction…

In goal, despite reportedly being of interest to Manchester United, we don’t think Villa would entertain the prospect of allowing Emiliano Martinez to leave in January, especially as he has played in all but one of their league games so far this season.

In defence, the only change we could see potentially happening would be the inclusion of current Liverpool centre-back Joe Gomez, who has been linked with a move to Villa Park next month, which we feel could be tempting for the 24-year-old if he can get regular game-time under Gerrard’s guidance.

If Villa manage to secure the signing of the Reds defender, we think he will slot into Villa’s backline alongside the likes of Matt Targett, Tyrone Mings and Matty Cash.

In midfield, with Marvelous Nakamba out for a significant period of time through injury, we can see Villa heading back to Southampton, from whom they signed Danny Ings from in the summer, and securing the signature of Oriol Romeu, who has reportedly been of interest to Villa in recent months.

Alongside current Villa midfielders Douglas Luiz and John McGinn, we think Gerrard will raid his old club Rangers and sign 25-year-old Joe Aribo, who the current Villa boss has called “fantastic” in the past, as an extra option in his squad behind the current strike duo of Ings and Ollie Watkins.

Whether or not Villa add the aforementioned players to their squad next month, Gerrard may still have confidence in his current crop of players to end the season on a high and potentially in the top half of the Premier League.

In other news: Gregg Evans drops injury update at Aston Villa which will leave fans delighted

Leeds United are interested in signing Torino right-back Ola Aina in the January transfer window, according to a new transfer rumour that has emerged.

The Lowdown: Aina impresses in Italy

The 25-year-old has become an established player for Torino since joining in 2019, making 13 Serie A starts already this season.

He can play anywhere across the defence or on either wing, per Whoscored, and ranks highly amongst his teammates in both interceptions and successful take-ons, showing his ability on both sides of the ball.

Aina also has 21 caps to his name for Nigeria, having initially represented England during his youth team years, making four appearances for the Under-20s.

It could be that a return to England appeals for the defender, however – he was originally at Chelsea between 2015 and 2019 – and Leeds appear to be contenders to snap him up.

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The Latest: Leeds eye up move

According to Tuttosport [via Sport Witness], ‘there is Leeds’ when it comes to those clubs showing an interest, with Torino willing to sell him if the ‘right proposal’ comes along.

Aina’s current deal expires in the summer of 2023, essentially giving the Italian side two more transfer windows to sell him for a decent fee, should they want to.

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The Verdict: Strong Ayling replacement

With Luke Ayling turning 31 later this year, it is important that Leeds plan for the long-term and bring in someone who can be his eventual replacement.

Aina could be that man, having already picked up plenty of experience in Italy but also being at an age where he can improve further as a player. Torino manager Ivan Juric has hailed his crossing ability, highlighting what he could bring to the side.

He has averaged one tackle and 1.4 interceptions per game in the league this season – Ayling has averaged 1.6 and 0.9, respectively – and he shouldn’t cost a large amount, with Transfermarkt valuing him at £4.95million.

With his contract expiring in 2023 and Leeds currently boasting plenty of depth on the right flank, perhaps this is a move we could see later in the year or next January, when Ayling will have one more season on the legs while the Italian outfit will have little choice but to offer up a bargain for Victor Orta and Andrea Radrizzani.

In other news, Leeds have been linked with another player – find out who it is here.

Chelsea have announced that they will take part in a pre-season tour of the United States in the summer, joining many of their Premier League rivals.

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Chelsea confirm US tour in summerAlready set to face Man City in JulyArsenal, Liverpool & Man Utd also goingWHAT HAPPENED?

Chelsea announced on Friday that they will embark on a tour of the United States for the third year in a row as part of their preparations for the 2024-25 campaign. The dates, venues and the opposition they will face while on tour are yet to be confirmed.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

One of the teams they are expected to come up against is Premier League rivals Manchester City. It was reported recently that the two English giants have agreed to play a match in Columbus, Ohio, while City will go on to pay visits to North Carolina, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Maryland and Chicago.

DID YOU KNOW?

Those two will not be the only English top-flight teams to travel around the North American nation during the summer period. Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United are all set to play matches there, too, with the Gunners coming up against the Red Devils at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on July 27. Arsenal and Liverpool will then meet on July 31 in Philadelphia before the Reds meet United in South Carolina in August.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

Before they embark on their trip across the Atlantic Ocean, Chelsea will hope for a strong finish to the Premier League campaign. Mauricio Pochettino's team are currently 11th in the table and come up against Brentford in the league this weekend.

