MANCHESTER UNITED were hit with travel chaos ahead of their trip to play Tottenham.

United planned on taking a train to the capital on Saturday but were forced into travelling on a coach instead.

Eamonn and James Clarke

Ruben Amorim boarding the coach to London[/caption]

Eamonn and James Clarke

Noussair Mazraoui and Joshua Zirkzee stepping on[/caption]

Eamonn and James Clarke

Alejandro Garnacho heads to London[/caption]

Eamonn and James Clarke

Matthijs de Ligt had a coffee in hand[/caption]

Eamonn and James Clarke

Man Utd had planned to travel by train[/caption]

According to the Daily Mail, the train lines were effected by a fault with the signalling system between Rugby and Milton Keynes.

Multiple services were either cancelled or severely delayed – meaning United instead took the coach.

A train from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston usually takes around two and a half hours if running on time.

But the same journey by coach can take over four hours.

Ruben Amorim and his side were pictured boarding a coach – which did not appear to be the usual luxury one Premier League teams travel on.

Matthijs de Ligt had a coffee in hand as he boarded the coach while Noussair Mazraoui and Joshua Zirkzee were also pictured.

United travel to North London – sitting 14th in the league with Spurs one place below – with injury problems too.

Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw, Mason Mount, Jonny Evans, Kobbie Mainoo, Manuel Ugarte and Toby Collyer are all ruled out.

Midfielder trio Mainoo, Ugarte and Collyer all suffered knocks in training this week – leaving Amorim short of options.

So Casemiro and Christian Eriksen – formerly of Tottenham – could be brought back into the squad.

That is despite the pair only playing a combined 176 minutes since starting alongside each other in the 2-0 loss to Newcastle on December 30.

Forward Amad Diallo also suffered an ankle ligament injury which could leave him out for the rest of the season.

Eamonn and James Clarke

This is the coach they used[/caption]

Eamonn and James Clarke

Train cancellations scuppered their travel plans[/caption]

Eamonn and James Clarke

Their trip to London doubled in duration[/caption]

Eamonn and James Clarke

Bruno Fernandes steps out his car[/caption]

PIC was D’Or-some in the Ascot Chase as he provided under-pressure Paul Nicholls with a massive boost.

The 14-time champion trainer needed a big result in the £175,000 Grade 1 and the reliable Pic D’Orhy didn’t let him down.

PA

Pic D’Orhy was an easy winner of the Grade 1 Ascot Chase[/caption]

The 10-year-old is absolute mustard around Ascot and, just like he did in this race 12 months ago, he jumped like a buck on his way to a dominant win.

Nicholls’ struggles have been well-documented this winter and last weekend was a particularly difficult one for the yard, with just one winner from 24 runners.

And if his croaky voice was any guide, Nicholls clearly let out all of his frustrations when shouting his Ascot hero home.

He said: “I f***ing enjoyed that! He was awesome today, he really put them to the sword and I’d say that was a career-best performance.

“I know we’ve had some stick but I don’t take any notice of it, everyone has peaks and troughs it’s very hard to sustain the top form over the years.

“A few of ours were quiet after we gave them their flu jabs but we’re on top of that now and you just can’t push things.

“You’ve got to be patient and believe in what you do, we just lack a few horses like this at the moment but it will come back.

“I love this game, I love the challenge, days like this and horses like this make it all worthwhile.”

Pic D’Orhy’s task was undoubtedly made easier when the pulled-up L’Homme Presse, who was said to have lost his confidence after a bad blunder, exited stage left in the early stages.

But it would have taken a monstrous performance to master Pic D’Orhy in this sort of mood, and he had too much speed and class for one-paced runner-up Corbetts Cross.

Harry Cobden barely moved a muscle as he coasted across the line in splendid isolation, and Nicholls will now get him ready for a trip to Aintree in April for the Melling Chase.

He added: “We’ve never had him down as a Cheltenham horse, he prefers tracks like Ascot and Aintree where he isn’t going up and down hills.

“It’s a great result for the team because we’ve all been feeling a little bit of pressure, this was a big day and I’m over the moon with this horse.”

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STACEY Solomon left fans in stitches as she revealed a family holiday blunder on Valentine’s Day.

