Kai Havertz joked he will be Tottenham s biggest fan as Arsenal look for a helping hand from their fierce rivals when they take on Manchester City.

Arsenal defeated Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford on Sunday through a first-half Leandro Trossard tap-in that was nicely assisted by Havertz.

That victory lifted the Gunners one point above City, who have an inferior goal difference of three and play their game in hand at Tottenham on Tuesday.

Pep Guardiola s side still have the title in their hands, but dropped points in North London will change that heading into the final round of fixtures, with Arsenal hosting Everton and City at home to West Ham.

Asked by Sky Sports if he is going to back Spurs for the victory against City, Havertz laughed and said: I…

Manchester City full back Joao Cancelo has revealed that he was assaulted by four cowards , but escaped with only a small cut to his head.

Cancelo took to Instagram on Thursday to announce that the assailants also tried to hurt his family, though only made off with some jewellery in the end.

The 27-year-old posted a picture of his face after the altercation, saying: Unfortunately, today I was assaulted by four cowards who hurt me and tried to hurt my family.

When you show resistance, this is what happens. They managed to take all my jewellery and leave me with my face with this state.

I don t know how there are people with such meanness. The most important thing for me is my family and luckily they are all okay.

After so many obstacles in my l…

UEFA Champions League regulars Milan and Arsenal enter the 2013-14 competition at the final qualification round this week.

Seven-time champions Milan enter at the play-off stage after a late win in the final game of Serie A last season ensured they finished third.

They will face former European champions PSV at the Philips Stadion and retired midfielder Mark van Bommel, who played for both clubs, believes the tie is too close to call.

It will be a very difficult game for both teams, the former Netherlands international told Milan s official website.

PSV have changed a lot, they have a lot of young players and they are a very quick team. Milan don t know how PSV play, they all run a lot, but Milan are still Milan, they have lots of talent.

Arsenal travel t…

Juergen Klopp s desire to play Arsenal in the Champions League has been granted, with the German revealing he had a pre-draw premonition.

Last year s finalists Borussia Dortmund will play Arsene Wenger s Arsenal, Napoli and Marseille in Group F, but it is the clashes with the London club that has the German coach salivating.

I somehow already had the feeling last week that we would get Arsenal, Klopp said on Friday.

I don t why but that s why I watched Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday on TV and I was impressed by how good they were.

Seemingly annual criticism of Wenger s lack of movement in the transfer market has reached boiling point this season but Klopp said he saw no problems with Arsenal s squad depth.

Everyone kept saying they have lots of pr…

The Independent understands that Manchester United are in talks with Atletico Madrid over the possible transfer of Juan Mata.

The Spain international, who is also attracting interest from China, moved to Old Trafford from Chelsea just over two years ago and whilst impressing in parts he has failed to recreate the form that saw him named the Blues’ Player of the Year in successive seasons.

He has so far racked up eighty-six appearances for the Red Devils in all competitions, scoring twenty-two times.

He also has thirty-nine caps for his country, scoring ten times while he was part of the squads that won the 2010 World Cup and the 2012 European Championships.

Louis van Gaal’s side lost to struggling Sunderland on Saturday afternoon, but remain six …

Hull City manager Steve Bruce has insisted his players must use pre-season to earn a place in his team on the first day of the new campaign.

The KC Stadium outfit are currently preparing for their first season in the Premier League since 2009-10, and will send sides to take on North Ferriby and Winterton Rangers in a friendly double-header on Monday as they look to gain fitness.

But Bruce says he is not treating the game as a training exercise, and is keen for his players to impress ahead of their meeting with Chelsea on August 17.

These games are the start of our preparation for the new season and a good run-out for the players, he told The Hull Daily Mail.

We ve had a good, tough first week of training and now it s about getting some minutes under the belts. Th…

Mauro Icardi is the best forward in the world after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, according to Hernan Crespo.

Icardi joined Inter in 2013 and, after scoring nine goals in his opening season at San Siro, has reached tallies of 27, 16 and 26 in his last three seasons with the club.

He already has five goals in three Serie A games this term for an Inter side who have taken maximum points and Icardi is reportedly poised to be offered a new contract.

And Argentine compatriot Crespo, who the Scudetto three times with Inter, told Gazetta dello Sport: After Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi, who are from another planet, Icardi is the striker I like the most.

At the age of 24 he is already a champion and can become truly world class.

I ve been tracki…

Sampdoria coach Vincenzo Montella has tipped Claudio Ranieri as a potential Italy boss and conceded he would suffer sleepless nights if offered the national team post.

Former Italy and Roma striker Montella has guided Sampdoria to Serie A safety following his appointment in November, having impressed during his time in charge of Fiorentina.

Antonio Conte will leave his post as Italy boss to take charge of Chelsea after Euro 2016 and Montella believes Ranieri would be the ideal successor after masterminding Leicester City s stunning Premier League title triumph.

If they called me I would think, and I would spend two sleepless nights, Montella told Corriere dello Sport over the prospect of the Italian Football Federation making an approach to him.

I thin…

Essam El Hadary will become the oldest player in World Cup history when he lines up for Egypt against Saudi Arabia on Monday.

The goalkeeper appeared five times in qualifying and, at 45 years and 161 days old, he will make his finals debut in Volgograd, with Egypt and Saudi Arabia playing just for pride having already been eliminated.

El Hadary takes the record from Faryd Mondragon, who appeared in goal for Colombia in 2014 just three days after his 43rd birthday.

There are three managers at Russia 2018 – Serbia s Mladen Krstajic, Aliou Cisse of Senegal and Belgium boss Roberto Martinez – who are younger than the Pharaohs keeper.

إليكم تشكيل   لمباراة اليوم أمام    

— Egypt National Football Team (@Pharaohs) <…

Crystal Palace have sacked Frank de Boer after his first four Premier League matches in charge all ended in defeats.

Palace became the first side in Premier League history to lose their opening four fixtures without scoring a goal and De Boer paid the price, with his three-year deal terminated after a mere 77 days in charge.

The Dutchman was appointed by Palace on June 26, replacing former England boss Sam Allardyce after his surprise retirement.

Allardyce s predecessor as England manager, Roy Hodgson, is viewed as an early frontrunner for the Selhurst Park post.

The 70-year-old last managed in the Premier League with West Brom before leading the Three Lions at Euro 2012 and he has been tipped to sign a two-year deal at Palace.

Amid mounting specu…