Arsenal and Atletico Madrid played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final (Getty)
Jamie O’Hara has urged Arsenal to consider selling Martin Odegaard in the summer transfer window after his performance against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League this week.
Odegaard has struggled with injuries this season and has started just 19 games across the Premier League and the Champions League.
However, O’Hara has questioned whether Odegaard can remain Arsenal’s captain and believes Mikel Arteta may need to sign a new creative midfielder in the summer transfer window.
‘Last season he wasn’t great either,’ O’Hara told talkSPORT.
Martin Odegaard was forced off early in the second half against Atletico Madrid (Getty)
‘He’s been terrible this season, getting dragged in the Champions League semi-final when you’re the captain is never a good look.
‘I do believe that Arsenal maybe are growing away from Odegaard. Maybe they’ve got to look at a player who can come in and be that talisman.
‘When Eze came on tonight, he kept getting caught in possession. He’s done a couple of good things, but is he the world star in the number 10 role for Arsenal? I’m not sure.
‘But Odegaard needs to up his game. He needs to buck his ideas up because he will end up falling down a pecking order. I don’t think he can be the captain anymore.’
Meanwhile, Jason Cundy believes Declan Rice will become Arsenal’s next captain if Odegaard leave the club.
‘He’s never going to catch the eye in terms of doing step-overs and pinging one in top bins, running 30 yards. He ain’t that player. What he is, defensively, he’s a monster,’ Cundy said.
‘When he goes forward, he carries the team. He’s brilliant in control. I think he will be England’s next captain and I think it’ll be Arsenal’s next captain.’
The Met’s highest-ranking officer has defended the arrest of the Golders Green stabbing suspect after police were seen stomping on his head.
Footage shared widely on social media showed two officers using a Taser, which immobilises someone by jolting them with 50,000 volts of electricity, and repeatedly kicking the suspect in the head while arresting him.
Green Party leader Zack Polanski reposted an X post accusing officers of ‘repeatedly and violently kicking a mentally ill man in the head when he was already incapacitated by Taser’.
But Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said he was ‘disappointed’ in Polanski, who is Jewish, for sharing the ‘inaccurate’ post.
In an open letter to the political leader shared on the Met’s social media, Sir Mark said: ‘Those officers are nothing short of extraordinary. They were on the scene within a few minutes, and their actions undoubtedly prevented further injury and saved lives.
‘As I said yesterday, the officers confronted a dangerous man, they believed to be a terrorist, who refused to show his hands, who was violent, and who continued to pose a clear threat. They were not armed officers, and they feared he was concealing an explosive device.
The moment officers arrest the suspected attacker(Picture: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire)
‘Using only their training, equipment and a substantial level of bravery and courage, they detained him while he continued to try and attack and stab them.
‘Without their efforts to stop him, I dread to think what the outcome could have been.
‘Apprehending violent and dangerous criminals is a full-contact and messy task which may appear shocking to observers with little experience of policing in the real world.’
Police previously said that the suspect attempted to stab police officers and was hit with a Taser weapon before he was arrested.
What is a Taser?
A Taser is a popular brand of stun gun by Axon Enterprise, formerly known as Taser International.
These days, however, ‘Taser’ has become a catchall for any type of stun gun.
A discharge, also known as a ‘cycle’, can last five seconds. The shock has been described as painful, drawing criticism from human rights groups.
College of Policing guidelines state that only highly-trained officers can deploy a Taser in certain authorised situations.
The college does not provide exact circumstances, rather describing it as ‘where any person could reasonably perceive the action as a use of force’.
To get the latest news from the capital, visit Metro'sLondon news hub.
The post Polanski shared was in response to comments made by Sir Rowley that the suspect had ‘history of serious violence and mental health issues.’
The Green Party said: ‘Zack has seen the video like everyone else, and doesn’t know the full picture and knows it was a very difficult situation for the authorities, but we do need to understand more about the response.’
The terror alert level has since been raised to ‘severe’ following the attack that unfolded on Highfield Avenue on Wednesday morning.