The Loose Women star, 35, was set to enjoy a weekend getaway in Switzerland with her five kids and husband Joe Swash, 43.

staceysolomon/Instagram

staceysolomon/Instagram

staceysolomon/Instagram

Stacey made the most of her time in Paris with her family on Valentine’s Day[/caption]

But the presenter and her family ended up having a very unexpected night in Paris after they missed their train to the French capital.

It comes after Stacey’s big career move as she celebrated the launch of her haircare brand, REHAB, launching in Boots stores nationwide.

As Stacey headed off to celebrate the big career move, the star was left stuck Paris after missing her train.

While walking through the station, Stacey told fans: “We’ve missed our train… it was impossible to get, genuinely impossible and there’s no more trains out tonight.

“So we’re walking around Paris, wondering what to do with ourselves.

She chuckled: “I don’t know why I’m laughing, I actually want to cry, it’s fine, next train is at 6am tomorrow.

“Five kids in Paris… here we go,” as she panned the camera over to her kids Zachary, 15, Leighton, 11, Rex, four, Rose, two, and one-year-old Belle.

But Stacey made the most of her time in the City of Love, as she celebrated Valentine’s Day with her family at the Eiffel Tower.

She wrote: “Happy Valentines Day from the very unexpected Eiffel Tower, we missed our train tomorrow Switzerland, so it was a night in Paris instead.

“So we came to the Eiffel Tower because why not.

“The boys though it was the best mistake that ever happened they’ve always wanted to see it .

“Happy Friday everyone lots of love from all of us in Paris…”

Stacey’s fans were quick to brand the holiday blunder a ‘happy accident’.

One wrote: “Everything happens for a reason and if you’ve had fun then , then life is good, enjoy guys.”

A second posted: “Everything happens for a reason. You was meant to spend Valentine’s Day in Paris.”

A third added: “You can’t get more romantic than Paris on Valentine’s Day, even if it is with 5 kids!”

Stacey’s getaway comes after she ticked another huge goal off her list.

Stacey, who attended the Covent Garden Boots store last week, said it was a “dream come true” moment as she celebrated her new REHAB hair

Stacey said: “Today has been a dream come true. There’s nothing more I love than meeting our customers and hearing about what they think we should do next!

“The biggest thank you to every single person who has supported us over the years. You’re the reason we’re here today.”

The brand has gone from strength to strength with multiple sell-out products and several awards under its belt, paving the way for hair-care brands nationwide.

At the end of 2023, television personality Stacey became an official partner of the company after falling in love with the brand.

It comes after The Sun revealed Stacey is set to boost her empire by releasing a range merchandise named after her beloved £1.2million mansion.

Stacey has applied to trademark ‘Pickle Cottage’ so she can flog cosmetics, candles and furniture using the name.

If granted it will mean Stacey, who is already a multi-millionaire, can boost her bank balance even more by using the name of her family home.

The clever business move comes as Stacey and her husband Joe Swash, 43, plan to open the doors to Pickle Cottage for their own documentary series.

Stacey and Joe moved into their mock-Tudor Essex property in 2021.

Boots

Stacey celebrated the launch of her haircare brand, REHAB, launching in Boots stores[/caption]

Boots

FANS hailed Marcus Rashford’s Premier League debut for Aston Villa – and reckon Manchester United might have been the problem.

Rashford, 27, joined Villa on loan during the January transfer window.

Reuters

Marcus Rashford impressed on his Premier League debut for Aston Villa[/caption]

Getty

That came after the £325,000-a-week forward was exiled by United boss Ruben Amorim.

The Portuguese gaffer publicly slammed Rashford – even claiming he would rather play his 63-year-old goalkeeping coach ahead of the England international.

But now Rashford is away from Amorim and toxic United, he looks ready to thrive once again and wasted no time in showing what he can do.

And if his Villa performance on Saturday is anything to go by, the egg may well be left on Amorim’s face instead.

Rashford played the final 24 minutes in the FA Cup win over Tottenham on his Villa debut.

But his first bow for his new side in the Premier League came as Villa drew 1-1 with ten-man Ipswich.

Rashford replaced Jacob Ramsey at half-time and midway through the second half he was involved in Villa’s equaliser.

