Premier League leaders Chelsea currently hold a nine-point lead over London rivals Tottenham and Arsenal at the top of the table heading into Saturday's match at Stamford Bridge. Antonio Conte knows a win against the Gunners would all-but eliminate Arsene Wenger's side from the title race following their shock defeat against Watford last time out.
Ronaldo crowned world's highest-earning athlete for 2016 ahead of Messi in Forbes' list
We may be into a new year but Cristiano Ronaldo has been given another reason to point to why he had a better 2016 than Lionel Messi. After winning the Champions League and Euro 2016 on the field, Ronaldo's exploits saw him collect the Ballon d'Or and the Best FIFA Men's Player. And it has emerged that the Portuguese superstar was the world's highest-earning athlete in 2016.
Broxbourne Borough are the fairytale team in the FA Youth Cup... as they bid to knock out Aston Villa, here's your guide to the players bidding to pull off a huge shock
AMITAI WINEHOUSE: English football loves its upsets. On Saturday morning one of the greatest shocks in the history of the game could take place - but you'd be hard-pressed to know much about it. Aston Villa's Under-18s host Broxbourne Borough, who senior team play in the ninth tier, in the FA Youth Cup fifth round. Broxbourne have captured the imagination. Their victory against Yeovil in the last round sent shockwaves through the game. Win against Villa, as preposterous as that may sound, and they'd face Manchester City. But who are the players behind the fairytale? Sportsmail went to join them at a training session, which took place on a patch of grass at Victoria Park in Hackney, London, to learn more about the individuals who make up an exceptional team.
CHELSEA VS ARSENAL, SATURDAY 12.30PM
As Wenger rallies his troops ahead of squaring up to Chelsea, are Arsenal about to wilt in their annual hunt for trophies?
February. The month known for its romance with Valentine's Day is one that is resonated for heartache... if you're an Arsenal supporter. The perennial make or break month in their aspirations domestically and in Europe begins at their least favourite place, in recent years, Stamford Bridge. The Gunners travel to west London in the early Premier League kick-off on Saturday in a match that could define or derail their season.
SIX NATIONS COUNTDOWN
Bring on 'Le Crunch'! England gear up for battle against France at Twickenham
England added the final touches to their preparations on a pristine looking Twickenham surface during the captain's run. Dylan Hartley will lead his side against the French in what promises to be another full-blooded encounter with the men accross the channel. Guy Noves' side are something of an unknown quantity and the defending champions will have to be aware of the unpredictable flair so often the cornerstone of any Gallic team.
SIR CLIVE WOODWARD... MY TEAM-BY-TEAM GUIDE TO THE SIX NATIONS
- ENGLAND: Jones has turned the side around... and they should be good enough to retain title
- FRANCE: Fickout has chance to provide X-factor but tournament may have come too early for Noves
- IRELAND: Schmidt's preparation could scarcely have been better... they could push England all the way
- ITALY: Minnows have a kind start but O'Shea's side are likely to pick up the wooden spoon
- SCOTLAND: Cotter would love to sign off with something tangible but they will do well to manage third
- WALES: There are low expectations of North and Co but we could see a new brand of rugby
'I never really had heroes. I play my own game': Chelsea starlet Ake on his Gullit hair, texts from Terry and making it under Conte
MATT BARLOW: Nathan Ake was sunning himself in the Canary Isles when Antonio Conte called. ‘I had three days off because I wasn’t in Bournemouth’s FA Cup squad,’ explained Ake. ‘I was in Gran Canaria with my missus and the phone rang. It was the manager saying, “Can you come back?” ‘If the manager calls to say you’ve done well and he wants you back then it is good, it’s a positive sign.
Wallace header sends Owls flying into play-off spots as Wigan's run hits the buffers
WIGAN 0-1 SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY - ALAN BIGGS AT DW STADIUM: Jordan Rhodes celebrated his 27th birthday this weekend with a debut win for Sheffield Wednesday. The striker signed for his prolific scoring record was the provider of the Ross Wallace goal that took the Owls back into the top six. But it was a far from convincing performance against a Wigan side who stay third bottom after failing to exploit second half pressure.
Lampard enjoys retirement dinner as he celebrates wife Christine's birthday with two daughters
Frank Lampard celebrated his retirement on Thursday with a birthday meal for his wife. The Chelsea legend has called time on his career having considered his options after leaving New York City at the end of the MLS season and enjoyed his first day or retirement as he and the family got together for the birthday of Christine Bleakley. Lampard posted an image of his wife and one of his daughters.