Alastair Cook will turn his attention to being involved in deciding the future of Kevin Pietersen over the coming days after his international season drew to a close

Andrew McGlashan06-Sep-2012Alastair Cook will turn his attention to being involved in deciding the future of Kevin Pietersen over the coming days after his international season drew to a close with the final ODI against South Africa.At the moment, Cook is still due to play for Essex in their final Championship match of the summer against Yorkshire but, for the next month, hands the captaincy of England over to Stuart Broad for the Twenty20 series against South Africa followed by the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.Before that tournament starts it is expected that England will announce their Test squad for the series against India, which starts in mid-November, rather than wait until the team returns from Sri Lanka. The most pressing issue for Cook is the situation involving Pietersen and whether he will be welcomed back into the fold after his very public issues over the summer.Pietersen is believed to have already met with Andy Flower, the team director, to start the process of trying to solve the stand-off with further talks expected to be held shortly, which is when Cook, who replaced Andrew Strauss as Test captain last week, is likely to become involved.”I haven’t really been thinking about it too much, with the one-day series on,” Cook said after the final ODI at Trent Bridge. “Over the next couple of weeks, it’s certainly an issue which we as the ECB will have to get resolved. It is a situation which does need to get resolved. There is stuff which needs to be talked about behind closed doors. That will happen.”Flower took a break for the deciding one-day international and is due to link back up with squad ahead of the first Twenty20 international in Durham on Friday. With Cook not involved in the T20I set-up, and the final round of Championship matches taking place next week, there is precious little time for everyone to get round a table together with Pietersen before England fly out to Sri Lanka next Thursday.Although Pietersen is the dominant subject in the current discussions he will not be the only issue Cook and Flower will need to ponder ahead of the daunting prospect of four Tests in six weeks in India, although Cook is fairly sure what form he wants the squad to take. “I’m pretty clear,” he said. “Over the next few days we have to sit down.”Jonathan Trott is expected to be fit despite being diagnosed with a broken finger in his right hand, which has ruled him out for three to four weeks. However, another issue confronting Cook, Flower and the selectors is the likely absence of Ian Bell from the Mumbai Test, with his wife due to give birth.That is in addition to having to fill the vacancy at the top of the order left by Strauss’ retirement. A number of players have been mentioned – Nick Compton, Michael Carberry and Joe Root most strongly – plus the option of moving either Trott or Bell up the order.Jonny Bairstow can expect to be included after his successful return to the team while James Taylor, who made his debut at Headingley, will also be in the mix for a middle-order spot. Ravi Bopara, though, could well find his awful one-day series with the bat against South Africa has put paid to his Test aspirations, although having an Essex team-mate as captain could yet prove useful.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Pete O’Rourke has stated that Celtic ‘definitely’ won’t sign Tottenham defender Cameron Carter-Vickers to a permanent deal in January – but next summer is a genuine possibility.

The Lowdown: Crucial to Celtic

Carter-Vickers is currently on a season-long loan at Celtic Park. The 23-year-old is yet to make a Premier League appearance for Spurs, so it was deemed necessary for the defender to gain experience elsewhere once again.

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Since making the move, the USA international has played every minute in the Scottish Premiership, and his defensive contributions have helped the club reach the Scottish League Cup final and keep in close proximity of league-leaders Rangers.

He leads the team in clearances, making 4.7 per game, and is also joint-top for blocks per game, averaging 0.5, alongside defender Anthony Ralston.

The Latest: Transfer possible in summer window

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, O’Rourke raised the possibility of a permanent transfer of Carter-Vickers to Celtic.

“It definitely won’t happen in January. I think in the summer, depending on where Celtic are and whether they’ve won the title and get automatic qualification to the Champions League, there might be a possibility of doing that one.”

According to the Daily Record, Tottenham have issued a price-tag of around £10m to secure the player’s services on a permanent deal.

The Verdict: Good deal all round

The £10m price-tag would break Celtic’s record transfer fee, which was set by the arrival of Odsonne Edouard in 2018, in a deal worth £9.27m.

From the outside, this fee could appear to be too expensive for a defender. However, during his spell as Spurs manager, Mauricio Pochettino made the bold claim that Carter-Vickers “will be one of the best centre-backs in England in the future,” and his fantastic form for the Hoops so far certainly backs up that potential – perhaps the Bhoys could even sell him on for a profit in the future like they did with Virgil van Dijk.

Former Tottenham fan favourite Jan Vertonghen is also a big fan of the Englishman, claiming the loan star is “an absolute beast” and that “he’s a real defender”.

That said, there simply doesn’t seem to be a path through to the first-team in North London, with Antonio Conte expected to buy another central defender in January, so a permanent deal in the summer makes sense for all parties – the Lilywhites bank a profit, the player gets consistent playing time in a side fighting for trophies and the Hoops solidify their backline for years to come.

