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Three Premier League talking points | The Express Tribune

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Three Premier League talking points | The Express Tribune


Captain Martin Odegaard and Arsenal were feeling a lot more upbeat about their title charge thanks to Aston Villa’s surprise 1-0 home loss against Everton. Photo: AFP


LONDON:

Arsenal extended their lead at the top of the Premier League as title rivals Manchester City and Aston Villa slipped up.

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank could be facing the sack after another dismal loss, while Liverpool’s spluttering form continued.

AFP Sport looks at three talking points from the weekend’s action:

Arsenal retain upper hand

As Arsenal digested their 0-0 draw at Nottingham Forest on Saturday, the over-riding emotion was frustration at failing to take full advantage of Manchester City’s 2-0 defeat at Manchester United earlier in the afternoon.

But just 24 hours later, Mikel Arteta’s side were feeling a lot more upbeat about their title charge thanks to Aston Villa’s surprise 1-0 home loss against Everton.

Third-placed Villa could have closed to within four points of Arsenal with a victory but instead they sit seven points adrift.

Successive goalless stalemates against Liverpool and Forest in the league have underlined Arsenal’s occasional Achilles heel in attack.

But Gunners winger Noni Madueke is not concerned.

“We weren’t clinical enough in front of goal. There is a long way to go. We know that we’ve been very consistent and we’ll continue to do so,” he said.

City, in second place following four league games without a win, are also seven points behind the leaders after losing to United in Michael Carrick’s first game as boss.

“We dropped many points in the last games but we are going to fight until the end,” City midfielder Rodri said.

Frank on the brink

Barraged by calls for his sacking from furious fans, Thomas Frank insisted he feels “trust from everyone”, but the Tottenham manager’s faith may prove misguided.

Reports on Sunday said that Tottenham’s hierarchy had met to discuss Frank’s future in the aftermath of Saturday’s dismal 2-1 home defeat against struggling West Ham.

Tottenham’s third successive defeat and eighth loss in 14 matches left them languishing in 14th place.

Already out of both domestic cups, the north Londoners are in crisis just months after Frank was hired to replace the sacked Ange Postecoglou.

The former Brentford boss has irritated Tottenham supporters with his prosaic tactics and their miserable results have pushed him to the brink.

Tottenham captain Cristian Romero called for unity after giving an acerbic verdict on the turmoil.

“It is difficult and also a disaster moment for us, but especially in this moment, we need silence. Back in training, work hard every day and stay together,” he said.

Van Dijk ready for Liverpool summit

Virgil van Dijk plans to hold a players’ meeting on Monday to address the issues that threaten to derail Liverpool’s bid for Champions League qualification.

Van Dijk was angry at the sloppiness which allowed lowly Burnley to equalise in the 1-1 draw at Anfield on Saturday.

It was the first time that Liverpool had drawn four successive league matches since 2008.

And for the second time this season, Reds captain Van Dijk is asking questions of the players, as he did after defeat to Manchester United in October in the middle of a run of nine defeats in 12 matches.

“I’m frustrated that after 60 minutes we started to become sloppy and it’s not the first time,” he said.

“It’s been spoken about already but we have to address it again apparently and Monday will be a big one for it.

“It’s not about me addressing it, it is about how can we solve it because we all want to win games.”

Liverpool were jeered by fans after a result that left them in fourth place and Van Dijk added: “I don’t like boos from my own fans.”



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US Olympic skating power couple Madison Chock, Evan Bates withdraw from world championship

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US Olympic skating power couple Madison Chock, Evan Bates withdraw from world championship


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The Team USA skating power couple of Madison Chock and Evan Bates have withdrawn from the upcoming ice dance world championship

The decision will end their season and likely their competitive careers after their performances at the Milan Cortina Olympics.

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Team USA’s Madison Chock and Evan Bates pose with their gold medals after winning the figure skating team event at the Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, on Feb. 8, 2026. (Stephanie Scarbrough/AP Photo)

Chock and Bates joined Olympic teammate, gold medal sensation Alysa Liu, in withdrawing from worlds, after Liu announced she was withdrawing this past weekend, surprising many fans. 

Chock and Bates helped the U.S. defend its Olympic figure skating team gold medal in February, then added a bittersweet silver in the individual competition. They were a close second behind the French duo of Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron, a result that was heavily scrutinized  due to the scoring margins turned in by the French judge, Jézabel Dabouis.

“We left it all on the ice in Milan,” Bates said. “Our season feels complete with those four performances where we delivered our best.”

US OLYMPIAN ALYSA LIU WAS ONCE TARGETED BY CHINESE SPIES – HERE’S WHAT SHE HAS TO SAY ABOUT IT

Madison Chock and Evan Bates with silvers

Madison Chock and Evan Bates with the silver medals, left, and France’s Guillaume Cizeron and Laurence Fournier Beaudry with the gold at the Winter Olympics on Feb. 11, 2026. (Fabrizio Carabelli/PA Images via Getty Images)

The decision prompted immense criticism from fans who believed the judge did not deliver accurate scores. However, the couple ultimately chose not to appeal the outcome. 

Chock and Bates have not officially retired, but they have hinted for the better part of four years that they would move away from the competitive scene after the Milan Cortina Games. They will do so as two of the most decorated skaters in U.S. history, winning a record seven national titles, three gold medals at the Grand Prix Final and numerous Grand Prix events.

They have been on the podium at the past four world championships and triumphed at the past three.

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Madison Chock and Evan Bates routine

Madison Chock and Evan Bates compete during the ice dancing free skate in figure skating at the Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

“While we have decided not to compete at the world championships, we hold dear the incredible memories from winning the last three years,” Bates said. “Those achievements have meant so much to us. We couldn’t be more appreciative of all the love and support.”