Ward believes Eubank Jr is still at 'crawling stage' of his career as British fighter gears up to fight rank outsider Quinlan
JEFF POWELL: If Don King even knew that Chris Eubank Jr is about to challenge someone called Renold Quinlan for an obscure wold title this is how the legendary American promoter would assess the Australian champion’s prospects: ‘This kid has two chances. Slim and none. And Slim’s left town.’ The bookmakers quote Quinlan at 25-1 to takes his IBO super-middleweight belt home with him when he goes back Down Under. Which means they see him as a no-hoper.
UFC Fight Night preview: Grasso bids to break into the top 10 against Herrig as 'The Korean Zombie' makes his return
The UFC arrives in Houston, Texas, on Superbowl weekend as Chan Sung Jung, better known as 'The Korean Zombie', returns from two years of mandatory military service to face Dennis Bermudez in the main event. The fight card also features two strawweight beauties looking to make a name for themselves as Alexa Grasso takes on Felice Herrig. The likes of Ovince Saint Preux, Anthony Hamilton and Jessica Andrade will also be in action. Here, Sportsmail takes a look at the contests on the main card, previewing the Saturday night fights.
Eight months ago, Leicester celebrated their miracle title. Now they are sucked into a relegation dogfight. So, just why has football's ultimate fairytale turned into a nightmare for Ranieri's men?
As frightening as Leicester’s form continues to be, the scariest development for the champions is the advancing pace of teams previously considered to be also-rans. For long periods Swansea and Hull have looked ill equipped to stay the course of a 38-game campaign but each decided to make a bold managerial change and have gained a shot of adrenaline.
Ibrahimovic insists he would 'make the difference' in the NFL as he meets former New York Giants star Umenyiora
During a meeting with former New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora, Ibrahimovic was asked whether he would fare well in the NFL, to which he replied in a typically confident fashion. Ibrahimovic believes he would suit being a wide receiver because he's 'the guy who makes the difference', before admitting he would make up for a lack of speed with his running ability after he caught the ball.
Enrique insists Barcelona have 'lacked consistency' in La Liga after falling further behind leaders Real Madrid in title race
Catalan giants Barcelona, who host Athletic Bilbao on Saturday afternoon in La Liga, fell two points further adrift of league leaders Real Madrid last weekend after a 1-1 draw at Real Betis. Barca are four points behind Real Madrid, just past the halfway mark of the season, and the league leaders also have a game in hand.
Cook describes 'very proud moment' after receiving CBE from Prince of Wales
The sportsman who has led the national side to memorable Ashes victories, and last year became the youngest batsman worldwide to reach 10,000 Test runs, said he shared the moment with those closest to him. Speaking after the Buckingham Palace investiture ceremony he said: 'This is a very special moment not just for me obviously but my family and friends - it's a very proud moment to be awarded this, very special.'
Egypt take on Cameroon in the AFCON final: Sportsmail looks at both starting XIs
Two giants of African football - Egypt and Cameroon - will meet in the Cup of Nations on Sunday night, with both sides hoping to reclaim what they feel is their rightful place at the top of the continent’s game. Egypt, the tournament’s most successful ever team, are into the final for the first time since their hat-trick of victories between 2006 and 2010 – since then they haven’t managed even to qualify for the tournament, so their re-emergence has been something of a shock.
Mum's keeping an eye on you! Jesus steps out of hotel... and his mother even walks him out to wave goodbye
Manchester City starlet Gabriel Jesus proved he could mix it with the tough men of the Premier League as he ran riot against West Ham United on Wednesday evening, scoring one and assisting another on his full debut. It was a display that revealed why Pep Guardiola forked out £27 million to sign him, but Manchester City fans were dealt a reminder of his youth when his mum chaperoned him to the hotel door on Friday morning. The 19 year old, who is living in temporary accommodation following his January move to Manchester, stepped out of his hotel and into a chauffeur-driven Range Rover, with his mother there to wave him off.
