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EPL: Alan Shearer names stand-out player during Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Everton
Newcastle United legend, Alan Shearer has named defender, Malo Gusto as the stand-out player during Chelsea’s Premier League 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday.
Recall that Gusto gave an assist for teammate Cole Palmer’s first half goal and then got on the scoresheet himself in the second half.
The France international, who was brilliant, was deployed as an inverted full-back against the visitors at Stamford Bridge.
“Malo Gusto was the stand-out Chelsea player for me, not just in terms of the obvious with the goal and assist,” Shearer told the BBC.
“Also the questions he posed for Everton… linking up with Palmer and Neto down the right and moving into midfield alongside James to create the extra man when needed.”
Chelsea are now in the 4th position on the Premier League table after beating the Toffees at home.
The Blues will face Cardiff City in the EFL Cup on Tuesday in their next game.
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DON’T prepare your Christmas chicken like this! Patrice Evra shocked the sporting world with his ‘sexy raw chicken’ video seven years ago – and Man United legend still regrets bizarre antics
Few people go through life ever feeling the need to suck on a raw chicken but, in rather seductive fashion, Patrice Evra is one of them.
Let me take you back to November 2018. A consequential month for humankind. The Brexit draft plan was approved. NASA’s Voyager 2 reached interstellar space. And Evra released one of the most sickening videos on the internet.
There’s no way to dress it up – not even with copious amounts of gravy. Evra’s culinary adventure quite simply stunned the nation. Shocking and sultry in equal measure, yes. Hygienic? No chance. But perhaps that’s no surprise; Manchester United haven’t exactly been famed on that front recently.
Evra regrets it to this day.
What is this video, you ask? I’ll explain – but only on the condition that you promise not to try this at home, at least not until you’ve cooked your chicken anyway. We’re not savages.
Basically, it’s a minute of Evra kissing and licking and sucking and biting and spanking a raw chicken. All while staring down the camera with a gaze steamy enough to melt a snowman.
Patrice Evra went viral for sucking, slapping, and licking a chicken for Thanksgiving in 2018
The former Manchester United full-back provocatively sucked the poultry as Kirko Bangz’s 2015 remix to Trey Songz’s Slow Motion blared in the background
‘I love this game!’ Evra cries at the climax of the video. ‘Happy Thanksgiving everyone!’ The only thing viewers were thankful for was that the video was over.
And yet, by some irresistible magic, people watched it again. And again. And again. The public could not tear their eyes away. Was Christmas about to be ruined? Would, God forbid, impressionable young adults across the nation take after Evra’s habits for their first attempt at making a Christmas dinner?
Evra apologised the following day. ‘I went too far when I sucked the toes of the chicken,’ the then-West Ham star admitted in a new video, all while slurping on his thumb. ‘It was a little bit nasty.’
Then followed a bizarre, tongue-in-cheek rant. It’s best his tongue stayed there. ‘Now people are wishing salmonella on me,’ he said. ‘I know salmon, but apparently salmonella is when a girl kisses you, you can die straight away or have diarrhoea for 10 years.
‘And what about the vegan people? I see vegan people in my garden crawling, eating all the grass. I didn’t say anything! They eat everything: the flowers, the grass, even the tree now. We need trees. I love this game!’
Now, now. We should take this in context. Evra, a Manchester United legend with 20 career trophies to his name, has always been a slapstick chap. He’s known for being a tad eccentric. This was nothing more than a joke in a time when footballers weren’t quite as controlled on social media.
So we shouldn’t mock too heavily. We all have actions we regret. Some just don’t involve lifeless chickens.
Last year, Evra denied he had ever licked the inanimate egg-layer (we’ll need VAR on that one, Patrice) but admitted that he ‘regrets’ it.
For about eight seconds, Evra picked up the chicken by its legs and smacked it on its tail numerous times
He then placed the chicken down and seductively bites the chicken’s breast. After taking one last nibble, Evra laughs and shouts his catchphrase: ‘I love this game!’
‘I just slapped the chicken, I didn’t lick it – look at the video, I didn’t lick the chicken!’ e protested on the Stick to Football podcast.
