Anderson

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery was highly critical of the video assistant referee for not sending off Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson in two impassioned rants after his side’s 1-0 loss in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final.

Anderson avoided punishment for a first-half sliding tackle in which he won the ball but then caught the ankle of Ollie Watkins with a high, studs-up challenge.

Referee Joao Pinheiro did not take action – and there was only what appeared to be a very brief VAR review before the incident was cleared.

Forest would go on to win through a VAR-awarded penalty which Chris Wood scored – but Emery accepted that decision.

“Fantastic, the referee, fantastic,” Emery told TNT Sports. “But the VAR is so, so bad. It’s a clear red card – I don’t understand why the VAR is not calling the referee because it’s so clear.

“And it’s very, very important. It’s a huge, huge mistake. VAR is responsible.

“The referee – fantastic, fantastic job, 10 out of 10. I appreciated how he managed the match for 90 minutes.

“But I watched it back – wow. Huge. He could break his ankle. Wow, VAR – where are you? Please. It is your responsibility, we are professionals. You are doing very bad work because it was so clear for everybody [to see]. He could break his ankle.

“I respect the referees always but VAR, I don’t understand. It’s not fair.”

Enzo Fernandez is wanted by Manchester City, Aston Villa have identified James Trafford as a potential replacement for Emiliano Martinez, Manchester United are keen on Micky van de Ven and Carlos Baleba.

Manchester City are considering a move for 25-year-old Chelsea and Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez this summer. (Athletic – subscription required), external

Aston Villa are interested in Manchester City and England goalkeeper James Trafford, 23, as a potential replacement for Emiliano Martinez if the 33-year-old Argentina goalkeeper decides to leave. (Times – subscription required), external

Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Real Madrid are keeping tabs on AC Milan and Portugal winger Rafael Leao, 26, who is valued at about £60m. (Mail), external

Manchester United are monitoring Tottenham and Netherlands defender Micky van de Ven, 25, along with Brighton‘s 22-year-old Cameroon midfielder Carlos Baleba. (Athletic – subscription required), external

Manchester City are in pole position to sign Nottingham Forest and England midfielder Elliot Anderson, 23, despite interest from clubs including Manchester United and Arsenal. (Sky Sports, external)

Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho, currently on loan at Aston Villa, has given his approval for a return to Borussia Dortmund in the summer, with both parties holding concrete talks over a deal. (Sky Sport – in German, external)

Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande’s agents have already held discussions with Liverpool and Paris St-Germain, but RB Leipzig are keen on keeping the 19-year-old at the club for at least one more season. (Bild – in German, external)

Brighton centre-back Igor Julio could be set for a return to Brazil with Cruzeiro exploring the situation of the 28-year-old, who spent the first half of the season on loan at West Ham. (ESPN – in Portuguese, external)

Athletic Club are set to appoint former Borussia Dortmund boss Edin Terzic as their manager to replace Ernesto Valverde. (Mundo Deportivo – in Spanish, external), external

Wolves, Bournemouth and Sunderland are among the clubs interested in signing 25-year-old Queens Park Rangers and Jamaica striker Rumarn Burrell. (Football Insider, external)

Brentford have taken a strong interest in Dynamo Kyiv and Ukraine striker Matviy Ponomarenko, 20, as a potential replacement for 24-year-old Brazilian Igor Thiago, who could be a summer target for Chelsea and Tottenham. (Teamtalk, external)

Nottingham Forest will attempt to sign Celtic midfielder Arne Engels in the summer after having a bid of £25m for the 22-year-old Belgian rejected by the Scottish club in February. (Teamtalk, external)

Tottenham are in talks with Sebastian Kehl over becoming their new co-sporting director after the 46-year-old German left Borussia Dortmund last month. (Sun), external

Mike Trout homered, Nolan Schanuel homered and hit a three-run double and Jose Soriano worked five shutout innings as the Angels beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-3 on Wednesday to avoid a series sweep.

Trout’s eighth homer of the season was a 428-foot solo shot in the bottom of the fifth. That hit tied the 34-year-old Trout with the late Garret Anderson for the Angels’ franchise record of 796 extra-base hits. Anderson died last week of an acute necrotizing pancreatitis at the age of 53.