It is now ‘highly likely’ a terror attack could happen within the next six months, according to the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre.
Essa Suleiman, 45, remains in police custody having been arrested on suspicion of attempting to murder Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Shine, 76.
Shaun Murphy is keeping away from snooker in a bid for a second world title (Picture: Getty Images)
Shaun Murphy says watching Below Deck rather than snooker has helped him on his way to a World Snooker Championship semi-final.
The Magician is into the last four at the Crucible after a superb 13-10 win over defending champion Zhao Xintong.
Having downed Fan Zhengyi in round one, hammered Xiao Guodong in the last 16 and now ousted Zhao in the quarters, Murphy has set up a semi-final meeting with either Neil Robertson or John Higgins.
The 43-year-old has largely been in consistently good form since he won the 2025 Masters at Alexandra Palace, but he feels he has found an added ingredient to the recipe of success in Sheffield this year.
He reckons that keeping his eyes off the snooker, switching off from the tournament as much as possible between matches, has been a big help to him.
He and his fiancé, Jo, have been busy enjoying superyacht reality show Below Deck rather than safety battles at the Crucible.
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‘One of the other things I’ve done this week, I’ve not watched as much snooker,’ Murphy told the BBC after beating Zhao. ‘Jo and I have been ploughing through Below Deck, we’re absolutely addicted to Below Deck, absolutely addicted to it.
Zhao Xintong’s reign as world champion is at an end (Picture: Getty Images)
‘I’ve tried to stay away, which is hard for me because I absolutely love it. I love watching it, I love all the things around snooker, I’m still that kid at heart. But for what’s best for performance, I have to try and keep away from it.’
Murphy was full of praise for Zhao, who had a tremendous season as world champion, winning a hat-trick of ranking events at the World Grand Prix, Players Championship and Tour Championship.
‘First things first, I have to say what a fantastic world champion Xintong has been throughout the year. Carried himself so well, carried the game, the reputation, the mantle of carrying that trophy everywhere he goes.
‘And of course, he’s delivered the goods on the table for 12 months as well. Won all three of the Players Series, and won events through the year too. What a player he is, what a talent he is.
Zhao won a stunning hat-trick of ranking titles this season (Picture: Getty Images)
‘I knew going into it, nothing but my best would do. I’m thankful I found it in the third session and I’m delighted. It’s one of the best wins of my career. I’m delighted not just to win it, but to get to the semis.’
Murphy is into a sixth Crucible semi-final, but says the nerves at the venue do not ease despite all his experience and any suggestion that he looked relaxed out there was inaccurate.
‘I should have been an actor, because I certainly didn’t feel that way,’ he said. ‘But no, I think you know you’ve got to sort of fake it till you make it.
‘You’ve got to try and convince yourself that you’re feeling confident and bang up for it, even though inside you’re very nervous, and you’re shaking, and all the rest of it.
Shaun Murphy faces Neil Robertson or John Higgins next (Picture: Getty Images)
‘I’ve been coming here since I was nine years of age and it still gets you, every time you walk down those steps, every time you shake hands and go to battle in the Crucible, it’s still as nerve wracking as the first time. Every time feels like a debut and whilst it still gives me that buzz, I’ll keep coming.’
After inflicting the Crucible curse on Zhao, the Cyclone becoming the 21st first time defending champion to fall to it, Murphy thinks it will last forever.
‘No, never. There’s a reason why it’s called the Crucible curse,’ he said on whether it will ever be broken.
‘You’ve got to be careful, those snooker gods are always listening.
‘We’ve all watched enough and we’ve all been around the block long enough to; I don’t think the Crucible curse will ever be broken.’
The trend was kicked off by TikTok user @5.0arrodo last month, whose since-deleted video showed a teen artfully dodging church guards.
He manages to get to a flight of stairs before leaving the Scientology centre in Hollywood, California.
‘Maniac 16 year old infiltrates the Church of Scientology,’ the caption read, according to the database Know Your Meme.