‘When I did that video, it was Thanksgiving in America, but I don’t care about Thanksgiving, so I was making a joke about it, you know, “When you eat your chicken, you fall in love with it.” It was sexual.
‘It was crazy because it also affected my son because at school, they were like, “Your dad eats raw chicken,” or whatever. So, of course I regret that video, but in that moment, I was that crazy.
‘I remember, I was in Switzerland, and there was a lady with her husband, and she looked at me like, “I know you!” And her husband says, “Of course you know him, it’s Patrice Evra.” And she said, “No, I’ve seen him somewhere… that guy was licking a chicken!”‘
A worldwide impact, then. But maybe there was something behind this. It turns out that the Frenchman already had a history with poultry.
Believe it or not, Evra, who won five Premier League titles and a Champions League with United, believes his move to Old Trafford in 2006 may never have happened were it not for chicken.
In 2005, a foot injury on France under-21s duty had him sweating over his future.
Speaking to the Players’ Tribune, the former left-back recalls how he could barely walk after suffering the issue. Then somebody had an idea.
Evra says that playing with a chicken in his boots helped his foot heal – and led to him signing for Manchester United in 2006
Evra admitted that he ‘regrets’ the chicken video but explained how it was just a joke
‘Someone from the club staff said, “Why don’t you just go old school? Just slide a chicken down the boot,”‘ he said.
‘It sounded crazy but, you know me, I’m open minded. So I went to my local butcher. The butcher said, “What do you want?”
‘I said, “A piece of chicken. But just a tiny one. I’m gonna put it in my boot”.
‘He just laughed. I went home with the chicken. I ordered new boots: one in size 42.5, the other in size 44. I passed the ball. Oh. That felt OK. Painful, but OK. So I ended up playing with chicken in my boot for four months.
‘I didn’t train with it – my mother would never have forgiven me for wasting food – but before every game I would visit the butcher. “Morning, Patrice. The usual, yeah?”
‘The chicken enabled me to play so well that, in January 2006, I was signed by Manchester United.’
Now you know. Chicken launched Evra’s Man United career. Maybe we can’t blame him for such an enthusiastic act 12 years later.
Renowned American wrestler, John Cena, has retired after his final match on Saturday, December 14, 2025.
Th development was confirmed in a statement by World Wrestling Entertainment.
Cena’s retirement will bring to a close a 20-year in-ring career that placed him at the centre of the company’s global expansion.
The farewell bout will see the American wrestler face GUNTHER at Saturday Night’s Main Event, following the conclusion of the Last Time Is Now tournament.
The tournament, designed to determine Cena’s final opponent, ended with GUNTHER securing victory to set up a meeting between two wrestlers whose careers reflect different eras and approaches within WWE.
While Cena is known for a power-driven style and long-standing connection with fans, GUNTHER has built his reputation on technical discipline and physical intensity.
Ahead of the match, the Austrian wrestler made it clear that sentiment would not influence his approach, indicating that he intends to deliver a decisive performance rather than allow a ceremonial ending.
The bout will mark Cena’s final in-ring appearance after a career that included 16 recognised world championship reigns and years as one of WWE’s most prominent figures. Over two decades, he headlined major events, including multiple WrestleManias, and later expanded his profile beyond wrestling into film and television.
Ekiti Queens have reacted to their banishment to the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta for their next three home fixtures by the Nigeria Women Football League, NWFL.
The club were also fined 2.5 million naira for fans trouble at the Oluyemi Kayode stadium in Ado Ekiti last Wednesday.
Ekiti United stated that the ruling ignored the central issue raised in their petition, which detailed a pattern of poor officiating during the matchday three fixture with Edo Queens.
They pointed that the referee Aliyu Aminat failed to meet the professional standards expected in the league.
Assistant referees Ogunronbi Ruth and Williams O. Veronica, along with match commissioner Olajide Caroline, were also cited for their handling of key moments.
Ekiti Queens argue that the league’s refusal to examine this evidence raises serious concerns about transparency, accountability and fairness within the competition.
