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ALEX GREENWOOD admits to being shocked by the sudden sacking of Gareth Taylor as Manchester City women’s boss.  

However the City skipper expects her team-mates will come together under interim gaffer Nick Cushing. 

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Man City will take on Chelsea in the Women’s League Cup final in their first game after Gareth Taylor’s departure[/caption]

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Man City skipper Alex Greenwood said the sacking of Taylor shocked her and insists it was “purely results-based”[/caption]

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Man City’s duel with Chelsea will see the two sides face each other in a League Cup final for the first time since 2022[/caption]

Taylor, 52, was axed from his role just five days before City’s League Cup final clash with Chelsea this Saturday. 

His departure saw him become the fourth manager to have their reign at a WSL team ended this term.

The Manchester giants’ decision to end Taylor’s tenure follows the team losing pace in the WSL title hunt.

At present Chelsea look to be on course for a eighth top-flight title with their 12-point lead at the summit and the team yet to lose a game.

After four losses and two draws in 16 league games, City are currently fourth and facing a fight to qualify for Europe next term. 

With the team facing Chelsea four times this month including in the Champions League, club chiefs decided change was needed. 

Earlier today when reporters asked for her thoughts on Taylor’s departure, Greenwood said it was “a lot to process” and said it was “purely results-based”. 

The City captain, who won an FA Cup and League Cup during his four-and-half-year reign, added: “I was shocked by the news, of course. 

“I wasn’t expecting that news but it’s business and this is football.

“The focus quickly shifted to what’s next, what is important to the team and that’s the final on Saturday.”

“My role as captain is to bring the team together and make sure the focus remains the same, which is on the final on Saturday and the run of games we’ve got coming up.”

On whether she has spoken to Taylor since Monday, Greenwood said: “He brought me to this football club, he made me captain

“We had some great moments together, so I will speak to Gareth when the time’s right.

“But for now, I think, out of respect, I’ll leave him to digest this.”

City will play their remaining games under the stewardship of Cushing, who is managing the side for the rest of this season. 

The head coach, who last November was sacked as New York City FC boss, led the Cityzens to the WSL title in 2016 during his first stint as women’s team boss.

This Saturday the team will be without the services of their captain who is working her way back to fitness from a medial collateral injury.

Greenwood said: “Nick had a great meeting with the team, a really positive one, about winning and what is achievable, what we need to focus on.”

Man City’s first game following Taylor’s departure comes four days after construction got underway on a £10million training complex for their women’s team.  

The 17,000 square-foot building, due to open next season, will contain a dressing room, a high-performance gym and a hydrotherapy area to aid players’ recovery from injuries 

Earlier today Greenwood joined women’s team managing director Charlotte O’Neill and football director Therese Sjogran to break ground on the new development. 

The City captain added:  “We’ve gone from an amazing facility which has gotten us to this point.

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Chelsea are currently unbeaten so far this season across all competitions[/caption]

“It’s time for us to move on from that now and expand as a team by giving us our own space to work from. 

“Right from the start we’ve been involved quite a lot so we could discuss what’s going to be in there and what’s necessary.

“From what I know the facilities are going to be the best, which is nothing short of what I expect.”

SPRING may have sprung, but we still crave quick and easy comfort food.

A bowl of soup with a crusty buttered roll is always a winner.

But those go-to tins of Heinz cream of tomato are £1.70 a pop – not so purse-friendly, especially if you’re feeding a family.

While making soup from scratch can be a faff, there are gadgets that blend ingredients, cook and even self-clean.

We asked Emma Lazenby to put seven of the most popular models to the test – and to stop her family getting bored of eating the same variety time and again, she served up potato and leek, red pepper and tomato, and broccoli and stilton recipes – all costing less than 50p a bowl.

But are these gadgets really worth the hype, for busy households?

Emma gives her verdicts on each of them, and marks them out of five . . . 

JustMe soup maker

£49.99, justmeproducts.co.uk

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The JustMe soup maker is handy for a quick lunch if you’re working from home[/caption]

WITH its “the smallest soup maker with the biggest results” tagline, I was bowled over by this cute, compact gadget.