But the trend spread like wildfire when content creator Swhileyy, 18, uploaded a since-removed clip of himself jogging past security.
In just under a minute, the teen managed to get down to the same stairs as @5.0arrodo, duck under a woman’s arm and push through an exit door.
The stunt wasn’t planned, Swhileyy told The Hollywood Reporter. He ducked inside after bumping into a Scientology critic outside the Scientology Information Center on Hollywood Boulevard.
‘He told me the whole story about Scientology, what they’re about, that they’re a cult, this and that,’ Swhileyy said. ‘I thought it was funny.’
Only a small handful of people have actually attempted the speed run, almost always involving the same Hollywood church.
One raid even saw someone dressed up as Jesus Christ.
In another clip, a staff member was filmed shouting, ‘Get out of the building now!’ when a group of teens barreled past her in one of the ‘deepest’ Scientology raids.
Some users claim the church has banned them from entering.
Is this… legal?
Police are investigating at least one of the speed runs as a potential hate crime involving battery against the staffer who was knocked to the ground, local news broadcaster KTLA reported.
An LA local posted on X that three Scientology buildings in the Hollywood area have removed their door handles.
Swhileyy would be the first to admit that the trend has gone a little out of hand.
He said: ‘I do not condone what I did, even though I didn’t break any laws.
‘All I did was explore the building. I was never asked not to come back to the premises.’
Even Leah Remini, a former Scientologist who is now among the church’s most vocal critics, has urged people not to carry out raids.
She said on Instagram: ‘I spent decades on the other side of this, and if I had been confronted by people running through Scientology buildings and harassing me or staff, it would have pushed me further into Scientology.
‘That is because Scientologists are deeply indoctrinated and radicalised and believe they are helping people.’
What is Scientology?
The Church of Scientology Information Center on Hollywood Boulevard has been at the centre of the trend (Picture: Los Angeles Times/Getty Images)
Scientology, long dogged by accusations that it is a cult, is an infamously secretive religion that counts actor Tom Cruise as a church-goer.
Scientologists believe that human beings are fundamentally good but are held back by negative memories from past lives.
The church’s faith is revealed gradually to those who invest their time and money.
But by embracing the teachings of the self-improvement sect’s founder, science fiction writer L Hubba, followers can reach a state known as ‘clear’.
This means the follower can think clearly, realising that humanity is ‘immortal’, among other forms of ‘spiritual engagement’.
This could include ‘auditing’, a counselling session in which someone is grilled by a church official while holding an ‘e-meter’, a battery-operated device that measures the tiniest twinges in your skin as you speak.
Believers say this is a ‘baramoter of the spirit’ that helps the user reach a higher level of self-awareness and even cure diseases.
Mark Selby was not impressed with table conditions in Sheffield (Picture: Getty Images)
Mark Selby labelled his own performance ‘pathetic’ in World Snooker Championship defeat to Wu Yize, but felt ‘horrific’ table conditions did not help.
22-year-old Wu secured a huge 13-11 win over the four-time world champion to book a spot in the Crucible semi-finals.
It was a hard-fought contest, which saw Selby race out of the blocks with two centuries in the first two frames, but then struggle to find his best form from there on in.
Wu did not really hit the heights either, with just five half-centuries and on tons over the match, but did enough to down the Leicester legend, who showed serious frustration late in the piece.
The normally calm, disciplined Selby bashed his cue on the table at one stage, in an incredibly unusual scene for the 42-year-old.
The Jester from Leicester was frustrated with himself after missing a number of balls he would not expect to, but also with the conditions at the Crucible, which he thought were well short of the standard he would expect.
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Phil has been reporting on snooker for over a decade, since working in World Snooker's press office in 2012
‘Yeah, just pathetic really,’ Selby said of his own performance. ‘First session I played some good stuff and then after that, it was rubbish.
“You never see anything like this from Selby!”😡Mark Selby could not hide his anger when his missed this red against China’s Wu Yize.😬 pic.twitter.com/PmaMX9zGCF
‘Concentration all over the place, just in and out, I was trying different tempos and stuff. I was trying to get on with it and then I was missing a silly ball and I thought, right, just take your time and then I’ll miss a silly ball and I was just all over the place in the end.