DAILY POST reports that Ekiti Queens suffered a 1-0 defeat to Edo Queens in the game.
Former Lleyton Hewitt coach Roger Rasheed has described the “battle of the sexes exhibition clash between Nick Kyrgios and Aryna Sabalenka as quite insulting.
The spectacle, due to take place on December 28 in Dubai, will feature modified rules and has drawn comparisons to the famous 1973 clash between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs.
Reacting to the development, Rasheed in a chat with ABC Sport‘s Summer Grandstand program, stated that the exhibition clash is bringing no value to tennis.
Read Also:Wolves Boss Lauds Arokodare, Teammates Despite Defeat To Arsenal
“I’m not a fan of it, to be honest,” Rasheed said.
“I think it’s a lose-lose for the women’s side … I actually think it’s quite insulting, to be perfectly honest.
“I don’t see where there’s one minute, one second of win for the number one player in the world.
“If you are looking after Sabalenka commercially, is this a place where you want to be?”
Chelsea boss, Enzo Maresca has hailed two of his players following their Premier League 2-0 win against Everton on Saturday.
Maresca watched as the Blues defeated the visitors at Stamford Bridge.
Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto scored the goals for the Premier League west London club.
Speaking at his post-match interview, Maresca showered praises on Malo Gusto and Reece James, saying the duo can play in every position.
The Italian told the BBC: “Never with two, huh?
“They are good players and when they are good players they can play in every position. They can play full-back and midfielder.
“[Malo Gusto] took the chance and his assist for Cole, so I am very happy for Malo.”
The win over Everton means Maresca’s side are now in the 4th position on the Premier League table.
Chelsea will clash with Cardiff City in the EFL Cup on Tuesday in their next fixture.
The Super Eagles will begin preparation for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday (today), reports Completesports.com.
Head coach Eric Chelle, his assistants, and backroom staff arrived Cairo on Saturday.
The Super Eagles are based at the Renaissance Hotels, Cairo.
Read Also:AFCON Is An Important Competition — Kompany
Meanwhile, Omonia Nicosia goalkeeper Francis Uzoho has the arrived the team’s camp.
Majority of the players named in the squad by Chelle are expected in camp later today.
The Super Eagles will take on the Pharaohs of Egypt in a friendly at the Cairo International Stadium on Tuesday.
The team will leave for Morocco aboard a chartered aircraft after the game with Egypt.
By Adeboye Amosu
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza has won the Heisman Trophy – earning the honor of being named the best player in college football in 2025.
After an undefeated regular season, Mendoza becomes the first Indiana Hoosier to ever win the Heisman. He also became the first Cuban-American to win the award.
Mendoza, who transferred to Indiana from Cal, won three other ‘Player of the Year’ awards in 2025: the Maxwell Award, the Walter Camp Award and the AP College Football Player of the Year award.
He beat out Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love to the award.
On stage, Mendoza choked up as he thanked his family for their support all his life – earning him praise from football fans for his emotion and compassion.
‘In fourth grade, I was a new kid on the park football team, didn’t know a single teammate and was fourth on the depth chart,’ Mendoza said.
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza has won the Heisman Trophy as player of the year
Mendoza broke down in his speech when thanking his parents for their support
‘By mid season, I wanted to get out of there. I wanted to quit. My parents said I had to finish what I started.
‘So I learned to embrace my team and that is when I fell in love with football. By high school, I was chasing the first stages of a pipe dream: to play in college. Then Covid hit, cut the season short.
‘The result? I was only a two-star prospect, I only had one scholarship offer. But my family’s unconditional love and belief kept me going and pushed me forward. These are the people who built me long before football did.
‘Mamí, this is your trophy as much as it is mine. You’ve always been my biggest fan, you’re my light you’re my “why”… Papí, thank you for grounding me. Thank you for holding me accountable… and reminding me that talent means nothing without discipline and consistency.’
Mendoza concluded his speech. saying, ‘This is an important one: I want every kid out there who feels overlooked, underestimated to know I was you. I was that kid too I was in your shoes.
‘The truth is, you don’t need the most stars hype or rankings, you just need discipline heart and people who believe in you – and you need to believe in your own abilities.