It’s a one bowl-only machine and handy for a quick lunch if you’re working from home.

You could even decant your soup into a commuter cup for a food fix on the go.

Whipping up a bowl of chunky soup in just 19 minutes and smooth in 24 mins, it claims to use just 1p in energy to make a meal.

It’s also a colourful addition to your kitchen appliances as it comes in white or sage green.

The manual was user-friendly for this technophobe chef and the recipe booklet full of inspo.

The self-clean function worked a treat, too.

If you need bigger soup batches, you’ll obviously have to invest in a larger model, but for one person this is pretty perfect.

4.5/5

Tefal easy soup and smoothie maker

£129.99, Amazon

THIS good-looking piece of kit with its chrome finish can whizz up 1.2 litres of soup (enough to feed four), in 23 minutes for “smooth” and 25 minutes for “chunky”.

And it did the job well, quietly cooking away for the first 15 minutes or so, then kicking in with its blending function.

But the jug lacks a pouring spout, which makes for messy decanting. And it didn’t have a digital countdown display, which I found handy on the other models.

On the plus side, the “keep warm” setting was a winner. If you have teenagers at home who demand instant grub at any given time, a hot vat of warm soup on the counter may just the thing.

The self-clean function also worked surprisingly well. It whirred around the soapy water and left just a few bits of stray soup on the rim.

3.5/5

Daewoo soup maker

£39.99 (down from £49.99) at Robert Dyas

A FORMER Which? magazine Best Buy in the soup-making gadget category, this 1.6-litre model can whip up five bowls of smooth soup in 21 minutes, chunky takes seven minutes longer.

It can also blend smoothies and juices (no ice) in two minutes. This is a great gadget if you’re after a no-frills soup and smoothie maker.

While it does have a digital display, it lacks the self-clean function.

I failed to clean the jug immediately with a soapy brush and was left with soup-crusted blades that needed a thorough scrub, although this was my fault.

For a budget, easy-to-use soup maker, with an ideas-packed recipe booklet, this Daewoo number is spot on.

4/5

Tefal PerfectMix 2-in-1 cold blender and soup maker

£139, John Lewis

THE splurge option, but it’s a hefty piece of kit – so steer clear if you are short on worktop space.

If, however, you like the sound of an all-singing, all-dancing blender to make smoothies, soups, fruit compotes and more, then this might be worth the investment.

With its robust blades, it can even cut through frozen veg in a jiffy. There’s a downside, though.

Even in its relatively gentle soup-making mode, this machine is unbelievably loud.

It sounds like it might take off – and my cat ran a mile.

It comes with a “steaming basket”, but this was a faff to use and can’t hold enough veg for a family meal.

I did like the glass jug design – it was good to see the soup-making in action.

3/5

Ambiano soup maker

£29.99, Aldi

CHEAPEST of the bunch, this model feels a lot pricier than a sub-£30 machine.

I was immediately pleased with how compact and lightweight it is. It could easily be stored away in a cupboard, or even sit on the kitchen worktop if you have some spare space.

The digital controls were straightforward and the “keep warm” feature is handy if someone in the family comes home late.

The design also allows you to remove the lid during cooking, stopping and starting where you left off if you want to add extra ingredients.

Whizzing up a batch of smooth soup in 26 minutes and a chunky one in 29, I’d have given the Ambiano the full five out of five if it had the self-clean mode.

4.5/5

Morphy Richards soup maker

£79, ao.com

GIVEN this model’s higher price, I was surprised not to find either a “keep warm” or “self-clean” function – both handy features found on most other models.

It was, however, one of the quickest soup makers, cooking up a meal for a family of five in just 21 minutes for a smooth soup and 28 mins for chunky.

It is almost identical in appearance and functionality to the Daewoo model, but unjustifiably double the price.

It delivers in terms of its basic soup-making role and the recipe booklet was welcome.

But at just under £80 I would expect something extra, which it sadly failed to deliver.

3/5

WeightWatchers soup maker

£35, B&M

ONE of the cheapest soup makers around, and you really get some good bang for your buck with this one.

It’s super simple to use and the healthy recipes included were a nice touch.