‘But I felt like I let the table get to me a little bit, felt like the conditions were probably as bad as I’ve experienced here at the World Championship, for sure. Even the game against Jak Jones [in round one], I felt like the table was heavy and pingy.
‘Even last night they re-covered it, so I thought, oh, I’ll look forward to coming into today and I still felt it was really heavy and pingy.
Selby started brilliantly but then struggled to find form (Picture: Getty Images)
‘But listen, obviously I still missed more than too many balls to win that match. So that’s not the reason why I’ve lost, but it’s just disappointing to come to a tournament which is the pinnacle of our sport and you think the conditions are going to play really good and they’ve played anything but.’
Selby felt the same in his first round win over Jones and has called on the tournament organisers to improve conditions as the tournament moves into the quarter-finals on Tuesday.
‘My first game against Jak Jones, I felt like the table was absolutely horrific,’ he said. ‘Jak said the same to me as well. We came out and he said to me, “Is it me or is the table just really heavy and bouncy?” And I said, “Well, yeah, it’s terrible.”
Wu Yize is into a first Crucible quarter-final (Picture: Getty Images)
‘For all the guys left in this tournament, I just hope the conditions get better, because it’s so difficult to play any kind of good snooker in them conditions. And if they don’t get better and then obviously it’s not going to be fantastic to watch.’
Wu, who will take on Judd Trump or Hossein Vafaei in the quarter-finals, also felt conditions were tricky, but said the challenge is to adapt to them.
‘I feel like the pockets were a bit smaller compared to previous years and the cushion was a bit old,’ he said. ‘But the table is the same for everyone so you just have to adapt.’
Police have sealed off a property in the Regency Square (Picture: Eddie Mitchell)
A man was stabbed to death in a knife attack in Brighton.
The victim, aged 37, was found dead in a hostel in Regency Square close to the seafront at 2.10am on Sunday.
Police responded to reports of a fight, found two injured men at the scene.
A 26-year-old was arrested on suspicion of murder nearby.
Sussex Police said they will maintain an increased presence in and around the seafront Regency Square as the murder investigation continues.
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A spokesperson said: ‘An arrest has been made following a serious incident involving three men at a Brighton address.
‘At around 2.10am emergency services responded to reports of a fight taking place inside a property in Regency Square.
‘Two men were found with stab injuries and one man, aged in his 30s, was taken to hospital in a serious condition.
‘The second man, aged 37 years, was sadly pronounced deceased at the scene.
‘At a nearby location, officers arrested a 26-year-old man, of no fixed address, on suspicion of murder, causing grievous bodily harm with intent, and possession of a Class A drug with intent to supply. He remains in custody.’
Police responded to reports of a fight at the Moon Hostel in Regency Square (Picture: Eddie Mitchell)
Brighton Chief Superintendent Adam Hays said: ‘This incident has had devastating consequences, resulting in the loss of one man’s life and leaving another with serious injuries.
‘There is not believed to be a wider risk to the public, and a thorough investigation is under way to establish the full circumstances.
‘As this continues, there will be an increased police presence in and around Regency Square.
‘We are committed to robustly tackling knife crime and will take swift and decisive action against those involved in violent offending in Brighton.’
Police have asked anyone with any information to call in to 101.
The entire film was later leaked in full – garnering so many views that it began to show up on Letterboxd’s ‘most popular’ list.
A man has now been arrested and detained for accessing a media server without athorisation.
The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender was set to continue the Avatar universe (Picture: Paramount)
The film was set for release later this year (Picture: Paramount)
According to The Strait Times, Singapore police received a report on April 16 that parts of an unreleased film had been uploaded to the Internet.
The man was identified and arrested within a day of the report, while various electronic devices belonging to him were also seized.
Police said that preliminary investigations had revealed that the man gained unauthorised access to the studio’s server, from which he downloaded the film.
