Gus Poyet is 1/4 to be the next Premier League manager to leave his position with Sky Bet after Sunderland lost to Aston Villa.
The Sunderland boss was a 5/1 shot before kick-off but the online bookmaker saw a flood of money in-play as Poyet’s side found themselves 4-0 down by half-time as Christian Benteke and Gabriel Agbonlahor both scored twice for the visitors.
Sunderland have now failed to score in four of their last five home league matches.
Suspicious note
Another match-fixing scandal rocked Serie B football yesterday when it was alleged that Frosinone found a suspect note to the referee after a 3-3 draw with Entella on Saturday.
The incident occurred following a 3-3 draw, which included three red cards – two for Frosinone and one for Entella, the club from the lower half of the standings who equalised in stoppage time after being awarded a dubious penalty.
At the end of the match, Frosinone official Ernesto Salvini told reporters that fire marshals had found a note near the Entella bench.
It was the kind of note used by coaches to dictate the upcoming substitution to fourth officials, but on the back was written: ‘We will score on a penalty’.
Benitez linked with Man. City job
The Daily Star reported yesterday that Napoli coach Rafael Benitez is the likely candidate to take over from Manuel Pellegrini at the helm of Manchester City if the Chilean manager is sacked at the end of the season.
If Pellegrini ends up emptyhanded after winning the title and League Cup in his first season, the Manchester City owners will remain unimpressed.
Benitez’s odds have tumbled in the last 48 hours from 16-1 to 9-2.
The 54-year-old Spaniard won the UEFA Cup with Valencia, the Champions League at Liverpool and the Europa League with Chelsea two years ago.
Ozil confident
German playmaker Mesut Ozil has called on his Arsenal teammates to believe they have what it takes to produce their own miracle result in Monte Carlo tomorrow.
The Gunners’ hopes of progress to the Champions League quarterfinals are all but over following a 3-1 defeat in the first leg at the Emirates Stadium last month.
No team has recovered from more than a single-goal deficit going into an away leg in the Champions League era but Ozil feels Arsenal are well worth a gamble.
“When you believe in yourselves, a positive energy grows that you can achieve your aims.
“In football, things that may look unlikely can happen. I know that if we believe in ourselves and utilise our potential, we can still go through,” Ozil said.
Celtic win cup
Ronny Deila captured his first trophy as Celtic manager as the Hoops beat 10-man Dundee United 2-0 in the Scottish League Cup final at Hampden Park, yesterday.
The Norwegian boss targeted the domestic treble when he took over from Neil Lennon last summer and part one was completed with goals from Kris Commons and substitute James Forrest.
The returning Commons opened the scoring in the 28th minute as Sean Dillon sat in the dressing room getting treatment for a leg knock before the United skipper was shown a straight red card in the 56th minute for a lunge at Emilio Izaguirre.
Celtic took advantage with Commons’s replacement, Forrest, steering in number two in the 79th minute although the substitute had a penalty saved by Radoslaw Cierzniak with five minutes remaining.
Dyche hails ‘fantastic’ Burnley
Sean Dyche was “jumping around inside” after a “fantastic night” that saw his Burnley team record a famous win over Manchester City at Turf Moor on Saturday.
Manager Dyche felt the third from bottom club fully deserved their 1-0 victory, one that takes them within a point of safety.
“The margins were tight but I think we edged it overall in a close game,” he told reporters.
“It was a fantastic night for many reasons. I used to be calm when I was a player and I have never been one for running along the line and sliding on my knees until the job is done but trust me, inside there is someone jumping around.”
Douglas Costa set for move to Chelsea
Brazilian midfielder Douglas Costa is set to leave Shakhtar Donetsk in summer and join Chelsea who are looking to assemble a stronger squad next season.
Reports said Costa’s move to Stamford Bridge will cost the London club €20 million.
Chelsea will monitor the 24-year-old’s fitness between now and the end of the season before landing him from Shakhtar.
Costa has previously suffered knee problems but is confident of proving his fitness before sealing his dream move to Chelsea.