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Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz also got on the scoresheet as the French champions edged ever closer to another Ligue 1 title

Kylian Mbappe and the oft-criticised midfield duo of Fabian Ruiz and Vitinha found the net as Paris Saint-Germain saw off relegation-threatened Troyes without the suspended Lionel Messi with a 3-1 win on Sunday.

Mbappe grabbed the opener, nodding the ball into an empty net after a fortunate deflection off the crossbar. Danilo Pereira then had a good chance to make it two, but headed narrowly over from a corner.

Vitinha added a second on the hour, following his own rebound for a tap-in with the goalkeeper sprawling. And although Troyes momentarily threatened by grabbing a goal of their own, Ruiz settled things with a wonderful curled effort into the top corner.

PSG have Ligue 1 all-but wrapped up, and can now only be evaluated by the calibre of performances they put in. And this one, although not exactly world-beating, was enough to see off a far inferior opponent

GOAL rates PSG's players from Stade de l'Aube…

• Goalkeeper & Defence

  Gianluigi Donnarumma (6/10):

  Made a save at full stretch to keep Troyes out just before half-time. Will be disappointed not to have kept a clean sheet.

  Marquinhos (6/10):

  Completely lost his man on Troyes' goal. Had little to do otherwise.

  Sergio Ramos (8/10):

  Good in the air, moved the ball well. Continues to make his case for a new contract.

  Danilo Pereira (7/10):

  Still looks a bit awkward at centre-back, but was mostly untroubled. Nearly scored from a corner.

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  Midfield

  Warren Zaire-Emery (7/10):

  Infuriatingly stuck out wide, despite being a natural midfielder. Completed the most dribbles in the match.

  Vitinha (8/10):

  Scored PSG's second. Now has three goal contributions in his last four outings.

  Marco Verratti (7/10):

  Kept things ticking, created six chances, completed 97 percent of his passes.

  Fabian Ruiz (8/10):

  Had a long-range effort turned around the post in the first half, scored late in the second. One of his best performances in a while.

  Juan Bernat (6/10):

  Surprisingly adventurous in possession, but lacks a spark in the final third. Truly a back-up option.

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  Attack

  Hugo Ekitike (7/10):

  Handed an opportunity with Messi suspended. Started centrally before being pushed out to the left. Still learning, but had some good moments.

  Kylian Mbappe (8/10):

  Scored PSG's opener to draw level with Alex Lacazette atop the Ligue 1 goalscoring charts. Continues to bang them in, despite losing the other two of PSG's fabled front three.

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  Subs & Manager

  Carlos Soler (6/10):

  No time to make an impact

  Renato Sanches (6/10):

  A welcome return from yet another injury.

  Ismael Gharbi (N/A):

  Brought on for 30 seconds, for some reason.

  Christophe Galtier (6/10):

  Returned to his preferred 3-5-2 formation, despite being heavily favoured on the night. PSG dominated possession, but would have perhaps liked to create more chances given the gap in quality between the two sides. He'll take the win, but his job remains in question.

Hulk has announced his second child with Camila Angelo, the niece of his ex-wife, and revealed why his pregnancy was kept a secret from his children.

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• Hulk announce second child on social media
• Married Angelo in 2020 who is a niece to his former spouse
• Kept pregnancy secret to prevent leaks

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The couple made headlines in 2020 when they married, a year after Hulk's 12-year relationship with Iran Angelo ended. In 2021, they welcomed their first child, Zaya. Now, the 37-year-old forward took to social media to confirm the arrival of their second child through a video on his Instagram story.

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• WHAT HULK SAID

  While making the announcement, he said: "Dropping by to thank you for the countless messages I have been receiving about my wife's pregnancy. Another son, another blessing that God gave me. My children didn't know until now and I had agreed with my wife to tell them when I picked them up to spend the holidays with me, only on the 16th. I told them the news, they were very happy. I knew they would tell other people and those people would pass it on to someone. I knew it was going to leak."

  @hulkparaiba Instagram

• THE GOSSIP

  The footballer's relationship with Camila Angelo became public in December 2019, five months after his divorce from Iran Angelo. The couple got married in September of the following year, with Hulk playing for Shanghai SIPG at the time.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Hulk has three children from his first wife Iran – two sons and a daughter; Ian, Thiago, and Alice.

Spending has reached unprecedented levels this summer, but some teams have still managed to find good value in the market

The 2023 summer transfer window was characterised by huge deals, with the Saudi Pro League's entry into the European market offering the continent's highest-profile players and agents another bargaining chip in negotiations. However, the riches on offer in the Middle East are not the only reason that the market continues to go crazy.