Soriano, who is 5-0, gave up three hits and struck out five in five innings before leaving with a 3-0 lead. He lowered his ERA to an MLB-leading 0.24. The 27-year-old right-hander is the first MLB pitcher since 1900 to allow no more than one run in the first six starts of a season, and he has the lowest ERA (with a minimum of 30 innings pitched) through a pitcher’s first six starts of a season since 1913, when earned runs became official in both leagues.

Despite his impressive outing, Soriano did not figure in the decision after the Blue Jays rallied in the seventh. Ernie Clement’s RBI single with two out cut the deficit to 3-1. Toronto then capitalized on a walk, an error and an RBI double by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., tying the game at 3.

The Angels countered in the bottom half. Schanuel, who hit a solo homer in the fourth, hit a three-run double to left that gave the Angels a 6-3 lead. They added another run on Hunter Renfroe’s RBI single.

Brent Suter (1-1) struck out two and worked a scoreless seventh for the win. Tommy Nance (0-2) allowed two runs in 1 1/3 innings and took the loss.

Liverpool could move for Randal Kolo Muani, Kobbie Mainoo verbally agrees to new Manchester United deal and Bernardo Silva is on Arsenal and Barcelona’s radar.

Liverpool have identified France international Randal Kolo Muani, 27, as a potential replacement for Mohamed Salah but face competition from Juventus for the Paris St-Germain forward. (Gazzetta dello Sport – in Italian), external

England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, 21, has verbally agreed to a new five-year contract with Manchester United. (Sun), external

Arsenal and Barcelona have emerged as possible destinations for Portugal midfielder Bernardo Silva, 31, when he leaves Manchester City at the end of the season. (ESPN Brazil – in Portuguese), external

Nottingham Forest‘s England midfielder Elliot Anderson, 23, and Real Madrid and France midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, 26, are being eyed by Manchester United as they look to replace the departing Casemiro. (Telegraph – subscription required), external

Brighton could offer England goalkeeper James Trafford, 23, a route out of Manchester City in the summer. (Florian Plettenberg), external

Manchester United and Galatasaray are ready to battle it out for 28-year-old Juventus and Netherlands midfielder Teun Koopmeiners. (Tuttosport – in Italian), external

Barcelona are leading the race for Eduardo Conceicao, with Manchester City, Manchester United and Newcastle also interested in the 16-year-old Palmeiras forward. Any move to Europe could not happen until he turns 18 next year. (TeamTalk), external

West Ham are willing to let Greece defender Konstantinos Mavropanos, 28, leave this summer amid interest from the Bundesliga, but will demand a big fee. (Football Insider), external

Chelsea and Manchester United are among the clubs keeping tabs on Bournemouth‘s 22-year-old English midfielder Alex Scott. (Caught Offside), external

Leeds are planning to hand Wales midfielder Ethan Ampadu, 25, a new contract at the end of the season. (Teamtalk), external

Garret Anderson was a Hall of Fame-caliber major league baseball player who never made the Hall of Fame. Baseball is a numbers game, and GA didn’t have enough of them.

When he finished his career and was eligible for the vote in 2016, he got just one vote. That represented 0.2% of the total. It also meant that he wasn’t even on the ballot the next year.

So, when he died Friday, way too soon at age 53, it presented an interesting twist. Had he lived into his 80s or 90s, there would have been few still around to remember anything about him but statistics. Now, the memory of his underrated greatness remains. What he did and how he did it is still in the frontal lobe of those who watched and those who wrote and broadcast about him.

He was the quiet man who played for various versions of the Angels for 15 seasons — the California Angels, the Anaheim Angels and the Los Angeles Angels. Right there, you have a Hall of Fame problem. A team struggling so hard to find its own identity does not attract the deep and passionate interest of the bulk of the writers/voters who live in time zones whose bed time is the same as game time in Anaheim.