Caroline Green and Michael Parsons will replace Chock and Bates on the U.S. ice dance squad in Prague. They will join Olympic teams of Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko and the duo of Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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Sherrone Moore’s alleged mistress speaks out, claims ‘years of manipulation’ from disgraced ex-Michigan coach

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Sherrone Moore’s alleged mistress speaks out, claims ‘years of manipulation’ from disgraced ex-Michigan coach


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Attorneys for Paige Shiver, the former executive assistant of ex-Michigan head football coach Sherrone Moore and his alleged mistress, released a statement after his no-contest plea that dropped some charges against him this past Friday. 

The Action Injury Law Group’s statement, obtained by Fox News Channel, claimed Shiver endured “years of manipulation, harassment, and exploitation by a man who held enormous power over her professional life as the head football coach of one of the nation’s most prominent college football programs.”

The statement also accused Moore of creating an environment where Shiver “felt pressured, intimated and unable to escape conduct that should never occur in any workplace – let alone at a public university.”

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Kelli Moore, left, walks with her husband former University of Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore, and his attorney Ellen Michaels at the 14A-1 District Court in Ann Arbor on Friday, March 6, 2026. (Mandi Wright / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

The Chicago-based law group’s statement was first reported by the Detroit News.

Moore was facing charges of stalking, breaking and entering and home invasion of the apartment of Shiver, where authorities said he broke in to confront his alleged mistress to blame her for his dismissal. He even threatened to kill himself with butter knives in the apartment. 

FIRED MICHIGAN COACH SHERRONE MOORE REACHES PLEA DEAL IN CASE OVER ALLEGED BREAK-IN AT MISTRESS’S HOME

Moore struck a no-contest plea deal the same day a judge planned to hear a challenge to Moore’s arrest in December 2025, including felony home invasion. Those previous charges were dropped in exchange for the no-contest plea to misdemeanor trespassing and misdemeanor malicious use of a telecommunications device. 

“Today’s no-contest plea in the criminal trespassing case involving disgraced former University of Michigan head football coach Sheronne Moore represents a critical moment of acknowledgment and accountability following a frightening and deeply disturbing incident,” the Action Injury Law Group’s statement began. “Not surprisingly, Sheronne Moore’s no-contest plea was entered a mere days following press reports alleging his failure to report sexual assault allegations against former Michigan assistant coach LaTroy Lewis.

Sherrone Moore loses to Texas

Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore walks off the field after the 31-12 loss to Texas at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (Junfu Han/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

“With the resolution of Mr. Moore’s criminal legal proceedings today, all eyes are now squarely focused on the University of Michigan, Interim President Domenico Grasso, President-Elect Kent Syverud, General Counsel Tim Lynch, and the Board of Regents to see whether they take the swift and decisive action needed to make amends for the University’s painful missteps and to restore a genuine sense of trust and respect among its employees, students, and alums.”

Shiver’s attorneys questioned Michigan’s athletic program as a whole following the incident, adding that their client believes “she may not be the only person who experienced inappropriate, coercive, or predatory behavior from this individual.”

“It raises urgent and troubling questions about how a powerful figure within a major university athletic program was able to engage in years of inappropriate conduct toward a subordinate without meaningful intervention or oversight,” the statement read. 

“Accountability does not end with a single criminal case. It requires truth, transparency, and a commitment to ensuring that no one in a position of authority is ever permitted to abuse their power again. Our client is continuing the difficult process of healing. She remains grateful for the support she has received and hopes that her decision to come forward will help protect others in the future.”

Moore’s sentencing is scheduled for April 14 for his new charges, which have a potential maximum sentence of six months and 30 days in prison. 

Sherrone Moore looks on in court

Former Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore, center, appears in the courtroom, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez)

“All the charges against Mr. Moore were not supported by facts and law,” said Moore’s attorney Ellen Michaels, standing alongside him and his wife, Kelli, outside the courtroom last week. “The dismissal of those charges validates the concerns we raised about the investigation from the very beginning. Mr. Moore is pleased to put this behind him and move forward.

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“It’s not stalking if the communication has a legitimate purpose.”

Moore was fired on Dec. 10, 2025 after two seasons running Michigan’s football program following Jim Harbaugh’s return to the NFL with the Los Angeles Chargers. The university cited an inappropriate relationship with a staff member as the reason for his firing, with Shiver ending the affair with Moore a few days before his firing, while cooperating with Michigan’s investigation. 

Fox News’ Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.

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Nebraska agrees to 3-year extension with coach Fred Hoiberg

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Nebraska agrees to 3-year extension with coach Fred Hoiberg


LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska and men’s basketball coach Fred Hoiberg have agreed to a three-year contract extension after he guided the Cornhuskers to a school-record 15 wins in Big Ten Conference play.

The school announced the deal Monday, days before the league tournament begins with Nebraska as the No. 2 seed. Hoiberg is now under contract through the 2031-32 season. He previously signed a two-year extension in 2024.

“Fred has built this program step by step, and his leadership has Nebraska positioned to continue to compete at a high level in the Big Ten Conference and nationally,” athletic director Troy Dannen said in a statement. “Fred is one of the most respected coaches in the country by his peers, and his success has been recognized throughout the college basketball world.”

The Huskers, who have won 20-plus games in three consecutive seasons for the first time in school history, enter the Big Ten Tournament with a 26-5 record. The team reached a program-best No. 5 national ranking in January.

“We have a long family history with the University of Nebraska, and the support we have received over the last seven years is truly remarkable,” Hoiberg said. “We are blessed with world-class facilities, but the people are what make Nebraska special. Our goal is to continue building a program that our fans can embrace and have pride in because it represents the values of Nebraska.”



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