STARS OF SPORT
- Ward believes Eubank Jr is still at 'crawling stage' of his career as British fighter gears up to fight rank outsider Quinlan Could be crushing
- New York Giants star Beckham Jnr performs extravagant dance routine during NFL Pro Bowl in Orlando All his team-mates were busy in a huddle
- England gear up for battle against France with captain's run at Twickenham ahead of 'Le Crunch' Added the final touches to their preparations
- Lampard enjoys retirement as he celebrates wife Christine's birthday with his two daughters Called time on his illustrious career
- Chasing Great: How farm life, a fast-food napkin and the 2007 All Blacks' World Cup defeat led to McCaw's bid for perfection New documentary
MORE STARS OF SPORT
- City are finally marching to Guardiola's beat... they played like Barcelona in win at West Ham MARTIN KEOWN - INSIGHT
- Marler recovered from broken leg in less than a month after drinking two pints of milk a day Harlequins prop puts quick recovery down to the white stuff
- Ake has been compared to Gullit but he isn't getting carried away: 'I never really had heroes... I play my own game' Exclusive interview
- Ronaldinho is back at Barca... as a club ambassador After nine years away, the Brazilian legend has taken up a role representing the Catalans
- Klopp and Liverpool keep on smiling despite desperate January as Reds prepare for weekend trip to Hull Out of two cups and no league win last month
- May looks like he's inspired by his bruiser boss! England wing sports black eye of his own as stars train in matchday kit Eddie Jones had shiner
- Hazard expects Tottenham to run out of steam Chelsea star declares Arsenal and Manchester United as his side's biggest title rivals
- Hamilton gets a massage in LA as he unwinds ahead of 2017 Formula One season Running along the Pacific coast in the morning and rub downs in afternoon
- Jamon you whites! Real defender Ramos agrees to swap shirt with fan after win... for a packet of pork Bizarre exchange with fan
- Dubai Tour thrown into controversy as Andriy Grivko is disqualified for PUNCHING race leader Marcel Kittel There was controversy on stage three
- England stars endure gruelling gym session ahead of Six Nations opener with France at Twickenham Red Rose players were red faced
- Blood from the Stones: City defender suffers nasty head injury at West Ham England international played on in a massive bandage
- Bamford answers his critics: 'I'm sick of hearing I don't want it enough' IAN LADYMAN: Middlesbrough's new signing is keen on second chances
- Crouch scores 100th Premier League goal against Everton and reproduces the famous robot dance! Lanky frontman doing what he does best
- England rocked by Kruis blow as Saracens lock faces missing Six Nations due to injury Kruis will see a specialist on Thursday to assess knee damage
- Chelsea will miss Ivanovic... the 'animal with a big heart' who had a direct line to Abramovich and won the lot with Blues Regular goalscorer too
- United players arrive at the Lowry Hotel ahead of Hull clash... and it's another day, another new haircut for Pogba! Can he be their white knight?
- West Ham replace Payet mural with Carroll wondergoal tribute at the London Stadium West Ham stationed security in front of mural during row
- First day at work! Liverpool legend Gerrard begins new chapter as academy coach All action star did media work on Tuesday night
- Mario-no! Balotelli causes a stir on Twitter by eyeing up Italy's female MOTD presenters Nice ace not impressed with deadline day
- Pogba pretends to use his phone while driving to United training as he makes light of recent safety breach Was pictured on phone
- Payet forward: Former West Ham ace gets heroes welcome on Marseille debut Payet completed his £25m move back to France on Monday
- Southampton break transfer record as they splash £17 on Napoli forward Gabbiadini The striker has six caps for Italy and bolsters Claude Puel's options
- Ryan Mason says he's 'lucky to be alive' after suffering fractured skull in clash with Chelsea The Hull midfielder has issued his first statement since leaving hospital
- Federer given hero's welcome as he carries Australian Open trophy on return to Switzerland following remarkable triumph over 18 Grand Slam wins
-
Who's been boxing clever to strike it rich in Las Vegas?The former champion took to social media to post evidence of his big win at the Bellagio
- Ronaldo raises the stakes once more in battle with Wade The latest play in the game of one upmanship sees the Real star taking out drones