It should have mattered that GA delivered the most important hit in Angels’ history, the game-winner in the 2002 World Series. It was Game 7, it was at Angel Stadium and the opponent was the San Francisco Giants, who had superstar slugger Barry Bonds and his line drives that created dents in outfield fences, except when they flew over them, which was often.

Anderson came to the plate in the third inning. The bases were loaded and Anderson took a shoulder-high fastball, slapped it down the right-field line and three runs came home. The Angels won 4-1 and haven’t come close to a World Series title, much less a World Series, since then. That at least got Anderson into the Angels Hall of Fame in 2016.

Mike Scioscia was the manager then and the most effective the team has had. He is the one who, Saturday, called Anderson’s Game 7 hit the greatest in team history.

“I remember looking out there when he went to the plate with the bases loaded,” Scioscia said, “and thinking he is exactly the guy I want there right now.”

Scioscia called Anderson’s death “a punch in the gut.” He said the player everybody called GA, didn’t have to be managed. “He was a resource for me,” Scioscia said. “He had an incredible inner drive. He was one of the most talented players I have been around. I’d call him a superstar.”

Scioscia, reminded that his “superstar” didn’t make baseball’s Hall of Fame, said, “Sometimes, great players slip through the cracks.”

Anderson’s not-quite-Hall-of-Fame performances included three All-Star game appearances. He was the game’s MVP in 2003 and also won the home run derby that year. He beat out Albert Pujols, then of the Cardinals. His career batting average was .293, he hit 287 home runs and had 1,365 runs batted in. He went to the plate to hit, not to watch. He never drew more than 38 walks in a season and never struck out more than 100 times.

Yet the statistic he felt gave him the best chance for the Hall of Fame was number of hits. Getting 3,000 hits would make him almost an automatic choice. He ended with 2,529, and near the end of his career with the Angels, he sat down with a reporter to discuss just that, plus one other thing.

Garret Anderson, left, talks with Jackie Autry, widow of Angels team owner Gene Autry, as he is inducted into the Angels Hall of Fame on Aug. 20, 2016.

(Reed Saxon / Associated Press)

It was uncharacteristic for Anderson to have this sort of conversation with anybody outside of his teammates, or maybe his family. It was lunch at Zov’s in Tustin and the question was how this voting system works and could maybe 200 more hits get him in. Could 2,750 do it? He wasn’t a big ego guy by any stretch of the imagination, but the Hall of Fame seemed to be dangling there and any baseball player who could see that for himself in the distance had to be intrigued.

There was no discussion of the intangibles, no consideration of the Angels being the Angels and what effect that will always have. Do voters even look much at other stats, such as his 24 walks and 35 home runs in the same season? The reporter wasn’t a great help. He wasn’t even a voter. Anderson wasn’t really stressed out over the Hall of Fame premise, just kind of fascinated. The reporter was probably more encouraging than realistic. Zov’s food was good, the company great.

Eventually, Anderson got to the second issue that had prompted the lunch: How to deal with Times columnist TJ Simers. He asked because the reporter was once Simers’ boss. Simers tended to probe and kid and seek to stir up things, but Anderson also recognized that he could be highly accurate, perceptive and even fun. Anderson, as a team star, was bracing for frequent visits. How should he handle it?

The answer was simple: Don’t lie to him. Don’t hide from him. If he is being a jerk, tell him so. He will accept that. If he is wrong, tell him that and tell him how. If he insults you, insult him back. He loves that.

Tim Mead, former director of public relations, when asked for his thoughts on Anderson, said that his perspective or quotes would not be as telling or as meaningful as simply watching the tape of Anderson’s three-run double that won the 2002 World Series for the Angels.

“Just watch it, just watch his reaction when he gets to second base,” Mead said Saturday.

And so we did. Anderson slaps his hit down the right field line, just fair. Angel Stadium goes crazy. Anderson stops at second base, claps his hands four times, then stands there quietly. Little emotion. Little hoopla. No contortions for “SportsCenter.” He has done his job. He has done what was expected of him. There are six more innings left. Let’s celebrate when it is truly over.

That was Garret Anderson, GA to his friends, a Hall of Fame player in all the ways that numbers don’t show.

