EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY JOE BERNSTEIN: Moments before Ashley Young sits down to discuss his impressive season at Manchester United, England manager Gareth Southgate walks through the lobby at their Carrington training ground to meet Jose Mourinho. Young must hope it is a positive omen for the World Cup this summer. Four years ago, he received the devastating news during a holiday in Dubai that he had not made the final 23-man squad for Brazil, despite starting every game at the previous European Championship. Let alone a 2018 World Cup place, Young started this season with question-marks about his role at United under Mourinho. Instead, he has started 20 of 28 Premier League games ahead of Monday’s trip to Crystal Palace, and earned an international recall in November to win his 31st cap against Brazil, 1,526 days after his previous one.
Wenger faces Arsenal end with Germany coach Low favourite to replace him... as officials jostle for position
SPECIAL REPORT - ROB DRAPER: Joachim Low is the front-runner to take over from Arsene Wenger in the summer, though Arsenal will have to negotiate a complex exit strategy with the German FA to get their man, given that Low has two years left on his contract and has to defend the World Cup with the national team this summer.
Klopp's stars do it again: Salah and Mane strike to send Liverpool second after swatting aside Newcastle at Anfield
JOE BERNSTEIN AT ANFIELD: Liverpool moved up to second in the Premier League table on Saturday night as goals from Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane saw Jurgen Klopp's men prove too good for Newcastle. After a resilient opening period from the visitors at Anfield it was once again Salah who provided the breakthrough for Liverpool. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain drove through midfield and slipped a pass to the Egyptian, who made no mistake in firing past Martin Dubravka. Just 10 minutes after half-time Liverpool had doubled their lead. A sweeping move culminated in Roberto Firmino feeding Sadio Mane and the winger unerringly curled the ball into the back of the net to wrap up three points.
FIVE THINGS YOU MISSED: Klopp over- reacts to stoppage time foul and Liverpool hit 200th top-flight goal under the German boss
Liverpool cruised towards a 2-0 victory against Newcastle United at Anfield in a result that took them back up into second in the Premier League. Victory rarely looked in doubt for the Reds. Although you may not have thought so judging by manager Jurgen Klopp's stoppage time antics as Sportsmail takes a look at the five things you may have missed from the game. Mohamed Salah was through on goal and ready to fire home for Liverpool.
West Ham disarray as chairman David Gold is told to 'leave the f***ing club' by fuming fans in confrontation after Swansea defeat
WARNING OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE: West Ham joint-chairman David Gold was confronted by angry supporters after the club lost 4-1 at Swansea. Gold was spotted leaving the Liberty Stadium by a couple of West Ham fans. He exited his car in the club car park and approached the supporters. Gold protested: 'I'm hurting as much as you...I am 82-years-old' and insisted that 'security' advised him to leave a few minutes before the final whistle to avoid problems.
United legends Butt and Giggs enjoy Saturday stroll with the kids in Cheshire
Ryan Giggs and Nicky Butt may have gone their separate ways in their respective coaching careers, but it seems the former Manchester United stars are still as close as ever. The Class of '92 legends were seen walking together with their children on Saturday morning and defied the cold conditions by treating them to what appeared to be ice cream.
Chinese side Dalian Yifang splashed the cash on big-name European signings Fonte, Carrasco and Gaitan... but concede EIGHT in first game against Hulk's Shanghai SIPG
Jose Fonte, Yannick Carrasco and Nicolas Gaitan all endured a chastening start to life in China as they suffered a humiliating 8-0 defeat on their debuts for Dalian Yifang. The trio, who signed for the newly promoted Chinese Super League club at the end of February, all started against a Shanghai SIPG side which contained Brazilians Hulk and Oscar and were subsequently subjected to a barrage from their hosts. Shanghai mustered 24 attempts on goal against a weak Dalian side, who were prone to individual errors and struggled to keep possession throughout.
Real 3-1 Getafe: Ronaldo scores twice as Zidane's side return to winning ways ahead of PSG Champions League clash
Gareth Bale broke David Beckham’s record for La Liga appearances and celebrated with a goal as Real Madrid beat Getafe 3-1. Not to be outdone Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 300th and 301st goals in Liga with Madrid’s second and thrid of the game. Only Leo Messi had previously broken the 300 barrier in Spain. Bale was playing his 117th league game in Spain, one more than Beckham, and he scored on 25 minutes burying a loose ball in the area after Isco had gone up to head a corner and inadvertently knocked it down to Bale with his arm.