Empowered by mammoth broadcast deals, the Premier League once again lived up to its name as the land of the big spenders, with Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo both moving between English clubs for over £100 million ($126m). Other European sides have flexed their financial muscle too, with Bayern Munich's busy summer headlined by the €100m (£86m/£108m) signing of Harry Kane from Tottenham.

Yet, in this inflated market, some teams have proven that it is still possible to get a fair deal. Below, GOAL has taken a look at the 19 best-value deals completed by European clubs this summer…

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  19Granit Xhaka – Arsenal to Bayer Leverkusen (£21.4m)

  When Granit Xhaka was stripped of the Arsenal captaincy back in November 2019, the thought of him remaining at the Emirates Stadium for a further three-and-a-half years would've seemed ridiculous. And yet, when the Switzerland international eventually departed this summer, most Gunners fans were disappointed to see him go.

  That is credit to the way Xhaka has bolstered his reputation over the past few seasons, which is brilliant news for Bayer Leverkusen. The Bundesliga does not have the pull of the English top flight, so Xabi Alonso will be ecstatic to have snapped up such a well-rounded midfielder for a reasonable price.

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  18Sofyan Amrabat – Fiorentina to Man Utd (loan)

  They made properly hard work of it, but Manchester United finally recruited a defensive midfielder on deadline day in the form of Sofyan Amrabat. The Moroccan star has been linked with a move away from Fiorentina ever since he shone during his national team's run to the 2022 World Cup semi-finals.

  United are paying a €10m (£8.6m/$10.9m) loan fee for Amrabat's services this season, with a purchase option set at €25m (£21m/$27m) for the summer. If he can replicate the form he showcased in Qatar, that represents extremely good business, particularly with prices for players of his profile skyrocketing this summer.

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  17Alexis Mac Allister – Brighton to Liverpool (£35m)

  Liverpool's midfield rebuild kicked off with the arrival of Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton all the way back in June. And thanks to a handy release clause, the Reds only had to pay £35m ($44m) for the World Cup winner.

  During a summer where the best Premier League midfielders have moved for around three-times that fee, the deal represents pretty astonishing value. Mac Allister has made a solid start to life at Anfield too, and should be a mainstay of Jurgen Klopp's side for many seasons to come.

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  16Marco Asensio – Real Madrid to PSG (free)

  Paris Saint-Germain are not a side you'd normally associate with good-value signings. However, this summer, the Ligue 1 champions have changed their approach somewhat, snapping up a string of reliable players on free transfers.

  Marco Asensio is one of those, with the three-time Champions League winner calling time on his Real Madrid career after seven seasons in July. The Spaniard was never a bonafide superstar at the Bernabeu, but he popped up with more than his fair share of important goals over the years, and his versatility will make him an extremely useful option for Luis Enrique this season. He's already netted twice for his new club, too.

Saudi Pro League teams have plucked a whole host of top stars from European sides this summer – and they're not done yet either

The Saudi Pro League's emergence as a significant player in the transfer market has transformed the footballing landscape over the past few months. And with clubs still able to bring in more foreign stars until the September 7 deadline, there's likely to be further blockbuster moves to come.

Although many big names from across Europe did manage to complete last-minute moves on deadline day, there are plenty of others who remain out of favour and in need of a fresh challenge.

Traditionally, the Turkish Super Lig has been the back-up plan for situations like these, but now Saudi Arabia is all the rage. Below, GOAL has taken a look at 10 transfers that might still be completed before the SPL window shuts at 10 pm (BST).

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  Mohamed Salah

  No matter how many times Jurgen Klopp insists that he's staying, the rumours linking Mohamed Salah with Al-Ittihad just will not go away. The Saudi champions have already had a £150 million ($189m) bid turned down, though it's been reported that they have no issue smashing the world-record transfer fee for the Liverpool star.

  For the Reds to sell, the fee on offer would have to be astronomical. But even if they do receive an obscene proposal like this, would it really be worth it? Selling Salah when it's impossible to replace him would be a likely-lethal blow to Liverpool's Premier League title hopes. If they cannot get a deal done before the summer deadline, expect Al-Ittihad to return with a vengeance in January.

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  David de Gea

  For all of his shortcomings, it was surprising that no European club snapped up David de Gea on a free transfer this summer. Yes, he is not the most sophisticated ball player, but he remains more than capable of performing at the top level provided he does not have to be too heavily involved in the first phase.

