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Wrexham striker Paul Mullin has poked fun at himself after missing a penalty against Accrington Stanley last time out.

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Mullin delights fans at book launchHappy to poke fun at himselfReceives standing ovation from fansWHAT HAPPENED?

Mullin has received a huge reception from fans at the launch of his new book 'My Wrexham Story'. The attacker also spoke to former team-mate Ben Foster and was happy to be the butt of the joke after missing a penalty in a 2-0 defeat to Accrington in Wrexham's last outing in League Two.

"I'm surprised I got that reception (Super Paul Mullin chant) after Saturday! My brother told me I was sh*** after the game!," he told Foster.

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Mullin may have missed his spot-kick but he remains loved by the Wrexham support who gave him a standing ovation at the event.

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Mullin has become a key player for Wrexham since signing for the Welsh side in 2021 on a three-year deal. He scored 38 goals last season and played a crucial role in the team's promotion from the National League into League Two. Mullin's current campaign has been disrupted by injury and suspension but he has still scored four goals in 11 league appearances for the Red Dragons.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MULLIN?

Wrexham saw an 11-game unbeaten streak ended last time out against Accrington. Mullin and Co will be out to make amends on Saturday when they host Morecambe in League Two.

The Norwegian put the Blues in command, but his strike partner fluffed a golden chance to end the game as a contest and the Merseysiders capitalised

Erling Haaland had trained with "niggles" just two days before Manchester City's crunch game with Liverpool, but once the first whistle went, he looked as physically sharp and hungry as ever and smashed his side into the lead, becoming the fastest player in Premier League history to reach 50 goals.

City looked on top for most of the game, but Julian Alvarez spurned a glorious chance crafted by the electric Jeremy Doku and Liverpool grabbed an equaliser from out of nowhere via Trent Alexander-Arnold with just over 10 minutes left to play.

City went looking for the winner deep into added-time, but couldn't find it and their long winning steak at home finally came to end on 23 victories. Pep Guardiola's side are still top of the Premier League, but they were reminded once more of Liverpool's capacity to keep them in check like no other side has been able to do in the last seven years.

GOAL rates Man City's players from the Etihad Stadium…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Ederson (6/10):

Was having a quiet game until he was left stumped by Alexander-Arnold's thumping finish. Decent on the ball when under pressure.

Kyle Walker (7/10):

Dominated his right-flank, barely allowing Jota a sniff.

Ruben Dias (7/10):

Commanded the defence superbly in a perfect response to his shocker at Stamford Bridge.

Manuel Akanji (7/10):

Zipped in between midfield and defence to great effect, disrupting Liverpool's engine room for most of the match.

Nathan Ake (8/10):

Fantastic movement to set up Haaland's goal and kept Salah shackled for the bulk of the game until the Egyptian teed up Alexander-Arnold.

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Phil Foden (6/10):

Should have buried a gift from Alisson in the first half and in general lacked a bit of sharpness.

Rodri (7/10):

Helped City control large chunks of the game

Bernardo Silva (7/10):

Ran rings around Liverpool in the first half.

Jeremy Doku (8/10):

A constant thorn in Liverpool's right side but Alvarez's finishing let him down.

Getty ImagesAttack

Erling Haaland (7/10):

Looked ravenous from the opening minute, tearing after every opponent. Took his goal superbly to break yet another Premier League record, but should have struck again, missing three efforts after the break.

Julian Alvarez (5/10):

Had a wretched game and his finishing and touch let him down, none more so than when he spooned Doku's cross over the bar.

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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Pep Guardiola (6/10):

His selection looked to have paid off until Alexander-Arnold's unexpected piledriver. Didn't make any substitutions, even after conceding, and his 23-game home winning streak is finally over.

Carlo Ancelotti spoke on whether Real Madrid would buy a new striker in the upcoming January transfer window.

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Ancelotti speaks on January window plansUnlikely to make new signingsYet to find a permanent strikerWHAT HAPPENED?

Madrid, who are currently leading the title race in La Liga and are at the top of their Champions League group, will not make a new striker signing in the upcoming January transfer window, as confirmed by their manager.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT CARLO ANCELOTTI SAID

Speaking to reporters about new signings, the Italian said, "A new forward in January? No. The club planned the squad in the summer and that's it. Everything is good."