Lazio 0-1 Juventus: Dybala scores late winner as Allegri's side put pressure on Serie A leaders Napoli with dramatic win
Paulo Dybala scored a dramatic late winner as Juventus beat Lazio 1-0 to pile the pressure on Serie A leaders Napoli. Juventus extended their winning league run to ten games as they managed to prevail in a hard-fought encounter, with Dybala finding the net with a neat strike after being teed up by Daniele Rugani.
He's a big Bastareaud! How Joseph (14st) needs to stop France's 20st centre
England endured a battering at Murrayfield but now they must face the might of France centre Mathieu Bastareaud, who at 20st is the heaviest back in the Six Nations. Although the 29-year-old is a fierce defender, Eddie Jones and his side will know the best way of trying to get past him. Here's a breakdown of his threat.
The Johnson England verdict: There is just no intensity but we must not axe Hartley as defeats can help
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY NIK SIMON: A church service in rural Leicestershire saved Martin Johnson from the humiliation of being at Murrayfield in 2000. Rather than watch from the stands, the injured second row picked up the result on a radio at the back of his friend’s wedding. It was England’s only defeat by Scotland during Johnson’s 10-year international career — and it changed everything. ‘The service was quite late in the afternoon so I watched the first half at home,’ says Johnson. ‘Then I heard the result at the service and suddenly the world changes.
Special KO! Brook breathes fresh life into his career with stunning second-round knockout against Rabchenko
Kell Brook's career had stalled after a fruitless jump to middleweight to challenge Gennady Golovkin in September 2016 while a drop back down to welterweight last May saw him lose his world title to Errol Spence Jr. But he drew an emphatic line under those twin defeats, taking less than five minutes to end the challenge of Rabchenko and get back in the win column in front of his home fans at the Sheffield Arena.
Johnson-Thompson targets Olympic success after winning pentathlon gold at World Indoor Championships
After untying the anchor that has weighed on her neck throughout her senior career, Katarina Johnson-Thompson has set her intentions on replacing it with an Olympic heptathlon gold medal. It will be an awfully hard task in the era of the brilliant Belgian Nafissatou Thiam, but there is no doubting Johnson-Thompson’s hopes look brighter today than they have in years. That is the upshot of her pentathlon gold at the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham on Friday, where she finally broke her medal duck on the global stage. Even in Thiam’s absence, Johnson-Thompson can take renewed belief that she can get the job done when it matters.
Wilshere has fun in training as Arsenal look to FINALLY return to winning ways in Premier League clash with Brighton
Jack Wilshere was back in training as Arsenal held their final session on Saturday ahead of Sunday's Premier League trip to face Brighton. Wilshere missed Arsenal's 3-0 league defeat to Manchester City with a minor ankle injury but the midfielder came through today's session unscathed and had plenty of fun in the process. The 26-year-old soon got down to serious work, however, with Arsenal looking to bounce back from a run of three defeats, two of which were inflicted by City.
Di Maria and Nkunku fire PSG to victory as Weah's 18-year-old son Timothy makes first team debut
Angel Di Maria and Christopher Nkunku scored second-half goals as Paris St Germain won 2-0 at Troyes to restore their 14-point lead at the top of Ligue 1. Di Maria broke the deadlock early in the second half before Nkunku's first goal of the season ensured a sixth straight league victory for Unai Emery's side, who had seen their huge lead at the summit briefly trimmed by Monaco's win on Friday night. PSG made light of Neymar's absence in their first league encounter since his season-ending injury last week and only a brilliant display by Troyes goalkeeper Erwin Zelazny denied them a more convincing victory.