If found guilty of gaining unauthorised access to computer material, he now faces a maximum jail term of seven years, and a fine not exceeding $50,000 – potentially even both.
The popular Nickelodeon series follows young warrior Aang, who attempts to stop a hundred-year strong war by mastering the elements (Picture: Paramount)
Are you still excited for The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender?Comment Now
Originally set for theatrical release on October 9, the film was hit with backlash after the studio decided to release the film exclusively on Paramount+ instead.
It had also received criticism from fans for replacing its voice cast – with alexisplaysvg asking on X: ‘Wasn’t there anyone who stood up and said replacing the original cast was a terrible idea?’
Reiterating that they’d see the film nothing less than theatrically, TheManInYourPC1 branded it ‘plain wrong’ that it should have been hidden behind a subscription service in the first place.
However, many were sympathetic to the animators’ plight, with MrJulianR1 noting that the creators ‘deserve a lot of appreciation’ for their effort.
The cast of the iconic TV series have been replaced for the new movie (Picture: Paramount)
Following the leak, Variety recorded a spokesperson as saying: ‘It was heartbreaking to see footage from ‘The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender’ leak online. This leak did not originate from Flying Bark.
‘Our studio proudly partnered on the production until the very end and we acknowledge the filmmakers, cast, artists and animators who worked tirelessly to produce this incredibly crafted film.’
In a post to X, animator Julia Schoel said: ‘We worked on the Aang movie for years with the expectation that we’d get to celebrate all of our hard work in theaters… just to see people unceremoniously leak the film and pass our shots around on Twitter like candy.’
Another artist who worked on the film, Tom Barkel, admitted that he ‘understood’ fans who engage with leaks, but shared his frustration at both Paramount and the leakers for their treatment of the film.
He continued: ‘It could have been a moment for all fans, but the rug was pulled and now there is division on whether to watch or wait. To those who say: “who cares, the artists were paid,” The ugly truth is that by not supporting the official release you bite the hand that feeds someone else.’
The person responsible for the leaks is believed to have been arrested (Picture: Paramount)
Prior to the whole film being uploaded, the initially leaked material is said to have included older versions of the cast, including Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, and Zuko.
First announced in 2024, The Legend of Aang was expected to be the start of a new trilogy of animated films within the Avatar universe.
The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender is set for release on Paramount+ on October 9, 2026.
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The United captain has enjoyed an exceptional season at Old Trafford, in the running for the Player of the Season award and just three assists away from setting a new Premier League assist record.
But the 31-year-old was on the brink of leaving the club at the end of last season when Saudi side Al-Hilal were prepared to pay £100million and triple his salary to prise him away from Manchester.
Fernandes has been United’s best piece of business of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era but has won just two trophies during his time at the club, the Carabao Cup and FA Cup.
As he mulled over his future last year, it was his wife Ana questioning whether he had achieved all he wanted at the club that helped decide things.
‘I stayed because I thought I still had something that I can give back to the club,’ Fernandes told United legend Wayne Rooney in an interview for BBC Sport.
‘Obviously the Saudi situation, with the money… there was a lot. The good thing I have in my family is that my wife is pretty down to earth like me.
‘We’re very aware that we don’t want to be the richest person in the world. We just want to be the ones that have achieved the dreams they had and live a good life with their kids and trying to be as successful as possible.
‘The words of my wife were like, “have you achieved your dreams? Have you achieved everything you wanted?”
Fernandes has been in wonderful form this season (Picture: Getty)
‘And that small thing she said made me understand that she’s on the same page as me. Let’s keep trying and see where this takes me.’
United are on course to finish third and return to the Champions League next season. Fernandes’ future remains uncertain ahead of a pivotal summer transfer window with just one year left on his current contract – a deal that includes an option of a further 12 months.
Fernandes believes there is still time to challenge for those major honours.
‘I want to win the Premier League,’ he said. ‘I want to win the Champions League. I never hide from that.’
Calum McFarlane has stepped up from the Under-21 side to serve as interim boss until the end of the season with a permanent replacement to arrive this summer.