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Los Blancos made five new signings in the summer including the high-profile transfer of Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund. They also roped in Joselu on loan from Espanyol to replace their star forward Karim Benzema, who left the club at the end of his contract and joined Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ittihad.

This season, Ancelotti has deployed a new 4-4-2 diamond formation with Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior slotted upfront and Bellingham playing in the hole behind the two forwards. The change in tactics has worked for the club thus far as they have managed to score 44 goals across all competitions. The English midfielder is Madrid's top scorer at the moment with 15 goals to his name followed by Rodrygo, who has racked up eight goals.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

As of now, the 64-year-old has complete faith in the current group of players but Vinicius Jr's injury could prompt him to change his mind when the window opens. The Brazilian has been ruled out for 10 weeks due to a hamstring that he suffered while on national team duty.

The 35-time La Liga winners are set to face Granada in a league encounter on Saturday.

Lionel Messi’s impact at Inter Miami means “reality has surpassed fiction”, with the MLS outfit now looking to make Football Money League history.

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Argentine icon chasing the American dreamImpact made on and off the fieldRevenue on the rise at DRV PNK Stadium

WHAT HAPPENED?

The Florida-based outfit have enjoyed a meteoric rise to prominence since Manchester United legend David Beckham and his fellow co-owners delivered an expansion franchise in 2020. They now have eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi on their books, and a first trophy in the cabinet after winning the inaugural Leagues Cup in 2023.

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Inter Miami have seen revenue rise to a club-record $120 million (£95m) in 2023 – more than double what they posted 12 months ago – and the plan is to smash through the $200m (£158m) barrier. The club’s chief business officer, Xavier Asensi, has also aired ambitious plans to break into the top 20 of the prestigious Deloitte Football Money League.

DID YOU KNOW?

No team from the Americas has ever achieved that feat but, with Messi on board, anything is possible. Asensi has told the : “If you have the right players, the business and the interest is there. It’s not a matter of the future — it’s happening right now.” Inter Miami could break into the top 25 as early as next year, with their star very much on the rise.

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Getty/Apple TV+WHAT NEXT FOR MESSI & INTER MIAMI?

Messi is allowing Inter Miami to live the dream, with audiences across the United States flocking to catch a glimpse of him in action – while Apple TV are benefitting considerably from subscription pass sales. The all-time great has already delivered on and off the field – exceeding all expectations – with Asensi adding: “Reality has surpassed fiction. We were aiming really high, and I think that we are there or higher.”

Luton Town manager Rob Edwards admitted that his players tried to rattle Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya during their Premier League clash.

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Luton Town targetted David RayaRaya's mistake helped Barkley score the third goalArsenal edged out Luton Town 4-3WHAT HAPPENED?

Premier League leaders Arsenal managed to edge out Luton Town in a seven-goal thriller at Kenilworth Road on Tuesday thanks to a 97th-minute goal by Declan Rice. The Gunners surrendered the lead twice during the match and on one occasion, the hosts went in front when Ross Barkley slotted the ball home after a glaring mistake by Raya. Hatters manager Edwards admitted after the game that his team did try to unsettle the Spanish goalkeeper, who has faced plenty of criticism since his loan move to Arsenal from Brentford.

AdvertisementWHAT ROB EDWARDS SAID

Asked whether Luton's plan was to target Raya after his side's narrow 4-3 loss, Edwards told : "We tried to, we wanted to make it as uncomfortable as possible for them. We were probably going to have to be slightly different away from home when we play them again, but here we’ve got to use this place as a bit of a leveller and try to make it difficult for these top teams and not give them the game they want."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta, on the other hand, dodged the question on Raya's performance in his post-match press conference as he claimed that he spoke to all of his players and was happy that his team could bag the crucial three points.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

Arteta's side now have a five-point lead at the top of the table, although Liverpool do still have a game in hand. Arsenal will next face Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday, before travelling to the Netherlands to face PSV in their final Champions League group game next Tuesday.

Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot has revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo and Alejandro Garnacho have scored the two best goals he has seen live.

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Dalot raves about Garnacho bicycle kickRanks it among his favourite goalsSays winger must follow his own pathWHAT HAPPENED?