Garret Anderson, the often misunderstood and always lethal Angels slugger who starred in the 2002 World Series, has died of a heart attack. He was 53.

Anderson’s most memorable moment was belting a decisive three-run double in Game 7 of the only World Series ever played by the Angels. Yet consistency over 17 seasons — 15 with the Angels and one each with the Dodgers and Atlanta Braves — was the hallmark of the taciturn left fielder.

“The Angels Organization is mourning the loss of one of our franchise’s most beloved icons, Garret Anderson,” owner Arte Moreno said Friday in a statement. “Garret was a cornerstone of our organization throughout his 15 seasons and his stoic presence in the outfield and our clubhouse elevated the Angels into an era of continued success, highlighted by the 2002 World Series Championship.

Garret Anderson, who hit the game-winning three-run double, runs with the World Series championship trophy after the Angels beat the San Francisco Giants in Game 7 of the World Series in Anaheim on Oct. 27, 2002.

(Kevork Djansezian / Associated Press)

“Garret will forever hold a special place in the hearts of Angels fans for his professionalism, class, and loyalty throughout his career and beyond. His admiration and respect for the game was immeasurable.”

Nicknamed “G.A.,” Anderson is the Angels leader in games (2,013), at-bats (7,989), hits (2,368), total bases (3,743), extra-base hits (796), doubles (489) and runs batted in (1,292). And he achieved it all without fanfare.

“Garret didn’t seek the limelight,” said Mike DiGiovanna, The Times’ Angels beat writer throughout most of Anderson’s career. “A classic lunch-pail guy. He was a superstar, he just didn’t act like it.”

Fans occasionally booed Anderson for a perceived lack of hustle. He didn’t dive for fly balls and on rare occasions failed to run hard when he hit a ground ball.

His teammates, however, backed him without hesitation, saying he was one of the smartest players in baseball and made the game look easy through hard work.

“He doesn’t dive for balls because he gets there quicker than most guys,” center fielder Darin Erstad said in 2003.

Fans cheered in shock when Anderson made a diving catch against the Minnesota Twins in 2002.

“But, see, that’s what I’m talking about,” he said. “I never should have had to dive for that ball. I got a bad jump. I study hitters. I have an idea of where the ball is going. I don’t dive because I don’t have to.”

The Angels’ Garret Anderson watches the ball after hitting a two-run homer against the Toronto Blue Jays in the seventh inning of a game in Anaheim on July 4, 2008.

(Mark Avery / Associated Press)

Anderson’s understated demeanor fit well in an Angels clubhouse stocked with young, rowdy personalities.

“We have so many emotional guys on this team, Garret is a calming force,” teammate Tim Salmon said in 2003. “He’s criticized for a lack of emotion, but I think it’s good.”

For his part, Anderson possessed a wry sense of humor and wasn’t above poking fun at himself.

“Interesting,” he told The Times Bill Plaschke with a faint smile. “I used to be called lazy. Now that we win a World Series, I’m called graceful.”

After Anderson retired in 2010, he worked as a television analyst for the Angels.

Garret Joseph Anderson was born June 30, 1972, in Los Angeles. He attended Granada Hills Kennedy High, where he starred in baseball and basketball. He remained close to his baseball coach, Manny Alvarado.

“I’ve lost a handful, some of them at a young age, but this one we had a relationship for a long time,” Alvarado said Friday. “I have a ton of memories, some of them from day one and some just recently. The one thing that comes to mind he was kind of an old soul. A lot of major leaguers have a lot to learn from him.

“He was very humble and always picked up the phone. He made it to a lot of alumni games, was very generous.”

Anderson was drafted in 1990 by the Angels in the fourth round and made his major league debut July 27, 1994 versus Oakland before going on to become one of the most productive players in franchise history.

Anderson had a stretch of eight consecutive seasons appearing in at least 150 games for the Angels and played in at least 140 games in 11 of his 17 major league seasons. He was inducted into the Angels’ Hall of Fame in 2016.

“Teammates and fans came to appreciate him for his consistency,” DiGiovanna said. “He was like a metronome.”