Andoni Iraola, who will leave Bournemouth at the end of the season, is among those under consideration along with Fulham’s Marco Silva.
Former Chelsea left-back Filipe Luis, excelling in Brazil with Flamengo, is also an option. But another former Blues star in Fabregas is also among the favourites.
Como are on course to qualify for Europe in what is just their second season in the Italian top flight with the former Spain international appearing to commit his future to the project.
Club president Mirwan Suwarso told City AM on Friday he would not stand in Fabregas’ way if he wants to take the reins at Stamford Bridge.
The Spaniard was linked with the Inter job
‘You want your employees to stay with you for as long as possible but at the end of the day we don’t own him and he’s free to go to Chelsea if he wishes,’ Suwarso said.
Quizzed on those comments, Fabregas said: ‘I don’t have to say anything, because I haven’t heard anything from the president.
‘You say that, I know nothing about it. It would be stupid to think about things that aren’t important now, because this isn’t important to me: the most important thing is Genoa, the next match, and we want to do everything to win.
Expert analysis: 'A modern and exciting style'
Cesc Fabregas has spent two full seasons in charge at Como (Picture: Getty)
In Italy, most people and most pundits like his playing style. It’s a modern playing style, it’s an exciting play style, which has the features that you expect from a young, emerging manager and a young, emerging team.
A lot of courage, playing with a high line, trying to keep the ball as much as possible and really trying to have a strong identity, a strong attacking identity against any opponent.
It’s like a Spanish team playing in Serie A. He has a clear philosophy in mind.
Lorenzo Bettoni, Italian football journalist and editor of Football Italia
‘I think I’ll continue as Como’s coach: my experience as a player gives me peace of mind.’
Fabregas won two Premier League titles with Chelsea, before leaving for Monaco in 2019. In 2022 he joined Como, ending his playing career at the club before immediately beginning his coaching career.
After initially working with the youth and B-team, he was promoted to first-team assistant, helping Como secure promotion back to Serie A.
In 2024, Fabregas took over as head coach, guiding the Italian club to a tenth-place finish in their first season back in the top-flight.
Como continued their progression this season and currently sit fifth and in contention for European qualification with just five games of the season remaining.
Alex Scott will present the final Football Focus show at the end of the season (BBC)
The BBC has scrapped Football Focus after 52 years on television.
The Saturday lunchtime show, first broadcast in 1974 with Bob Wilson as host, provides interviews, analysis and stories ahead of the weekend’s football fixtures.
The show is currently hosted by former Arsenal and England defender Alex Scott, who took over from Dan Walker in 2021.
However, the BBC has pointed out that television viewing figures have gradually declined since 2018, with audiences turning more to digital platforms to get their pre-match content.
The show has suffered a drastic drop in viewing figures in recent years, falling from 957,000 in 2019-20 to 687,000 three years later. Last season had a minor upturn with 739,000.
Bob Wilson presented Football Focus for 20 years (BBC)
The BBC said in a statement that ‘changing audience behaviours mean fans are now increasingly consuming football content in different ways and we need to respond appropriately as we face difficult decisions around how the licence fee is spent’.
Alex Kay-Jelski, director of BBC Sport, said: ‘Football Focus has been a hugely important programme in the history of BBC Sport and has played a key role in telling the stories of the game for generations of viewers.
Football Focus presenter history
Dan Walker presented Football Focus for 12 years (BBC)
Bob Wilson – 1974 to 1994
Steve Rider – 1994 to 1996
Gary Lineker – 1996 to 1999
Ray Stubbs – 1999 to 2004
Manish Bhasin – 2004 to 2009
Dan Walker – 2009 to 2021
Alex Scott – 2021-present
‘This decision was made before last week’s wider BBC savings announcement, reflecting the continued shift in how audiences engage with football and our commitment to evolving how we deliver content to reach fans wherever they are.’
The 12.45pm slot on BBC1 on Saturday will be taken next season by The Football Interview show, where presenter Kelly Somers will talk to top names within football.