It cooks and blends 1.6 litres of both smooth and chunky soups in under 30 minutes, and with a handy LED screen that counts down your cooking time, this low-cost gadget is as good as its pricier competitors.

The self-clean mode is great, too. You just add a small squirt of washing-up liquid and warm water to the jug and it whooshes away almost all soup remnants in a flash.

And it is quite a good-looking machine, with its slick stainless steel and grey jug.

4/5

A BRITISH mum who upped sticks and moved to Florida has revealed the two things she can’t stand about her new neighbourhood.

Megan Gulyard, 25, grew up on a council estate in the UK and now raises her family in a huge house in the US.

TikTok / @megangulyard

TikTok / @megangulyard

Since living in her new home, she’s noticed some unusual differences to the UK and took to TikTok to voice her least favourite.

Megan posted a video to her account @megangulyard, which has since racked up over 54,000 views.

In her clip, she can be seen taking a leisurely stroll around her neighbourhood with her children and dog.

Megan described her new home as a “middle class basic neighbourhood,” and showed off some of the gorgeous houses around her.

“Big difference to me that I don’t actually like is that American houses, especially my neighbourhood, they don’t have front gardens and there’s no fence separating the houses,” she said. “And the reason why I don’t like that most of the houses don’t have fences is because we have a dog.”

Panning the camera to some of the gigantic houses surrounding her, Megan pointed out the lack of fencing at both the front and the back of the properties.

While hunting for their home, she said she and her partner had managed to find a house with a fence and that it was one of the key reasons they chose to live there.

The second thing that Megan doesn’t like is that she “has to drive everywhere” as none of the local amenities are close by.

“Something else that I loved about living on a council estate was I could literally cross the road and in two minutes I’ll now be at a corner shop. But here, if I was to walk to a shop, it would take me 25 minutes.

“Back where I used to live, I could literally walk to the dentist, walk to the doctors, walk to the shop. Um, at the end of the road, there’s a bus stop, like, several bus stops that take you to several places. Um, here where I live in Florida, it’s just non existent.”

Despite the lack of local shops or transport, Megan insisted that she still loves her neighbourhood – and her neighbours.

She described her new home as “beautiful.”

Shocked viewers react

Users were flummoxed in the comments.

One person wrote: “I find the no fences mad! Especially for the back garden.. just so public, no privacy.”

A second person wrote: “Why, just why?? No fencing – how do you know where the boundaries are?”

While a third commented: “Nobody walks anywhere in Florida.”

But not everybody appreciated Megan’s comparison.

One annoyed viewer wrote: “You know you have to pay to put a fence in. Nobody fences the front of their house unless it’s a dangerous neighborhood. You know your home is huge compared to what you came from. Stop complaining.”

To which she replied: “Yes my house is ‘huge’ from what I came from & I am beyond proud of where I am now.”

AN alleged Palestinian gunman who reportedly called for the slaughter of Jews paid nearly £1,300 for a small boat to take him to the UK, a court has heard.

Mosab Abdulkarim Al-Gassas – also known as Abu Wadee – had tried to claim asylum in Greece, Germany and Belgium before he arrived ashore in Kent on Thursday, it is claimed.

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Al-Gassas, 33, pleaded not guilty to arriving in the UK illegally as he appeared at Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court.

District Judge Jane Hamilton refused him bail and remanded him in custody before his next appearance at Maidstone Crown Court on April 8.

The court heard that he had left Gaza in 2022 and tried to claim asylum in Greece, Germany and then Belgium before taking a small boat across the Channel.

Prosecutor Robin Lynch said: “He then tried Greece and Germany before a decision on his asylum status was made.

“However he was refused in Belgium as he had claimed asylum into other countries.

“He obtained money and got a place on a small boat at a cost of 1,500 euros.”

He will next appear at Maidstone Crown Court on April 8.

MAX VERSTAPPEN’S new teammate Liam Lawson has revealed his family are still without a home after selling sold their abode to fund his Formula One dream.

Lawson, 23, will race for Red Bull next season after replacing Sergio Perez as world champion Verstappen’s partner.