- Terry drops retirement hint as he joins Chelsea flight to Liverpool John Terry had some interesting reading material for the short hop to Merseyside
- Juventus steal the show at Serie A awards as Allegri wins Best boss and EIGHT players make Team of the Year The Old Lady sweeps the board
- Manchester United defender Bailly taken off as a precaution after picking up a knock on AFCON return Centre back was taken off as a precaution
- New England Patriots touch down in Houston ahead of Super Bowl LI Tom Brady looked ready for business as he leads team to Texas
- Frampton buys drinks for his travelling fans as he puts on a brave face after losing title to Santa Cruz in Las Vegas First defeat but still a hero
- Federer already targeting Grand Slam No 19 at Wimbledon as Australian Open champion parades around Melbourne King Roger
- Bisping shows off swollen leg after UFC middleweight champion undergoes knee surgery Kept fans updated as to the progress of his recovery
- Joshua flies off to Baltimore with promoter Hearn before travelling to New York for Klitschko press conference Big fight promo
- United midfielder Schweinsteiger takes a stroll for coffee with wife Ivanovic after scoring in FA Cup win Starred for United against Wigan
- Arsenal stars return to training as Wenger admits Welbeck may be back on the bench Arsene Wenger is loath to hand him too great a workload
- Arsenal and Chelsea stars Bellerin and Fabregas to wear rival Puma boots in top of the table clash Will mark the occasion and help sponsors
- Payet completes £25m move from West Ham to Marseille Dimitri Payet has completed his £25million return to former club Marseille
- Guardiola scouts Monaco in draw with PSG alongside Russian TV host Guardiola was also with Mikel Arteta in Paris to watch Monaco
- Van Gerwen keeps up sensational winning streak with third successive Masters title against Anderson Van Gerwen beat Anderson 11-7
- Pogba turns up at Old Trafford looking like Obi-Wan Kenobi Pogba looked as if he was missing a lightsaber as he turned up at Manchester United
- Beckham shows himself to be a decent all round human being EDGE OF THE BOX: The Former England skipper appeared on Desert Island Discs on Radio 4
- Barca snatch draw at Betis... but have two goals ruled out wrongly Luis Suarez struck at the death but his side missed the chance to go top of La Liga
- Nunes is waiting! Shevchenko seals shot at bantamweight champion in Denver Valentina Shevchenko beat Julianna Pena at UFC Fight Night
- Bojan pens heartfelt farewell to Stoke fans as he seals loan to Mainz Stoke City refused to let the former Barcelona star join another Premier League side on loan
- England head coach Jones: 'I'm like Donald Trump. He has changed mindsets. That's how you win' ALISON KERVIN - EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
- Serena comes out on top in family affair with sister Venus to win Australian Open final New world No 1 claimed a record 23rd Grand Slam title in Melbourne
- PSG boosted by visit from Brazil legend Ronaldinho ahead of showdown with Monaco The former Barcelona star returned to one of his old clubs
- Pogba's team reigns supreme over Rooney's stars as Manchester United players face each other on FIFA 17 Footballers are always competitive
- McGregor enjoys a chocolate milkshake in Manchester as he takes a break from UFC The Notorious has reportedly turned down a huge offer from WWE
- Liverpool star Coutinho: 'I don't want to play in China or Spain. There's only one club for me' LEE CLAYTON - EXCLUSIVE
- Leeds legend Norman 'bite your legs' Hunter mourns the loss of physical strikers: 'I'd love to take on Costa' He was notorious for his tough tackles
- Schneiderlin shares an Alpine kiss with fiancee as pair enjoy a winter weekend away Everton new boy is having fun elsewhere on FA Cup weekend
- Jesus, it's cold! Manchester City new boy Gabriel wraps up in hat, gloves AND snood to beat the chill It's not what the Brazilian is used to back home
- Vonn avoids serious injury after dramatic crash during World Cup training Fell and crashed into the safety netting during a World Cup training run
- Ronnie O'Sullivan's American Hustle is much more than just a few games of pool as he takes on America with his cue EDGE OF THE BOX
- 'We look like models and everything': Excited City stars Silva, Nolito, Navas and Garcia pose in matching suits May not be playing their best, but looking tip-top
- Ronaldo poses for father-son picture as he tries to forget troubles on the pitch with Real Slick pair gelled their hair back as superstar spent family time
- Hull striker Abel Hernandez shows off tattoo of Brazil legend Ronaldo... despite playing for rivals Uruguay Top tribute