  He might have been holding out for the lucrative pay packet on offer in the Saudi Pro League. Al-Nassr looks like his best option, with their overseas goalkeeper David Ospina injured and unregistered for the season. Al-Ittihad could be another option as Marcelo Grohe is not the best-known goalkeeper, though he has proved to be a reliable pair of hands over the years.

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  Hugo Lloris

  De Gea is not the only veteran Premier League stopper who could yet jet off to Saudi Arabia either. Hugo Lloris has been usurped by Guglielmo Vicario as Tottenham's No.1 this season, with reporting that the Frenchman has turned down approaches from the likes of Nice and Lazio in the summer transfer window.

  Spurs are begrudgingly expecting the 36-year-old to stick around until at least January now, but if he grows tired of playing second fiddle, several Saudi clubs might be interested in signing him.

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  Paul Pogba

  Pogba's return to Juventus has been a complete shambles, with a string of injuries restricting him to just six Serie A appearances last season. There appeared to be light at the end of the tunnel for the Frenchman recently, as he returned for his side's draw with Bologna – only for him to pick up a back problem against Empoli on Sunday.

  All of these niggles must be tempting Juve to cut their losses and sanction a long-rumoured move to the Saudi Pro League. Al-Ahli and Al-Ittihad are both interested, in what would be another decent PR move for the competition, though whether Pogba would have much of an impact on the pitch is another matter.

Harry Kane continues to use Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as inspiration, with the Bayern Munich striker claiming to have “loads of years left”.

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• England captain left Spurs over the summer
• Made a bright start to life in Germany
• Still has plenty of football left in him

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Kane took the brave decision to step out of his comfort zone at Tottenham over the summer and complete a £100 million ($123m) transfer to the reigning Bundesliga champions. He left Spurs as the club’s all-time leading scorer, while also boasting that record with England. He is now 30 years of age, but looks to the likes of Messi and Ronaldo as examples of what can be achieved when it comes to longevity at the very highest level.

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  WHAT THEY SAID

  Kane has told: "I think of what they've done, they are as good in their 30s as they were in their 20s. Me just turning 30 now, it obviously gives me excitement to know if I keep my body in good shape and keep my mentality right, I could be playing at the highest level for as long as I want to do it. Those players [Ronaldo and Messi] have set the bar – those and a few others as well – and it just motivates me and tells me that it's possible. It is great watching those players still performing, two of the greatest players ever to play our game. For me now, it is almost the second half of my career. I've had a good first half; now, can the second half be even better?"

  He added on what the future holds, with there still talk of him returning to the Premier League at some stage in a bid to break Alan Shearer’s all-time goal record there: "I just take it year by year. I still feel I've got loads of years left to play. Maybe when I get to my late 30s I'll start thinking about what I want to do after football a bit further down the line. For now, it is just about enjoying every moment, enjoying being a footballer because it goes so quick. Already, probably being at the highest level for nine years, those years have flown by. So I'm just trying to take it all in year by year, game by game, laying it all out there and delivering my best for the teams that I'm playing for and that's what I'll continue to do. I don't like to get too far ahead of myself."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  When the day does come to hang up his boots, NFL fan Kane may decide to try his luck in the American form of football. He said when asked if heading down that route really is part of his grand plan, having previously talked up a possible move into placekicking: "A lot of people talk to me about that and of course I've always said it is something I'd like to explore at a later date, but I think it all depends on where I'm at in my career, whether I am happy to continue playing football. There are a lot of question marks. It is something that is in the back of my mind but it is still a long way away. Again, it is not something I am thinking about right now. Time will tell. In life sometimes things just play out how they are supposed to play out. We'll see in five, six, seven years where I'm at, where I want to be, what I want to do. I'll make that decision then."

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  For now, Kane is fully focused on matters at Bayern – with five goals recorded through six appearances, including one against Manchester United on his Champions League debut for the club, to prove that he can deliver the goods regardless of who he is playing for and in whatever country.

Phil Parkinson is eager to point out that while Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are “really involved” at Wrexham, they do not try and pick the team.

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• Famous owners at the helm since 2021
• Have pumped considerable funding into the club
• Take an interest but never dictate

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Hollywood co-owners at StoK Racecourse are happy to take advice from others as well when it comes to identifying and chasing down transfer targets – despite being the ones that have to make the funds available for such deals to happen.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Reynolds and McElhenney have never shied away from the fact that they want to be hands on at Wrexham, but they lack the experience in football circles to dominate decision-making when it comes to squad selection and recruitment drives.