STARS OF SPORT
- Planning for the future, Zlatan? Ibra opens padel centre in Sweden... and Pogba comes along to help him out The Manchester United star has been busy
- 'We're not in awe of Manchester City. We don't talk about them': Manchester United's Young opens up EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY JOE BERNSTEIN
- United legends Butt and Giggs enjoy Saturday stroll with the kids in Cheshire A bit different to what they used to get up to on Saturday afternoons
- West Ham chairman Gold told to 'leave the f***ing club' by fuming fans in confrontation after Swansea defeat WARNING OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE
- Where there's a Wilshere, there's a way! Fun in training for Arsenal stars as they look to return to form The 26-year-old had a smile on his face
MORE STARS OF SPORT
- Valverde tells Barca stars they 'must give everything on the pitch to win' ahead of Atletico encoutner Sunday could be a huge day for La Liga leader
- Nightmare debut for Fonte, Carrasco and Gaitan as they lose by EIGHT in China The trio joined Dalian Yifan this week but they had a disastrous start
- Former United striker Larsson poses with Old Trafford stars Ibrahimovic and Pogba Celtic hero Larsson has caught up with two of Mourinho's main men
- Fury runs uphill with giant log on his back as heavyweight jokes: 'Storm ain't going to stop return of the Mac' Weather no barrier for Fury's training
- Former Formula One world champion Rosberg and wife Vivian share pictures with newborn baby Rosberg shared exclusive pictures with Sportsmail
- Neymar downbeat as he arrives at Belo Horizonte hospital ahead of foot operation The PSG star was pictured alongside his doctor Rodrigo Lasmar
- Reading philosophy, friends with Mourinho and addicted to Netflix... inside the mind of Carvalhal, the man who has restored Swansea ADAM CRAFTON
- Light work, Deontay? Wilder promises knockout win over Ortiz as he weighs in at his lightest in a decade DECLAN TAYLOR IN NEW YORK
- Curry makes a mess: NBA star calls himself an idiot for smashing a hotel's glass table The Golden State Warriors' star was practising his swing
- Strike a pose! Ronaldo and son look eerily similar in CR7's latest Instagram snap Ronaldo told his son: 'Jnr say daddy I'm gonna be like you'
- Blue lines on the pitch, Guardiola drops notes... and it was a duvet day for one Arsenal fan! Six things you missed from Manchester City's mauling of the Gunners
- Never in doubt for Nev: England women thrash France in Phil's first game in Columbus Duggan, Scott, Taylor and Kirby all on target for the impressive Lionesses
- The first of many? Kane picks up Player of the Year gong at London Football Awards Spurs man won the big one - and Hodgson got Manager of the Year
- The game that had it all: Istanbul derby sees THREE reds cards and two unlikely scorers... Premier League flops Soldado and Negredo both on the scoresheet
- Is there something funny going on? Neymar injury conspiracy theory as fans spot something odd about latest injury He has sister's birthday off for fourth year straight
- Tottenham stars shelter from extreme conditions with indoor training following victory in FA Cup Took some respite from the blizzard conditions
- Verstappen jokes he 'did quite a few laps' as he resorts to video games after third day of F1 testing at Barcelona ruined by snow Always driving
- Neymar pictured in wheelchair after touching down in Brazil as PSG star prepares to undergo foot surgery Record-breaker is in race to be fit for World Cup
- Manchester United stars return to training after being given three days off by Mourinho following Chelsea win Special treat for players after 2-1 victory
- McGregor refuses to let the 'Beast from the East' stop him training as he uses exercise bike in the snow Took his son out to see the white stuff too
- Lukaku joins Jay-Z's Roc Nation Sports agency as Manchester United star is 'welcomed to the family' with trip to Brooklyn Nets game He got game
- Son cheekily does the VAR sign when celebrating Llorente's second goal after farce in Tottenham's 6-1 win at Wembley Had his own disallowed
- Craig calls it off: Bellamy reveals why he walked away from Oxford United post Hesitation from new owner at the Kassam Stadium behind move
- Griez lightning! Antoine grabs a fab four as Atletico smash lowly Leganes to keep in touch with Barcelona France international steals the show
- Spurs striker Kane receives milestone award for reaching 100 Premier League goals Star striker picks up gong after reaching landmark against Liverpool
- Mayweather continues to enjoy retirement as undefeated boxing icon boastfully shares travel snaps of himself in Mexico and Hong Kong 'Money' showing off
- Joshua gives kids a boxing masterclass as he vows to: 'Teach them early what I learnt late' Joshua continues role as mentor to young boxers with special session