England's Lionesses face a remarkable conflict of interests against Scotland this week, as the latter know they must lose to qualify for the Olympics.

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Remarkable turn of events means Scotland must loseSarina Wiegman insists there will be no collusionNetherlands can also qualifyWHAT HAPPENED?

England's clash with Scotland on Tuesday has been fraught with controversy since the Lionesses were nominated as the nation to qualify on behalf of Team GB. As a result, Scotland, remarkably, know that this week's encounter must end in a defeat if their players are to have any hope of playing in next summer's Olympics.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesTHE EXPLANATION

The reason for what could be seen as a conflict of interest comes because only England and the Netherlands can qualify from Group A in the Nations League. England must beat Scotland to qualify, but they must also better the Dutch result by at least a three-goal margin. Therefore, certain Scotland players with aspirations to feature in Team GB could potentially throw the result in favour of England, although this seems an unlikely scenario.

The Netherlands and Belgium have both beaten England in this stage, while Scotland are bottom of the group. As a result, Dutch manager Andries Jonker gave a diplomatic response, per the , where he insisted his side merely had to keep qualification in "their own hands", although Wiegman maintains that there will be no fix.

WHAT WIEGMAN SAID

On the matter, Wiegman pointed towards England's quality and the history between the two sides to refute such a conflict, telling reporters: “I understand the conversations about it, but if you know the history of Scotland-England, then there’s no way that they are going to give away this game. They really want to beat England and we want to beat them of course.

“The Dutch manager knows about the history and he also mentioned that too, that he doesn’t expect that Scotland will just give it away. And they won’t. And you saw too, that the Netherlands got a 4-0 score [against Scotland], so that’s a big score too, so should I question those things too? Of course I do not. This is football, it’s competitive, we have professional players here. It’s going to be a good game where everyone wants to perform at the highest level.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND?

It remains to be seen exactly how Wednesday's game will play out, but one has to think that this lack of sporting integrity in such a massive fixture would never be applied in the men's game – and should therefore not exist in the women's either. The Netherlands, meanwhile, play Belgium on the same evening.

Where to watch the Saudi Pro League game between Al-Feiha and Al-Nassr in the United States.

Cristiano Ronaldowill be back in action asAl-Nassrare all set to faceAl-Feihain theSaudi Pro Leagueon Sunday.

The Portuguese forward has scored an impressive 11 goals in 11 appearances for Al Nassr so far in all competitions and will hope to get on the scoresheet again on Sunday.

Al-Nassr are second on the league table with 52 points from 22 matches and will be desperate to displace Al-Ittihad from the summit with another three points.

Meanwhile, Al-Feiha are 10th in the league with 24 points from 21 matches. They have won only two matches out of their last five league games.

GOAL brings you details on how to watch the game on TV in the US as well as how to stream online.

Nassr TwitterKick-off timeGame:Al-Feiha vs Al-Nassr Date:April 9, 2023Kick-off:3:00 pm ETVenue:Al Majma'ah Sports City

The game is scheduled for April 9, 2023, at Al Majma'ah Sports City. It will kick off at 3:00 pm ET in the US.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesHow to watch Al-Feiha vs Al-Nassr online – TV channels & live streamsTV channels & streaming options

The game can be streamed on Shahid in theUnited States.

Highlights of the game will be available on Al-Nassr's official YouTube channel, as well as on their social media pages on Twitter and Facebook.

See more about where to watch Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr

Country TV channel Live stream

USN/AShahidGetty ImagesTeam news & squadsAl-Nassr squad & team news

Position Players

GoalkeepersBukhari, Al-Owairedhi, Abdullah, Al-Aqidi, Rossi, OspinaDefendersS. Al-Ghannam, Al-Fatil, Al-Amri, Boushal, Konan, Al Mansour, Gonzalez, Qasheesh, Al-Faraj, Haqawi, Al-Oujami, MaduMidfieldersAl-Sulaiheem, K. Al-Ghannam, Al-Najei, L. Gustavo, Al-Hassan, Yahya, Ghareeb, Al-Alawi, Masharipov, Talisca, Al-KhaibariForwardsRonaldo, Maran, Al-Nemer

Cristiano Ronaldois expected to start for Al-Nassr and will hope to continue his goal-scoring form.

The only injury concern for Rudi Garcia ahead of the match is Argentine midfielder Gonzalo 'Pity' Martinez, who is out of action for the remainder of the season with a knee injury.