‘I hope this moment shows you that chasing your dreams are worth it, no matter how big or impossible they seem. God bless, Go Hoosiers.’
Mendoza is the first Indiana player and the first Cuban-American to win the Heisman
Mendoza’s strong play helped guide Indiana to its first undefeated season in 80 years
Fans praised Mendoza for his speech, calling it one of the greatest in the history of the award.
‘I’m glad he won,’ one commenter on X said. ‘He seems like a good, humble kid.’
Another comment read, ‘Tremendous speech. Guy has a future in politics if football doesn’t work out.’
‘Fernando Mendoza just gave the greatest Heisman Trophy speech of all time,’ the official account of Hard Rock Bet posted.
‘How can you not love this guy?’ another account posted.
One account wrote, ‘Mendoza just turned a Heisman moment into a lesson on humility, respect and the importance of where you come from.’
Mendoza won the Big Ten title with Indiana and led them to the No. 1 seed in the playoff
This season, Mendoza passed for 2,980 yards while leading the nation with 39 passing touchdowns. His passer rating of 181.4 was the third best mark in the country.
With him under center, Indiana won their first Big Ten title since 1967 and went undefeated for the first time since 1945.
Indiana is the No. 1 overall seed in this year’s College Football Playoff. It’s also their first appearance in the playoff in school history.
The Hoosiers will play in the Rose Bowl against the winner of the first-round game between 8-seed Oklahoma and 9-seed Alabama.
Tolu Arokodare has expressed his disappointment following Wolverhampton Wanderers’ 2-1 defeat to Arsenal in Saturday’s Premier League match at the Emirates.
Arokodare opened his Premier League goals account for Wolves against Arsenal in the 90th minute, which seemed like he had rescued a point for his struggling side.
The Super Eagles striker connected with a cross delivered by Mateus Mane, to cancel out Arsenal’s 70th minute opener.
However, Bukayo Saka forced a second own goal of the game in stoppage time to seal the three points for the league leaders.
While Arokodare is remaining hopeful and believes there are positives to take from the game, he does also think poor defending in the closing stages has cost his side.
Speaking to TNT Sports, he said:“It is not the first time we conceded in the last minute. It’s something that we have to work on – staying focused to the last whistle – very unlucky for us. Good goal from them, and I would say it was a little bit of poor defending from us.”
Also Read: Salah Sets New Premier League Record In Liverpool’s Win Vs Brighton
On the aspect of he goalscoring which has been a struggle for Wolves this campaign, the forward admitted they have been working to change that.
Arokodare added: “It’s something we’ve been working on. We did have a few chances in the second half and we have that quality, but we haven’t been lucky in attacking or defending. Hopefully in the coming games we will score more goals and everything will change.”
Meanwhile, the former Genk star was not included in the Super Eagles’ final 28-man squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
By James Agberebi
SPORT
NBA sensation Victor Wembanyama opens up on emotional breakdown over life-changing health scare
San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama revealed the emotions he felt when he discovered he was suffering from a blood clot.
Back in February, the 7-foot sensation was diagnosed with a deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder – a surprising prognosis for the 21-year-old.
In a sit-down interview with ESPN, the French phenom revealed he suffered a ‘breakdown’ when doctors told him the news.
‘I remember clearly, it’s going to be one year soon since I learned,’ Wembanyama told the network.
‘It was five minutes of total breakdown, probably. Obviously, crying and sadness and feeling the fragility of life and health.’
Quickly after his diagnosis, the Spurs shut Wembanyama down for the season – giving him enough time to allow for his recovery.
Wemby on finding out he had a blood clot:
“It was 5 minutes of total breakdown. Obviously crying and sadness. Basketball wasn’t my priority all of a sudden. It was just the whole motor all summer and I think it’s gonna be for the rest of my career” pic.twitter.com/Swa2Fz5qu9
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) December 13, 2025 
Victor Wembanyama opened up about the emotional rollercoaster he went through after being diagnosed with a blood clot in his shoulder last year
He revealed he was briefly afraid that he might not play basketball after the scary diagnosis
Wembanyama said that it was enough of a scare for him to put sports to the side.