• WHAT THEY SAID

  Parkinson is delighted with the relationship between boardroom and dugout in North Wales, with the Wrexham boss telling when asked if famous co-owners take an interest in the day-to-day running of the club: "Very much so. Ryan is going to be over for quite a while in the next few months. But Rob and Ryan are very interested in all the players we sign, what team we're selecting, watch every single game from over in America. They're really, really involved but not kind of involved in telling us what team to pick, or who to sign, they let us get on with it, which is great. They're really enjoying being part of the club."

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Reynolds is hoping to spend more time in the United Kingdom – allowing him to get to Wrexham games on a regular basis – as he continues to film the third instalment of the Deadpool film franchise, with that shoot heading to London.

Gotham FC were invited to the Empire State building to celebrate their NWSL championship, with the landmark being lit up in the Bats turquoise colors.

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• Gotham FC celebrates NWSL championship in NYC
• Given tour of Empire State Building
• Landmark lit up to commemorate title

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Following their 2023 NWSL championship victory over OL Reign, the famous building on the island of Manhattan announced that it would light up in the colors of the NWSL side to commemorate the victory. On top of that, the squad was invited to tour the building while posing for photos on its rooftop!

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The team being invited to once of the most iconic buildings in the entire United States, and seeing them commemorating women's soccer in the process, is a huge moment for the NWSL. It demonstrates the progress the league is making and is a special moment of recognition for Gotham FC. Indeed, posting about the win on social media only adds to the growth of women's soccer and promotes NY/NJ's historic win.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The Empire State building first lit up in 1964, with colored lighting being introduced in 1976.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR GOTHAM FC?

  The NY/NJ side will likely be celebrating their championship win for the entirety of the offseason, before preparing for the 2024 campaign come January. Up next for Gotham, though, will be the 2024 NWSL Draft, Free Agency and the expansion draft featuring newcomers Bay FC.

Emma Hayes' team dropped vital points as their main title rivals pulled level with them at the top of the WSL table

Manchester City have blown the Women's Super League title race wide open, beating Chelsea 1-0 at Kingsmeadow on Friday night to go level with the Blues on points and goal difference at the summit, with their slender advantage at the top of the table only now on goals scored.

There were only 14 minutes on the clock when Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw broke the deadlock, Jess Park robbing Erin Cuthbert of the ball in the midfield before slipping her team-mate in behind the Chelsea defence to coolly beat the onrushing Hannah Hampton. Were it not for a superb save from the England goalkeeper minutes later, it would've been 2-0, Park and Shaw linking up wonderfully once more.

Chelsea will feel aggrieved that they didn't have the chance to level the score from 12 yards, though. Mayra Ramirez, who arrived for a British record fee from Levante in January, raced past Alex Greenwood and darted into the box, only for the defender to bring her down for what seemed to be a clear penalty. The referee was not interested, though, much to the disbelief of the grounded Colombian.

Fran Kirby came close to a leveller before the break, only for Khiara Keating to tip her shot around the post and it was the teenage shot-stopper who was by far the busier of the two in the second half. Pouncing on a ball at Kirby's feet and parrying a Jelena Cankovic strike away, she will have also been relieved to see a Cuthbert effort fly off target just when it looked destined for the top corner.

For the final 25 minutes, it felt for sure that Chelsea would score. As City dropped further and further back, struggling more and more to get out, an equaliser felt inevitable. But Gareth Taylor's side stood firm and took a huge step towards delivering City a first WSL title for eight years.

GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Kingsmeadow…

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  LOSER: Chelsea

  This game was a huge opportunity for Chelsea. At home, in front of a sold-out crowd at the intimate and, for opponents, intimidating Kingsmeadow, avoiding defeat felt imperative but a win would've been huge, opening up six points' worth of breathing space for them at the top of the WSL. With eight games remaining, it would've been an almost insurmountable gap for Man City, their closest rivals for the title.

  However, instead it looks like the Blues will be having a straight shootout with City for the right to be English champions. It felt for certain that Chelsea would manage to claw back an equaliser given the amount of pressure they put on the visitors in the final 25 minutes, with City unable to even get out of their own box at times. But a lack of conviction in the final third meant that they went away empty handed, with the pair now level on points and goal difference at the WSL summit, with Chelsea's superior goals scored tally all that puts them top. Forget breathing space – it's enough to induce claustrophobia.

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  WINNER: Khadija Shaw

  After being unlucky not to win at least one, if not two, penalties in the clash with Arsenal last weekend, Shaw got the goal she deserved on Friday with a wonderfully composed finish that gave City the lead. The Jamaica star linked up with Park in the No.10 role fluidly, getting on the end of the England youngster's through ball for the opener before coming close to another after the pair worked together to get behind the defence a few minutes later, only for Hampton to come up with a big stop.