- England escape the wintry conditions by training indoors as Jones attempts to put his side back on track Toughing it out after losing to Scotland
- Pires and Desailly left gasping for air after taking part in Premier League Referee Pressure Test They would struggle to keep up with modern refs
- He-he! United star Lingard impersonates Michael Jackson while suit shopping in Milan on day off Jesse Lingard was his usual outgoing self
- Cologne have worn SEVEN different kits this season after sporting new black strip in 2-1 win over RB Leipzig Fans wanting them all would have to pay £422
- United star Pogba enjoys Playboi Carti gig days after returning to line-up in Chelsea victory It seems Paul Pogba is a fan of America rap music
- 'Carlos had a dream': Swansea boss Carvalhal reveals message stitched into his jacket and tells his players to dream of Wembley After FA Cup win
- 'I'm not afraid of him. I'm gonna knock him out': Alvarez's vow as he squares up to Golovkin ahead of mouthwatering rematch May 5 is the big day
- Playing sweeper! Peterborough survive snow blizzard to beat Walsall after defender Taylor grabs a brush and clearing the lines Centre back saves day
- Sheringham says Kane is England's only world class player: 'Can we do well in Russia? Honestly, no' One former Spurs No 10 discusses another
- 'I don't give a f*** what you've taken': Wilder takes aim at Ortiz ahead of WBC heavyweight title defence after Cuban failed drugs test Pair clash this weekend
- Brook to dedicate his fight against Rabchenko to memory of Westgarth as he helps raise money at Bramall Lane Boxer to make tribute to fellow Sheffield fighter
- Federer named Sportsman of the Year at star-studded Laureus awards as Wales boss Giggs performs tricks on Monaco red carpet Another gong for Roger
- Lindelof and his Manchester United team-mates jet around the world as Mourinho gives them three days off for beating Chelsea Special treat
- Liverpool fans think Dortmund star Reus dropped a transfer hint after copying Firmino's kung-kick goal celebration Take that!
- Lingard's girlfriend pays homage to goal celebration with gold his and hers necklaces after Manchester United star shines in Chelsea win Trademark celebration
- Messi enjoys stroll in Barcelona with heavily-pregnant wife Antonella as couple await birth of their third son It's set to be a big month for Lionel Messi
- Bolt to lead World XI in Soccer Aid 2018 as Jamaican sprint star plays at home of his beloved Man United in June charity match For Unicef
- Mata and Hazard among Premier League stars in new Kick It Out ad as Welbeck admits 'every' player has heard homophobic abuse Taking a stand
TRY OUR SPORT QUIZZES
- Guess the REAL first names of these well-known footballers in our brand new quiz
- World Cup 2018 ball launch: After the release of the Telstar 18... can you guess which competitions THESE footballs were used in?
- MYSTERY PLAYERS: Can you name all 20 footballers from just a list of each club they've played for?
- WHO SAID THIS? Can you name the managers and players behind these 20 famous quotes?
- FAMOUS FOOTBALL SONGS: Can you name the famous football song from a few of the lyrics in our brand new quiz?
- FIRST PREMIER LEAGUE SEASON: Can you identify these 20 players from 1992-93?
- PREMIER LEAGUE KITS: Can you guess which season these home kits were worn?
- RECORD EURO SIGNINGS: Do you know the record signings of these big European clubs?
- MYSTERY MANAGER: Can you guess all 20 managers from a list of each club/country they have taken charge of?
- FORMER CLUBS: Can you identify the former club of these football stars?
- ORIGINAL CLUB NAME: Can you guess the football club from its original name?
- BOOTS: Can you guess the footballer from just a picture of their boots?
- WAG: Can you match the WAG to the footballer?
- RETIRED FOOTBALLERS: Can you guess the career moves these 20 players made after hanging up their boots?
- SQUAD NUMBERS: Can you identify these 20 footballers from just their squad numbers?
- FOOTBALLERS' FULL NAMES: These famous footballers are better known by their nicknames... but can you identify them from their full names?
- EUROPEAN CLUB STADIUMS: Can you identify these 20 European club stadiums from a single picture of each?
- FOOTBALLERS AS KIDS: Can you guess the famous footballer from a picture of them as a child?
- MYSTERY FOOTBALLER: Can you guess the players from a list of clubs they played for?
- GUESS THE SCORER: Can you name these 20 blurred out goalscorers?
- CARETAKER MANAGERS: Can you name these 20 Premier League caretaker managers?
- EUROPEAN CLUB BADGES: How well do you know the badges of the big European football clubs from a cropped in image?
- TATTOOS: Can you identify these footballers from their tattoos?
- FRANK LAMPARD: How well do you know Frank Lampard's career?
- SQUAD SHIRT NUMBERS: Can you remember the first squad numbers these star players wore at the following clubs?