However, the right-back stressed that Garnacho, who idolises Ronaldo, must follow his own path. Dalot set up Garnacho's outrageous bicycle kick against Everton in November and he ranks it as among the best goals he has seen in a stadium, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo's stunning long range strike for United against Porto, who the defender supports, in the Champions League in 2009.

AdvertisementWHAT DALOT SAID

"I've seen two amazing goals live, one was Cristiano in Dragao against Porto, I was in the stands. And then the other one was this one, watching live it's the two best goals I've seen," Dalot said in an exclusive interview with GOAL following his recent signing with PUMA.

'IT'S UP TO HIM'

"It's up to him to have that hunger to have that personality as well and obviously it will be tough. I don't think there will be a new Cristiano a new Messi any time soon. He wants to create his own path with guidelines and looking up to these amazing football players. There's only going to be one Cristiano, one Messi, one Neymar, this is something unique, but I think he has to create his own path and work a lot because it's difficult."

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Garnacho and Dalot have helped United win six of their seven matches in 2024, giving Erik ten Hag's side hope of salvaging a difficult campaign by finishing in the top four and returning to the Champions League. "Hopefully we can finish with one trophy and be in the Champions League that would be also a step forward in my opinion when we didn't start the way we wanted," he added.

Real Madrid are still sweating on star midfielder Jude Bellingham as they await his return to full training with his team-mates.

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Bellingham out with ankle injuryHas not returned to training yetCould still feature against ValenciaWHAT HAPPENED?

The 20-year-old suffered an ankle sprain that has kept him out of Madrid's last three matches – against Rayo Vallecano and Sevilla in La Liga and the Champions League last-16 first leg against RB Leipzig. The Spanish giants hope to have him back soon, and he is still doing individual physio, gym and swimming pool work, but reports he is only expected to start exercising with his co-stars and then be back in group training on Friday.

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Coach Carlo Ancelotti will make the decision on whether or not the England international will play against Valencia in La Liga on Saturday. Madrid will be desperate to have the ex-Borussia Dortmund man back in the fold for the second leg of their Champions League tie against RB Leipzig on March 6.

DID YOU KNOW?

Bellingham is Madrid's top scorer in La Liga and the Champions League, having netted 20 goals and registered six assists across both competitions since his €103 million (£88m/$110m) transfer from Dortmund in the summer.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR BELLINGHAM?

Ancelotti and Bellingham will be hoping his reintroduction to proper training this week goes smoothly as they prepare for the weekend trip to Valencia, before hosting the German side at the Santiago Bernabeu four days later.

Former Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish has reacted to the club placing a £50m price tag on Ollie Watkins. 

The lowdown: Big offer needed

This comes following a report from The Guardian claiming that the Villans would demand offers in excess of £50m for the 26-year-old marksman.

Citing a growing interest from West Ham United, it was claimed that the Midlands club ‘could be prepared’ to part ways with Watkins.

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One former occupant of the Villa Park hot seat has now given his verdict on the asking price and indeed the possibility of the club selling a prized asset.

The latest: McLeish welcomes Watkins asking price

Speaking to Football Insider, McLeish insisted that the ‘fantastic’ Watkins is worth every penny of the mooted fee.

The 63-year-old said: “I think it would be normal evolution. That for me is his price.

“I think there’s more to come from him if he can keep growing in confidence. Not that he lacks confidence but if he can keep growing his knowledge of the game and study the best strikers.

“He’s already one of the best strikers in the Premier League. He’s got fantastic pace, he reads the game well, he nearly embarrassed Liverpool the other night with the charge down on the goalkeeper. I like Watkins.”

The verdict: Fair price

If a Premier League rival is going to try and sign Villa’s joint-most valuable asset this summer, the club must hold out for the top end of their asking price in order to move onto the next level themselves.

The £31.5m-valued ace has earned England recognition on seven occasions since arriving at Villa Park,  triggering a contract clause in the process which saw the club’s hierarchy shell out a further £1m to his former clubs Brentford and Exeter.

Watkins ended the campaign with 16 goals and five assists in 40 appearances across all competitions, taking to life in the Premier League with apparent ease, and he should be regarded as an important member of Steven Gerrard’s squad as the manager looks ahead to the 2022/23 season.

However, should bids of more than £50m be forthcoming, those funds would go a long way to improving various parts of the Villa squad, which the board and indeed Gerrard would surely welcome.