The striker’s epic free-kick crashed back off the woodwork and Ollie Watkins scored the rebound.

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Elsewhere, there was plenty of bright play from Rashford as proved a constant threat with his direct running, dangerous forward play, linking up with his new team-mates effectively and even helping out defensively in his first Prem match for 70 days.

And fans on social media were quick to laud the 60-cap Three Lions ace.

One said: “Look at Rashford man. Utd let him down, nothing else. The environment is massive. Every bit of abuse from fans plays a massive part. Open your eyes.”

Another wrote: “Rashford looks good…… Amorim, you really froze him out instead of utilising him until the end of the season.”

A third added: “Rashford is looking good, out to prove Amorim wrong.”

A fourth typed: “Marcus Rashford has been brilliant so far.”

A fifth commented: “What did Amorim say he is bad at?”

A sixth replied: “We loaned our best player Rashford to Villa when Amorim could have lowered his ego and worked with him?”

And a final user posted: “Rashford tracking back!!”

Despite Rashford’s impact, though, Villa had to settle for a point against the relegation-threatened Tractor Boys.

Reuters

Rashford was a constant threat throughout the second half[/caption]

Reuters

His free-kick bounced back off the woodwork for the equaliser[/caption]

SINGER Selena Gomez ditched her top as she got very cosy with her music producer fiance Benny Blanco for a new photoshoot.

The 32-year-old could not keep her hands off her lover in the new pictures for Interview magazine.

Interview Magazine

Selena Gomes ditched her top as she got cosy with Benny Blanco in Interview[/caption]

Interview Magazine

The couple put on an amorous display in the saucy shoot[/caption]

Interview Magazine

The couple have a joint album in the works[/caption]

Interview Magazine

Selena and Benny cover March’s Interview magazine[/caption]

In one close-up shot, Selena’s bare shoulders could be seen as she went without a top as Benny clutched her from behind.

In the seductive snap, she held her finger up and pressed it against the inside of his lip before resting her other hand on her bare chest.

Benny opted to strip down to his boxer shorts as he went trouser-less for another snap where he sat on a sofa alongside his popstar partner.

Selena put on a busty display in that image as she threw of a furry coat and channelled old Hollywood glamour with her hair and make-up.

The pair also appeared to get hot and heavy with one another inside a car for the raunchy new images as Selena laid on top of her partner with their bodies hanging out the door of the vehicle.

It comes as the couple confirmed that they would be working together on a collaborative music project.

Vowing to be the nest music power couple, Selena and Benny have teamed up for their first joint album, I Said I Love You First.

Ahead of the impending record’s release, they surprised fans with the first song entitled, Scared of Loving You.

The record was co-written with Finneas, the brother of Billie Eilish and her primary collaborator.

A statement to tease the album read: “The album came together organically as a direct result of the comfort that they both felt when working together creatively, allowing them to produce art that authentically reflects their experiences.

“It chronicles their entire story — before they met, falling in love and looking to what the future holds.”

It will be Come & Get It singer Selena’s first full-length release since 2020’s Rare.

The news of their new album comes after Benny admitted to almost “f***ing up” his proposal to Selena after she began to get suspicious about his then-impending surprise.

Benny told Interview: ” It was the sickest surprise that she had no idea about and it couldn’t have come at a better time because I was starting to f**k up.

Interview Magazine

Selena put her feet on Benny’s face in one snap[/caption]

“The thing that makes me so crazy is, you’re getting engaged, and right before, they’re like, ‘Show me how good of a liar you are. Sneak around and try to do this perfect thing without me knowing.’

“At the end, she was starting to get upset because she was like, ‘Why aren’t you coming home tonight?’ And I was like, ‘Oh, I’m just at my friends’.

“I almost did it early. But I nailed it, I think.”

Selena and Benny first confirmed their engagement in December 2024.

Interview Magazine

The couple confirmed their engagement last year[/caption]

SUN Racing takes on Sunday’s action confident of banging in some winners.

Back a horse by clicking their odds below.

LONGSHOT

CARD SHARK (4.52 Lingfield)

He came back from eight months off to finish a close-up third at Kempton last time and he’s off the same mark today.