  Shaw can come in for unnecessary criticism for her stats in these 'big' games from time to time, though those are not surprising given the opponents so often centre their defensive plans on nullifying her. However, she showed her quality with a match-winning strike on this occasion.

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  LOSER: Mayra Ramirez

  There's no doubt about it: Ramirez should've had a penalty. The Colombian caused plenty of problems with her powerful running and there was most evident when she got the better of Greenwood and left the England star scrambling to rescue the situation in the box, only for her to take out Ramirez's legs for what looked sure to be a spot-kick. The referee, however, gave nothing, leaving those in Chelsea blue astonished.

  Overall, the January signing didn't have a bad game at all. She got involved nicely in build-up play, looked an absolute menace for the City defence whenever she ran with the ball and was a real handful for Greenwood and Laia Aleixandri. However, Ramirez also didn't have any real chances of note, with the service into her lacking as much as the luck.

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  WINNER: Jess Park

  After being granted a start in the FA Cup win over Arsenal on Sunday, Park was back in the XI on Friday for the first time in the WSL this season and she more than justified her inclusion, causing a problem for Chelsea's midfield all evening. A livewire both in and out of possession, her eye for a pass put the Blues on the back foot several times, none more so than when she robbed Cuthbert of the ball in the middle of the pitch and slipped Shaw in to break the deadlock.

  For Taylor to trust Park with a place in the team for both of these games said a lot, especially given it meant players like Mary Fowler and Filippa Angeldahl remained on the bench. This week could be massive in igniting the 22-year-old's City career and it comes just before an England camp, too. Park will hope Sarina Wiegman was watching.

Brahim Diaz spoke highly of team-mate Jude Bellingham after netting the winner for Real Madrid against RB Leipzig on Tuesday.

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• Diaz scored Real Madrid's winning goal
• Hailed Bellingham as world-class
• Emulated Bellingham's celebration

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The former AC Milan player, who came into the starting lineup in place of the injured Jude Bellingham, turned hero for Real Madrid as he scored the winning goal for his team against RB Leipzig in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 clash.

  After netting the all-important goal, Diaz claimed he shares a very close bond with the English midfielder and hailed him as a world-class player.

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• WHAT BRAHIM DIAZ SAID

  Speaking to after the match, Diaz said, "I love [Bellingham]," Díaz told Movistar. "From the first moment, we've got on really well. I'm helping him with his Spanish. He's a world-class player, I enjoy playing with him. Apart from the charisma he has, he's a great person. Despite the absences of Jude, who we missed, and of [Antonio] Rudiger, and all those [players] who are out injured for a long time, we keep showing that we're a great team, that we're Real Madrid."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  After scoring in the 48th minute of the match with a brilliant solo effort, the 24-year-old emulated Bellingham's iconic open-arm celebration. The England international took to X to react to the Spaniard's celebration, posting "Oh my god Brahim!!!"

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  WHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

  Los Blancos will now return to La Liga action as they will aim to extend their lead at the top of the table by picking up another three points against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.

Neal Maupay and Kyle Walker were involved in a heated exchange during Manchester City's 3-1 win over Brentford on February 6.

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• Maupay opened up about fight with Walker
• Maupay allegedly mocked Walker and his children
• Denied insulting defender's family

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Towards the end of the clash, Maupay and Walker were seen having a fierce confrontation in front of the referee. had later reported that they approached a lip reader who revealed that the Manchester City defender complained to the referee that the Brentford forward allegedly spoke ill about his children. Walker had even threatened to hit the Frenchman.

  Now the Everton loanee has opened up about the entire incident as he once again denied taunting the England international about his children.

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• WHAT NEAL MAUPAY SAID

  Speaking to , the 27-year-old said, "I didn’t think I should have to defend myself for something I didn’t do. The people who know me, know I wouldn’t say something like that, but it is a bit unfair because if I don’t talk then people will think I’m guilty."

  Maupay was then asked what he actually said and offered up the following response: "I’m not going to say but, if you read my lips properly and find out, everyone would laugh."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  A week before his tussle with Walker, Maupay got involved in a fight with Tottenham Hotspur's James Maddison as he mocked the former Leicester City star's trademark dart-throwing celebration in front of Spurs fans after opening the scoring for his side. The English midfielder later insisted that Maupay "hasn't scored enough goals in the last few years to have his own celebration."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  The Cityzens and The Bees are all set to lock horns once again in the Premier League on Tuesday. After a 1-1 draw against Chelsea, Pep Guardiola will hope his team get back to winning ways to catch up with Liverpool and Arsenal in the league table.