‘I was thinking about this as… Like I just said, I wasn’t thinking about basketball. Basketball wasn’t my priority all of a sudden,’ he said.
‘At a time like this where you have to take measures quickly, you unfortunately have to make choices. There’s this worry of maybe not doing the right thing.’
When asked if he was worried that he might not ever take the court again, Wembanyama replied, ‘In those five minutes? Yes, but it wasn’t justified.
‘I needed time to find myself again and then to get better. It was just the whole motor all summer, and I think it’s going to be for the rest of my career.
‘It’s the best example that life is short, career is short. It can end just like this. So There’s no time to waste.’
By the summertime, Wembanyama was cleared for full basketball activities after his treatment was successful.
After undergoing treatment, Wembanyama did eventually make his return to the court
However, a calf strain has sidelined him for a significant portion of this season
He got off to a strong start, leading the Spurs in points (26.2), rebounds (12.9) and blocks (3.6) across 12 games.
But he’s missed the last 12 games due to a calf injury. The last time he took to the court was against the Golden State Warriors in mid-November.
Wembanyama is expected to return on Saturday night in the semifinals of the NBA Cup.
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NBA sensation Victor Wembanyama opens up on emotional breakdown over life-changing health scare
•Chukwueze provides an assist in Fulham’s victory at Burnley
Duro Ikhazuagbe
Nigerian International defender, Calvin Bassey, signed off 2025 club duty in the English Premier League on a glorious note last night as he scored in Fulham’s 3-2 victory away at Burnley.
Elsewhere in Turkey, another Super Eagles star, Victor Osimhen, also ended the year on high for Galatasaray, scoring in the Istanbul giant’s 4- 1 drubbing of Antalyaspor on Saturday evening.
Bassey who has become the corner stone of Eric Chelle’s Super Eagles’ Back Four, netted his first EPL goal since February at Turf Moor.
Now, he will head to the AFCON 2025 with Super Eagles hoping to continue his brilliant form to help Nigeria to a fourth continental title in Morocco.
Last night, Bassey was the perfect beneficiary of Harry Wilson’s high cross into the box, and wasted no time in flying high above Burnley defenders to power a header into the bottom right corner,his first in nearly 10 months.
That goal restored Fulham’s 2-1 advantage on the night in the 31st minute. Earlier, Emile Smith Rowe had given Fulham the opening goal barely nine minutes into the game while French-born player with Nigerian ancestry, Lesley Ugochukwu restored parity for the hosts in the 21st minute.
However, 13 minutes after resumption from the half time break, Bassey’s Super Eagles teammate, Samuel Chukwueze, picked out Harry Wilson with his through pass that the Wales international classically guided into the far corner of Martin Dubravka in goal for Burnley.
Bassey however missed another opportunity to increase his tally on the night when he miscued the ball in the box after taking out Burley defenders.
Harry Wilson who set up two Fulham goals before scoring their third was however the star of the night for The Cottagers.
Oliver Sonne scored his first goal for the Burnley to take the game to 3-2 and the hope of the hosts salvaging a point from the game. It however came too late. Haphazard defending earlier in the match was the greatest undoing of burley in the five-goal thriller.
Burnley remain five points from safety, a gap which could widen after Sunday’s games, while Fulham rise to 13th and have a seven-point cushion over the bottom three.
In Turkey, Victor Osimhen put his Champions League disappointment against Monaco midweek behind him, getting on the scorer’s sheet as Galatasaray defeated Antalyaspor 4-1 on Saturday evening.
The Nigerian forward, who endured a quiet outing in the 1–0 defeat to Monaco, made amends in the second half at the Corendon Airlines Park Antalya Stadium by netting Galatasaray’s third goal. Latching onto a sublime pass from Yunus on the left flank, Osimhen drove toward goal with a brilliant run before unleashing a powerful strike from a tight angle to double the advantage.
Roland Sallai, Leroy Sané, and Mario Icardi were also on target for the champions and further strengthened their grip on top spot in the league.