THIEF

EARLY RELEASE (2.22 Lingfield)

He landed a battling win at Southwell last time out in December and can figure again from a fair 4lb higher.

ALICES’S IMPACT (3.22 Lingfield)

The first-time visor can help after two solid efforts over seven furlongs.

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• Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
• Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
• Never chases their losses
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• Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
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Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.

The application is awaiting approval

Ronaldo has named former Real Madrid midfielder Thomas Gravesen as the worst-ever player he’s played with.

Brazil’s legendary No.9 spent five seasons at Madrid and was a key figure in the club’s Galacticos era.

Gravesen, meanwhile, joined Madrid in a surprise £2.5 million move from Everton in January 2005 and made 49 appearances for the Spanish side.

The Denmark international spent two seasons alongside Ronaldo at Madrid and while the Brazilian striker insists he was a ‘cool guy’ he claimed the former defensive midfielder was ‘very bad’ on the pitch.

In an interview with fellow Brazil legend Romario, Ronaldo was asked to name the worst player he’d ever played alongside.

‘There are a lot of them,’ Ronaldo replied.

‘There was one at Real Madrid who was a joke… Gravesen.

‘He was a Danish midfielder. He was a really cool guy, good guy. A little while ago he won a $50 million poker tournament or something.

‘But in football he was very bad, he scored and he beat the hell out of people.’

Asked to name the worst technical player he had played with for Brazil’s national team, Ronaldo replied: ‘Amaral was bad with the ball, wasn’t he?

‘But he ran, he caught everything, he recovered 10 balls and gave away nine.’

'Hopefully he is fine...'

Michael Owen believes Raheem Sterling will be dropped for Mikel Merino after his ‘really poor performance’ in Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Leicester City on Saturday.

Both Sterling and Arsenal struggled to break down a well-organised Leicester side in Saturday’s early kick-off and the on-loan Chelsea winger was replaced by Mikel Merino just over the hour mark.

Merino then scored two late goals to secure Arsenal’s victory, which has moved Mikel Arteta’s side to four points behind Liverpool, who host Wolves at Anfield on Sunday.

Owen says he understands Sterling’s difficult period for Arsenal due to his lack of minutes this season but feels the 30-year-old will now lose his place in the team following Merino’s double.

‘The only thing I would say to back him up in a way is that when you don’t play regularly it really affects you, it affects your rhythm,’ Owen told Premier League Productions when asked about Sterling’s performance.

‘I remember towards the end of my career I was not playing a lot and then all of a sudden you get asked to start out of nowhere. There’s loads of injuries, all of a sudden he’s asked to start a game and you feel out of touch, you almost lose your bearings sometimes.

‘You could see he was almost tripping over himself at times, standing offside there’s no excuse for that, even when he’s 50 he should know how to time a run and how to look across a line.

‘I agree, it is sad to see him put in a really poor performance but the one thing I would say is it might be because he’s a little bit rusty.

‘Now he’s going to get the opportunity, probably off the bench again now because Merino’s going to take his place for the next game, it’s going to be an impact thing.

‘He’s got to grab these chances because at his age there isn’t many opportunities left, there’s going to be people coming in, coming back from injury, signings, this is his opportunity now with so many injured players to grasp it, you’ve only probably got six to ten games to do that.’

Meanwhile, Ian Wright believes Sterling showed ‘hesitancy’ and ‘apprehension’ during his 69 minutes on the pitch.

‘It’s a sad watch, it’s been a sad time to watch Raheem in this Arsenal period because of what he’s done, what he’s achieved,’ Wright told Premier League Productions.

‘To come to Arsenal at a time where it’s a great opportunity for him to show people he’s still got something left, for some reason unfortunately he can’t find the spark to get him going.

‘I think you saw it again today, there’s hesitancy in his game, there’s a little bit of apprehension, it just feels like it’s not quite happening for him and it’s sad to see.

‘The thing is as well, if it continues in the way we’re seeing him play at the moment, you think, ‘who are his suitors going to be after this?’.

‘This is a level he’s got to, even if it’s a loan, where you think if you prove it here Arsenal may keep you on, you may go again at this level.

‘But it’s very tough to see him at this level if it carries on like this.’

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