- Hamilton challenges fans to design race helmet for new season as British F1 star calls for 'dope new' look He took to Instagram to announce competition
- Mourinho regretting his haircut, Rooney's special boots and messages for Mason Seven things you missed as Manchester United reached EFL Cup final
- Itoje destroys personal trainer in 'Gain Off' The Saracens star has been testing himself against Maximuscle's in-house personal trainer Paul Olima
- Gundogan spotted in Manchester on crutches as midfielder looks to overcome knee injury It appears Ilkay Gundogan's return is coming along slowly
- As glum Liverpool stars get back to the drawing board with season in danger of unravelling, the key questions facing Klopp One win in seven in 2017
- Boxing clever! Joshua attends opening of state-of-the-art gym in London The 27-year-old heavyweight boxer has invested in project
- PSG confirm signing of Manchester United target and 'next Ronaldo' for £21m Goncalo Guedes has agreed a four-and-a-half-year deal
- Meet Aberdeen's new signing... who has to apologise after tweeting: 'I hate Aberdeen' New Aberdeen signing Ryan Christie has vowed to win over supporters
- Club No 11 for Eto'o as legend agrees deal with Russian outfit Amkar Samuel Eto'o looks set to extend his stay in the professional game with short-term deal
- Hamilton shares snowboarding video as he hits the slopes during F1 off-season Lewis Hamilton is used to staying ice cool in stressful situations
- Long shows off tattoo of prayer his father used to tell him as a child after win at Anfield On the left-hand side of his chest, Long has nine lines of the prayer
- Happy to be heading back, Aubameyang? Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang looked in good spirits as he headed back to Germany
- Come and meet our Son! Tottenham stars bring South Korean fan back to their hotel in Barcelona to meet idol Waited outside his door to surprise him
TRY OUR SPORT QUIZZES
- FRANK LAMPARD: How well do you know Frank Lampard's career?
- SQUAD SHIRT NUMBERS: Can you remember the first squad numbers these star players wore at the following clubs?
- GOAL CELEBRATIONS: Guess the footballer from a silhouette of his goal celebration
- AFCON 2017 TEAM NICKNAMES: Can you identify the nickames of all 16 sides competing in this year's Africa Cup of Nations?
- PREMIER LEAGUE STADIUMS: Are you able to identify all 20 Premier League stadiums from a single obscure picture?
- CELEBRITY FOOTBALL FANS: Which football team do each of these 20 celebrities support?
- OLD FOOTBALL STRIPS: Can you guess the football team from a shocking old kit of theirs in our entertaining quiz?
- FOOTBALLER HAIRCUTS: Can you identify the footballers from just a picture of their hair?
- FOOTBALLER CAREER PATH: Identify the 20 footballers from a list of every club they played for
- FORMULA ONE: Test your Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg knowledge in our tough quiz before their Formula One title decider
- MANCHESTER UNITED VS ARSENAL RIVALRY: How well do you know the history of Manchester United vs Arsenal?
- PREMIER LEAGUE MASCOTS: See if you can identify all 20 Premier League mascots in our brilliant quiz
- PREMIER LEAGUE SHIRT SPONSORS: How well do you know Premier League shirt sponsors? See if you can identify all 20
- FORGOTTEN PREMIER LEAGUE MANAGERS: Guess the Premier League clubs managed by these 20 men you may have forgotten
- PREMIER LEAGUE BADGES: How well do you know your Premier League badges? See if you can identify all 20 of the zoomed-in images
COUNTDOWN TO THE SIX NATIONS
Anatomy of England superstar Itoje: SIR CLIVE WOODWARD examines Super Maro
I saw Maro Itoje described as the LeBron James of rugby and I like the analogy. Not so much by way of achievement. James is arguably the greatest basketball player of all time and has been at the top of his game for a decade or more while it is very early days for the young Saracen. He has a long way to go and much to prove and injuries can derail promising careers. But I do like the comparison in terms of his all-round skill set and athletic attributes.
England's crack team of experts in Jones' backroom staff... from coaches, doctors and psychologist to famous dogsitter
NIK SIMON: Eddie Jones prepares to lead England into the Six Nations and maintain his perfect record since taking charge after the 2015 World Cup. But England's record of 13 wins from 13 games is not down to Jones alone, he has a big backroom team of support staff behind him who are all experts in their field and help England on and off the pitch.