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Liam Lawson has revealed his family sold their home to fund his F1 dream[/caption]

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The ace will be racing alongside Max Verstappen for Red Bull this season[/caption]

The New Zealander has come up through the ranks and will get his big break when teams start preparing for the new campaign.

But Lawson admits he has only got to where he is thanks to an amazing sacrifice from his parents.

The youngster has revealed his family SOLD their home while he was making his bones as a karting driver.

The funds were used to help Lawson reach his potential, eventually leading to his big break with Red Bull.

And Lawson is desperate to make his parents proud after admitting they still don’t have a family home to call their own.

He told GQ: “They still don’t own a house because of me.

“I think I complained to my dad for more than a year about my kart. I’d tell him that the engine sucked but he just secretly thought that I sucked.

“Eventually he got sick of me whining and bought two good engines, and we put them on for the first time at this big race.

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“And when we went out, we qualified first. We started racing at the front all the time. That was the definitive moment, when karting became serious.

“It was always serious to me. But for my dad, everything changed that one weekend.”

Lawson has also revealed the moment that F1 legend Fernando Alonso “yelled” at him during their first-ever meeting.

Reliving the bizarre encounter, he added: “It’s funny because I’ve met a lot of guys I looked up to as a kid.

“When you’re younger, they’re your heroes. Now, they’re my competitors.

“I mean, the first time I met Alonso, he yelled at me. Maybe he was having a bad day.”

A CORONATION Street icon will rejoin her co-stars in a U-turn as she signs up for its brand new tour after quitting.

Sue Cleaver devastated soap fans earlier this year as she confirmed she was bowing out as Eileen Grimshaw after 25 years.

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Sue Cleaver has joined Coronation Street’s brand new tour[/caption]

ITV

Jane Danson has also agreed to take part ahead of tickets going on sale this Friday[/caption]

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ITV is bringing An Audience with Coronation Street to London, Sheffield, Salford and Glasgow this autumn[/caption]

While her final scenes are yet to play out, The Sun can reveal she will take part in Corrie’s brand new tour.

However, Sue has agreed to appear at just one show at the Dominion Theatre in London.

In addition to the previously announced stars, we can reveal Jane Danson, Julia Goulding and Vicky Myers have also signed up.

The leading female stars join already announced actors Andrew Whyment, Jack P Shepherd, Jimmi Harkishin, Jodie Prenger, Rob Mallard, Samia Longchambon, Simon Gregson and Patti Clare.

A ‘a bona fide Coronation Street legend’ has also been teased, though their identity remains under wraps for now.

ITV is bringing An Audience with Coronation Street to London, Sheffield, Salford and Glasgow this autumn – which is a first for the soap.

A source close to the show said: “This is going to be a huge celebration of Corrie – it’s no secret it’s been a difficult time but the cast are really looking forward to the shows and meeting the fans.”

Presented by This Morning’s Queen of Soaps Sharon Marshall, fans will be treated to behind-the-scenes details and never before told stories from the Weatherfield cobbles.

Tickets go on sale this Friday, March 14, and start from £29.50.

Teasing the show, its promoters said: “In the first half, the audience will be treated to an intimate and lively interview session with some of Corrie’s most beloved cast members. Ever wondered what goes on between takes?

“Curious about those off-screen friendships and real-life dramas? This is your chance to hear all the gossip straight from the source. You’ll also get to know the actors behind the characters like never before, their journeys, their funniest on-set moments, and the real-life bonds that make Weatherfield feel like home.

“Just when you think the night couldn’t get any better, the second act brings a showstopping twist! A very special guest; a bona fide Coronation Street legend will take to the stage. But who will it be? We’re keeping it a cliffhanger, Corrie-style!”

JADON SANCHO could return to Manchester United next season – despite Chelsea having an obligation to buy the forward.

The United winger, 24, is currently on a season-long loan at Stamford Bridge.

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Jadon Sancho joined Chelsea on a loan-to-buy obligation last summer[/caption]

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Reports claim the winger could yet find himself back at Manchester United[/caption]

Sancho joined the Blues last summer after falling out of favour in the North West.

The former £73million man has made 26 appearances for Chelsea this term, scoring 2 goals.

Sancho recently declared he was “delighted” to be at the club and “felt at home”.