Al-Feiha squad & team news

Position Players

GoalkeepersAl Freej, Stojkovic, Al-MasrahiDefendersAl-Harbi, Al-Khaybari, Al-Shuwaish, Al-Mutairi, Al-Qaydhi, Al-Shamekh, Al-Baqawi, Al-Khalaf, Al-RashidiMidfieldersRyller, Abusabaan, Paulinho, Zidan, Al-Zaqan, Al-Namer, Al-SafariForwardsNwakaeme, Trajkovski, Mandash, Al-Kabi, Majrashi, Pavkov, Abdulmonem, Ruiz

Vuk Razovic has no major injury concern in his squad ahead of their crucial fixture against Al-Nassr. Star strikers Victor Ruiz and Aleksandar Trajkovski are back in the team and are ready to start on Sunday.

Head-to-head record

Date Result Competition

October 16, 2022Al-Nassr 4-0 Al-FeihaSaudi LeagueMarch 17, 2022Al-Nassr 1-0 Al-FeihaSaudi LeagueOctober 30, 2021Al-Feiha 1-1 Al-NassrSaudi LeagueAugust 29, 2020Al-Nasser 2-1 Al-FeihaSaudi LeagueDecember 28, 2019Al-Feiha 1-4 Al-NassrSaudi League

Al-Nassr have won four of the last five times the two clubs met while one clash ended in a draw.

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GettyUseful links

Al-Nassr team page

Live soccer on TV in the U.S.

Where to watch Al-Nassr games

The Angel Gabriel is a hard-working, versatile, big game player who can answer the Gunners' prayers…

Arsenal are set to land four-time Premier League winner Gabriel Jesus after agreeing a £45 million ($55m) deal with Manchester City.

The Brazilian was Mikel Arteta's priority attacking target and there is, quite rightly, plenty of excitement around his imminent arrival at the Emirates.

So, below, GOAL looks at what can the Gunners expect from a player that became a sensation when he joined City as a teenager and then dazzled, but occasionally frustrated, in the intervening years…

GettyFlexibility

Jesus has been deployed all across the front three during his time at the Etihad Stadium because of his excellent all-round game.

Whether tasked with being a ball-carrier, a battler or a box of tricks, Jesus has nearly always delivered exactly what Pep Guardiola has asked of him.

Even as a No.9 there was a malleability to his game, whether he was charged with primarily playing as a six-yard box predator, a spearhead against teams trying to press high or dropping deep as a false nine, creating space for midfielders.

Similarly, he has been effective in different roles when playing wide. He has delivered as an old-school winger, hugging the touchline, an inside forward playing off a central striker or as an attacker charged with supplementing the midfield.

His time at City can be characterised by an unselfishness that has always put the team ahead of any personal glory.

AdvertisementGettyWork-rate

Ever since his first start in a 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace in January 2017, Jesus' hard work has stood out as a key attribute.

Guardiola has wanted his team to press opponents high up the pitch and that starts with the striker putting central defenders under pressure.

Jesus, to his credit, instinctively knew what was required and that immediately put the place of legendary striker Sergio Aguero under threat.

The Argentinian came alive when City had the ball, but he was not always the most effective when the opponents were controlling possession.

Aguero learned from his young team-mate, though, and his increased work-rate, coupled with his incredible strike rate, meant that he remained City's first-choice centre forward, although Jesus still got the call when hard graft was essential, as in the stunning Champions League win over Real Madrid in 2020.

Getty ImagesBig-game player

Guardiola has often turned to Jesus for big games and has been rewarded with important performances and goals.

The victory over Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu was a landmark moment for City's rise in the Champions League, beating one of the elite on their own patch, with Jesus instrumental, scoring an equaliser in a breathless performance.

Last season, he started the early double-header against Chelsea and Liverpool, scoring at Stamford Bridge and providing an assist for Phil Foden at Anfield.

Jesus didn't start a Premier League game for three months after New Year, partly because of injury, but was recalled for the crucial Premier League clash with Liverpool in April and scored the opener.

It's also telling that as City continued their pursuit of their Champions League dream, he started both semi-final legs against Real, scoring at the Etihad and leading the line in Spain.

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Getty ImagesPotential

Still only 25, Jesus is moving into his prime years and can get even better.

At City, he was always fighting to be in the starting line-up and was never able to truly convince fans that he belonged in the strongest XI.

The move to Arsenal could give him more freedom and the close attention of a coach like Arteta, who knows him well from his time at the Etihad as Guardiola's assistant, could make him feel even more loved.

Technically, Jesus has everything in his game to be a star: quick feet, pace, strength, good movement and the ability to play either side.

On top of that, he has the experience of working in a winning environment and he can bring some of that mentality to the Emirates and thrive in a hungry, young squad.