SIR CLIVE WOODWARD... MY TEAM-BY-TEAM GUIDE TO THE SIX NATIONS
- ENGLAND: Jones has turned the side around... and they should be good enough to retain title
- FRANCE: Fickout has chance to provide X-factor but tournament may have come too early for Noves
- IRELAND: Schmidt's preparation could scarcely have been better... they could push England all the way
- ITALY: Minnows have a kind start but O'Shea's side are likely to pick up the wooden spoon
- SCOTLAND: Cotter would love to sign off with something tangible but they will do well to manage third
- WALES: There are low expectations of North and Co but we could see a new brand of rugby
FOOTBALL NEWS
Klopp still smiling despite poor January as Liverpool are put through their paces ahead of trip to under pressure Hull
Liverpool's players were back in training on Thursday and keen to show their manager Jurgen Klopp that they are prepared to do what's necessary to impress after a disappointing January. The first team, who registered just three points out of a possible 12 in the Premier League last month, return to action this Saturday when they travel to Hull City. But despite the drop in form, one aspect that Klopp is pleased with is his players' fitness.
Whitehall tests his Arsenal knowledge against legend Henry... as Redknapp asks the questions
What better way to find out just how big an Arsenal fan Jack Whitehall is, than a knowledge test against one of the Gunners' all-time greats in the lead up to the club's visit to Chelsea. The A League of Their Own panelist has been known to have his say on the Emirates club on the show where he has questioned, to put it kindly, Robin van Persie's legacy and has even made jokes at Arsene Wenger's expense on live television.
Cameroon reach Africa Cup of Nations final to extend Ghana's 35-year wait for the trophy
JONNY SINGER: Ghana’s 35-year wait for a Cup of Nations goes on. Always thereabouts, never quite there, this campaign was ended by a moment of madness from goalkeeper Brimah Razak, an inability to create without their talismanic captain Asamoah Gyan, and a sucker punch with the final kick of the game.
Celta Vigo and Alaves fail to score in rain-soaked Copa del Rey semi-final first leg
CELTA VIGO 0-0 ALAVES: Celta Vigo couldn't manage more than a scoreless home draw against determined Alaves in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal on Thursday. The winner of next Wednesday's return game will face two-time defending champion Barcelona or Atletico Madrid. Barcelona won 2-1 in Madrid on Wednesday. It was a lacklustre game in Vigo, with few scoring chances created by either side under steady rain at Balaidos Stadium.
Alli, Kane, Dier and Walker in playful mood as Tottenham train ahead of Middlesbrough clash
Despite being hard at work on the training ground in order to prepare for the clash with Middlesbrough, the Tottenham players still found time to show their playful side during the session. Prankster in chief Dele Alli was pictured messing with youngster Josh Onomah's hair, while Kyle Walker, Harry Kane and Eric Dier were also involved in their share of fun and games during the session.
OTHER SPORTS NEWS
New York Giants star Beckham performs extravagant dance routine during NFL Pro Bowl... with his team-mates in a huddle!
Beckham certainly enjoyed himself at the Pro Bowl in Orlando, where he dazzled with his show of one-handed grabs in the pre-game warm-up before leading all wideouts in the game itself. The New York Giants wide receiver is a showman at heart, and that's been abundantly clear during his first three seasons in the NFL, as he's quickly risen to top of the pass catcher ranks thanks in part to his spectacular one-handed catches.
Chasing Great: How farm life, a fast-food napkin and the 2007 World Cup defeat led to McCaw's quest for sporting perfection
Famously guarded and focussed on a career that earned him 148 caps, it may come as something of a surprise that McCaw let the cameras in, coupled with giving directors Michelle Walshe and Justin Pemberton access to home movies that help document his entire life. Chasing Great: The Richie McCaw Story looks at the former New Zealand captain's final year before retirement, culminating in the 2015 World Cup final.
Froome off pace in Herald Sun Tour as defending champion slips back to sixth
Defending champion Chris Froome is one minute and 12 seconds off the pace in the Herald Sun Tour after stage two. His Team Sky team-mate Luke Rowe impressed in Australia on a drama-filled day of racing. The 26-year-old Welshman was part of a 10-man breakaway which dominated proceedings and held off his rivals to win the stage.
RACING
THE BEST WRITING IN SPORT
Lampard was at heart of England's 'Golden Generation' at Euro 2004... but what became of the stars that played in Portugal?
- NEWS: Lampard calls end to glittering career
- TRIBUTE: Redkapp predicted Lampard would go 'right to the very top' - Cabinet full of trophies proves he was right
This was England's so-called 'Golden Generation' at what was meant to be the peak of their powers. Lining up in the heat of Coimbra in Portugal, the Three Lions prepare to take on Switzerland in their second group match of the 2004 European Championships. But they never fulfilled their potential at national level after missing out on glory.