But the former Dortmund flop was called out by United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe during his explosive interview earlier this week.

Chelsea’s loan deal with United includes an obligation to buy Sancho if they finish 14th or higher in the Premier League.

According to The Mail, the final fee will be between £22m and £25m depending on Chelsea’s final league position.

But the outlet claims the Blues could yet back out of the deal and send Sancho back to United, where he still has 18 months left on his £250k-a-week contract.

The ex-Man City star has “yet to agree personal terms” with the Blues.

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If Chelsea did back out of the buy clause, they would incur a “significant penalty” fine.

Chelsea could still go through with the transfer and then sell Sancho to another club.

Or they could decide to send him back to United and incur the financial penalty.

Ratcliffe bemoaned United “overspending” on talent during his tell-all interview with the BBC.

He revealed the club are still to pay out £17m more to Dortmund for Sancho this summer.

Sancho arrived to huge fanfare in 2021 but has failed to live up to the hype at Old Trafford.

INEOS chief Ratcliffe told The BBC: “Some [players] are not good enough and some probably are overpaid.

“But for us to mould the squad that we are fully responsible for, and accountable for, will take time.

“We’ve got this period of transformation where we move from the past to the future.

“There are some great players in the squad as we know, the captain is a fabulous footballer.”

PRESIDENT Donald Trump is picking which Tesla he’d like to buy in a wild display of support for Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

Musk brought an entire fleet of electric vehicles to the White House lawn to let the president have his pick of the litter in the purchase.

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A Tesla Cybertruck and other Tesla cars parked in front of the White House[/caption]

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Trump’s support for his advisor comes after Tesla faced backlash and vandalism over Musk’s new role in the Oval Office.

As the head of Trump’s brand new Department of Government Efficiency, Musk has slashed federal jobs and budgets in Trump’s first few months of his second term.

Growing fears and concerns over Doge’s plans have sparked a series of attacks on Tesla across the country, including vandalism at Tesla showrooms and charging stations.

Over the past few weeks, protestors have gathered at multiple Tesla locations as people carry signs and shout chants, lashing out at Musk for his role in the Trump administration.

The company is also facing dropping sales for the first time as Americans are boycotting the auto giant in what protestors are calling a “Tesla takedown.”

Trump said on Tuesday that he will classify the Tesla takedown attacks on dealerships as domestic terrorism.

In the face of the backlash, Trump announced on Tuesday morning that he would buy a Tesla as “a show of confidence and support for Elon Musk, a truly great American.”

On Tuesday afternoon, videos shared to X showed Trump walking next to at least four different Teslas, including a Cybertruck, arranged on the South Portico of the White House.

Musk’s son X Æ A-Xii also joined the Doge head as the powerful duo talked over Trump’s options.

While speaking at the White House, the billionaire also said Tesla will double its vehicle output in the US over the next two years.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt joked at a briefing on Tuesday that the president, a native New Yorker, was excited to drive again.

As the vehicles were being transported to the White House, Leavitt said it was a “very exciting moment.”

She also said Trump will pay full market price for the car.

More to follow… For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos.

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A LISBON to London plane has been diverted to Porto because of “smoke on board.”

Emergency services rushed to the Tap Air plane after it landed at the Portuguese city after an alert was sounded at around 4.45pm.

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A flight from Lisbon to London was reportedly forced to make an emergency landing after it filled with smoke[/caption]

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Data from FlightRadar24 shows Flight TP1356’s flight pattern[/caption]

Portuguese Civil Protection sources told respected Portuguese daily Correio da Manha: “There are 194 passengers on board and crew and passengers are in need of urgent medical assistance.”

Cops, firefighters, Red Cross officials and paramedics all rushed to the scene.

Other planes were ordered to remain in the air for permission to land as the aircraft made its emergency landing.

Several people were subsequently taken to hospital following the mid-air drama.

Nine people had suffered smoke inhalation and been hospitalised and another two passengers had been assisted by medical responders next to the aircraft, according to local media.

A TAP spokesman had earlier said the plane was diverted to Porto because of a “technical issue and landed safely”, adding that passengers would be put on another flight back to London.

The answer is potentially very close to home.