sport

Arsenal have sacked U23 coach Steve Bould, ending his 30-year association with the club.

The 58-year-old former defender has held various coaching positions at Arsenal since retiring in 2000.

An official announcement is still to come from the club but he will leave the Gunners in the coming days.

John Terry insists he has reached out to Anton Ferdinand regarding the allegation that he racially abused his fellow defender in 2011, but says his efforts have been spurned.

Terry was accused of using racist language towards Ferdinand during a game between QPR and Chelsea at Loftus Road in October 2011, for which he received a four-game ban and a £220,000 fine from the Football Association (FA).

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is adamant not even Manchester City would have won the league this season had they had to deal with the injury crisis he has endured.

Klopp lost influential centre-back Virgil van Dijk to a season-ending knee injury five matches into the Premier League campaign, before partner Joe Gomez joined him on the sidelines three weeks later and, in January, Joel Matip – the one remaining senior central defender – became the third long-term absentee.

Wilfried Zaha admits he is open to a fresh challenge and would not turn down a move away from Crystal Palace in order to win trophies with a „top“ club.

The 28-year-old came through the academy ranks at Palace and has been one of their most influential players during two stints at the club, but despite having two years remaining on his current deal at Selhurst Park, the forward was intent on departing his boyhood club last summer.

Livingston captain Marvin Bartley has been announced as the new assistant manager to boss David Martindale at the Scottish Premiership club.

The 34-year-old, who has overseen the club’s reserve side for the past two seasons, will remain registered as a player next season.

Sam Allardyce has hit back at suggestions he opted to leave West Brom after failing to receive guarantees over the club’s future direction and insisted the decision over his departure was entirely amicable.

Allardyce will take charge of the already-relegated Baggies for the final time in Sunday’s season-ending Premier League trip to Leeds.

The finals are coming in quick succession for Chelsea.

Whether they are true finals, like Saturday’s FA Cup defeat to Leicester and next weekend’s Champions League showpiece against Manchester City, or must-win league matches in the top-four race, there’s huge importance on every 90 minutes the team play right now.

Thomas Frank believes Brentford’s play-off heartbreak last year will help them overturn Bournemouth’s first-leg lead.

The Bees, beaten play-off finalists last season, trail 1-0 going into Saturday’s return leg on home turf.

Frank said: „Everyone is fit, energised and ready, it’s almost like Christmas Eve.

Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has become the latest player to be inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.

Gerrard scored 120 goals and provided a further 92 assists in 504 Premier League appearances for Liverpool over his 16 years at the club.

Burnley say they will be taking action against Ashley Barnes after the striker was involved in what the club have called a „police incident“.

A spokesperson for the Premier League side said on Thursday that Barnes will be „subject to internal disciplinary measures“ following reports he was arrested earlier this month for drink driving.