In other news: NSWE now close to agreeing deal for another midfielder alongside Coutinho

Tottenham Hotspur insider John Wenham has delivered an extremely promising update regarding Celtic and the permanent pursuit of Cameron Carter-Vickers. 

The lowdown: Waiting game

Having played 90 minutes in the resounding 6-0 victory over Motherwell last weekend, Carter-Vickers brought an end to a successful loan spell from the north London based Premier League outfit.

The 24-year-old could still extend his stay at Celtic Park however as the Hoops look to trigger a reported £6-10million option to buy the American international centre-back.

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Despite an ongoing impasse on the move, now a fresh update from a well-connected source has shed light on the situation…

The latest: Deal announced soon

Speaking to Football Insider, the Tottenham insider who hosts the popular Lilywhite Rose social media channels has suggested the deal isn’t too far away.

He explained: “I have said all along that Celtic will find the money to get this one done.

“I think it is just a matter of time at this point. The fact they are back in the Champions League gives them the money to get it done. He came in there and has barely missed a minute. He’s an Old Firm goalscorer, a cup winner and a title winner.

“He is worth the money Tottenham will be asking for say, the money is there. I expect an announcement or significant progress to be made very soon.”

The verdict: Get it done

Tying down the futures of Carter-Vickers and Jota is of paramount importance at the start of the summer transfer window for Ange Postecogulou. Both men have been pivotal to the Bhoys’ Scottish Premiership triumph and as such have attracted interest away from Parkhead for their performances.

Hailed as an ‘absolute beast’ in 2018 by Jan Vertonghen following a 5-0 win over Gillingham, Carter-Vickers enjoyed a coming of age campaign in Glasgow and has earned a superb 7.33 Sofascore rating, winning 5.8 duels on average per league game in the process.

With a title win in the bag and subsequent Champions League financial windfall incoming, Celtic must pay the required fee to secure the eight-cap USA star as soon as possible.

In other news… an ex-BBC pundit is thrilled by the ‘brilliant’ news he’s heard coming from Parkhead.

Celtic are reportedly interested in Manchester City youngster Taylor Harwood-Bellis, according to reports.

What’s the word?

As per Sky Sports, Ange Postecoglou’s side are believed to be ‘monitoring’ the 20-year-old ahead of a potential deal, albeit with contact yet to be made regarding a possible switch.

The report suggests that the Scottish champions are keen to strengthen defensively this summer – at both centre-back and left-back – even if they manage to secure Cameron Carter-Vickers on a permanent deal.

The desire to bolster at centre-back has also been heightened by Christopher Jullien’s ‘uncertain’ situation, as per the report, with the Frenchman having been linked with a return to Ligue 1.

Frimpong 2.0

As the report also outlines, the Old Firm outfit have enjoyed good relations with City – and the City Football Group – over the last few years, having brought in a number of players from the Etihad that have gone on to do well north of the border.

One such figure to have impressed after making the move from Manchester to Glasgow was young Dutchman Jeremie Frimpong, the attacking full-back having been signed straight from the academy back in 2019.

Having joined for a reported fee of just £1m, the Amsterdam-born ace went on to quickly catch the eye at Parkhead, eventually recording 11 goal contributions in 51 appearances in all competitions over the next 18 months.

Such were the nature of his displays that it wasn’t long before one of Europe’s elite came knocking, with Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen plucking him for €11m (£9.3m) in January 2021 – representing a tidy profit for the club.

Although Postecoglou and co will be more concerned with the potential impact that Harwood-Bellis could have on the pitch were he to join this summer, the Frimpong example illustrates how the club can successfully nurture young talent in order to generate funds, with the player also aware that Celtic Park offers the platform to impress as well as win silverware.

The £6.3m-rated defender has spent time on loan at Blackburn Rovers, Anderlecht and most recently at Stoke City in the Championship, having failed to really break into Pep Guardiola’s first-team thoughts.

In his time away from his parent club, however, the Stockport-born starlet has certainly showcased his talent, with Tony Mowbray having praised the “old school” youngster for his “aggressive” approach during his time at Ewood Park.

It would no doubt be a step up to join a club who are set to compete in the Champions League next term, although as the Frimpong case study shows, there is a pathway to success for emerging prospects at Celtic.

IN other news, Celtic can unearth a new Giakoumakis after submitting bid for “very strong” £2.5m gem