- CELEBRITY FOOTBALL FANS: Which football team do each of these 20 celebrities support?
- OLD FOOTBALL STRIPS: Can you guess the football team from a shocking old kit of theirs in our entertaining quiz?
- FOOTBALLER HAIRCUTS: Can you identify the footballers from just a picture of their hair?
- FOOTBALLER CAREER PATH: Identify the 20 footballers from a list of every club they played for
FOOTBALL NEWS
Watford on fire! Stewards tackle blaze in advertising hoarding during West Brom win
Following Troy Deeney's late winner, Alan Pardew's hopes of buying some time as West Brom manager wasn't the only thing that went up in smoke at Vicarage Road. During a rather uneventful first half that saw both sides struggle to break each other down, the main piece of action the crowd were treated to was when an LED advertising board began to emit smoke at the side of the pitch. As Watford and West Brom continued to play their Premier League clash, fire fighters were summoned to tackle the hazard.
Celtic 3-0 Morton: Dembele brace and Edouard strike sends Rodgers' side into Scottish Cup semis
Celtic are safely through to the Scottish Cup semi-finals after a brace from Moussa Dembele earned a hard fought win over Morton on Saturday. The Scottish Championship side frustrated Brendan Rodgers' men for large parts of the game but Celtic eventually found a way through in the latter stages. Dembele finally broke Morton's resistance in the 62nd minute as he fired a header in off the underside of the crossbar before the Frenchman added another from the penalty spot just eight minutes later. Odsonne Edouard completed the rout inside stoppage time as he calmly finished from close range.
Barcelona squad prepare for pivotal Atletico Madrid test as Ernesto Valverde reminds his players what is at stake: 'We must give everything on the pitch to win this game'
Barcelona's first team squad have been completing their preparations for Sunday's mouthwatering La Liga clash with Atletico Madrid. Ernesto Valverde's side took part in a light training session in the Barcelona sun on Saturday morning as they look to tighten their grip on the La Liga title at the expense of Atletico. Defeat would see Atletico move to within two points of Lionel Messi and his team-mates while victory would make the Catalan side overwhelming favourites in the title race.
Dzeko bags a brace as Roma come from behind to stun Napoli leaving them clinging to Serie A top spot
Livewire Lorenzo Insigne gave Napoli the perfect start by sweeping in Mario Rui's cross from the left after six minutes. But home celebrations ended one minute later when in-form Turkey forward Cengiz Under scored an audacious but slightly deflected lob over Napoli goalkeeper Pepe Reina from inside the penalty area. He was found by Radja Nainggolan after Napoli lost possession in midfield. Then, the imposing Dzeko easily rose above Raul Albiol to plant a firm header past Reina from Alessandro Florenzi's cross. Both players were on Roma's bench last week in the home loss to AC Milan, but probably won't be anymore.
OTHER SPORTS NEWS
Fury runs up road with giant log on his back as heavyweight jokes: 'Storm Emma ain't going to stop the return of the Mac, gypsy style'
Tyson Fury will not be bowed by anything in his bid for a comeback, not even Storm Emma. The eccentric heavyweight shared a video of himself running up a road in blustery conditions whilst carrying an enormous log on his back. The former world champion wrapped up in tracksuit bottoms, a beanie and hoodie for his old fashioned workout. The 29-year-old was being buffeted by the wind but found the breath to speak to the camera.The 29-year-old was being buffeted by the wind but found the breath to speak to the camera.
Solomona's hat-trick ensures first Sale win at Northampton in 12 years
Denny Solomona scored a first-half hat-trick as Sale claimed victory at Northampton for the first time in 12 years with a 34-25 win. The Sharks had lost on their past nine visits to Franklin's Gardens, with their losing streak stretching back to May 2006. But a superb first-half showing that saw Solomona run riot and Marland Yarde also register a try left the Saints shell-shocked and trailing 31-6 at the interval.
RACING
THE BEST WRITING IN SPORT
Every Premier League team assessed: With just 10 games of the season left... how is YOUR side shaping up ahead of the run in?
Despite the bitterly cold weather spring is supposedly upon us and that means another enthralling Premier League season is entering the final straight. With just 10 games to go Manchester City are on course for a first Premier League title in four years while the battles for a top four place and survival are just heating up. Here, Sportsmail assesses every Premier League team's season so far, who has been their standout player and what they must do over the remaining 10 matches to consider their campaign a success.