In addition to his World Series Game 7 heroics, Anderson batted .300 with four doubles, two home runs and 13 RBIs during the 2002 postseason. He finished fourth in American League Most Valuable Player voting that year.

In 2003, he became the first player since Cal Ripken Jr. to become both the Home Run Derby champion and MVP of the All-Star Game. Anderson batted .293 with 287 home runs in his career.

His final season came with the Dodgers in 2010. At age 38 he batted only .181 but provided a settling influence on young Dodgers stars Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier.

The Angels will honor Anderson by wearing a memorial patch on their jerseys the rest of the season. There will be a moment of silence and a tribute video before Friday’s game.

Anderson is survived by his wife, Teresa, daughters Brianne and Bailey and son Garret “Trey” Anderson III.

Times staff writers Eric Sondheimer and Bill Shaikin contributed to this story.

LAURA Anderson left fans stunned as she shared sizzling snaps from a luxury getaway — and appeared to have a dig at her footballer ex-boyfriend.

The former Love Island star donned her teeniest shorts as she posed for selfies at a posh hotel.

Laura treated herself to a stay at Scotland’s five-star Gleneagles and made sure to show it off.

Smiling and laughing, she oozed confidence in a chic white blazer paired with barely-there satin shorts.

Laura shared the snaps with the caption: “@thegleneagleshotel is always a good idea.”

And it’s safe to say the post appears to send a “look what you’re missing” message after her split from Dundee footballer Clark Robertson just weeks ago.

CRYPTIC QUOTE

Laura Anderson shares cryptic ‘cheating’ post – weeks after split from ex

tough time

Laura Anderson admits she’s ‘struggling, big time’ after love split

The pair called time on their relationship last month after 18 months together.

The star later shared a post listing the self-help mantras she is buying into following the split.

The list was seen by some fans as a thinly veiled swipe at her ex, with several of the phrases linked to breakups and moving on.

References to a “small circle” and the “Let Them theory” hint at cutting ties, while “always trust your intuition” suggests ignored red flags.

While lines such as “being mean isn’t cool” and “energy doesn’t lie” could be seen as comments about past behaviour.

Last week, the 36-year-old ramped up speculation about the split when she shared a cryptic post about cheating.

The ITV star took to her Instagram Stories to reshare a post that read: “Why do people cheat on queens for clowns?

“Because a palace has rules but the circus is free for all.”

The Sun exclusively revealed news of their split in March after a year and a half together.

A source said: “Laura and Clark have called time on their relationship.

“It was a difficult decision. They both have a lot of love for each other but realised it wasn’t working.”

The split may not come as a huge surprise as Laura and Clark, 32, had become increasingly absent from each other’s lives.

The pair had been quiet about their relationship, failing to share snaps of each other in recent months.

Laura’s last post with the Dundee player came on February 21 following a spa break.

She previously opened up about the “tricky and emotional” ups and downs of planning Christmas with a blended family.

Laura shares daughter Bonnie with ex-partner Gary, while Clark has two children from a previous relationship.

She told The Sun in December: “I mean, obviously, Clark’s got two kids and then I’m not with Bonnie’s dad and different things like that. So it can be an emotional, tricky time.

“I think blended families sort of bring hardship.”

The two began dating in 2024 after she finally responded to a DM he sent her three years earlier.

Laura shot to fame on the fourth series of Love Island in 2018, where she finished runner-up alongside Paul Knops.

The pair dated for just two months after the show before calling time on their relationship.

Both Manchester United and Manchester City want to conclude a deal for Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson, 23, quickly this summer given a good World Cup for England could push his price tag over £100m. (Sun)

The future of Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes, 31, is uncertain if the club receive big-money offers for the Portugal midfielder from the likes of Paris St-Germain and Bayern Munich this summer. (Caught Offside), external

However, Manchester United are determined to keep Fernandes, despite there being a £57m release clause in his contract. (Express), external

Liverpool are set to overhaul their underperforming squad, with Anfield chiefs ready to sanction a significant summer revamp. (Star), external

Liverpool could face competition from Premier League rivals Manchester United and Newcastle if they want to land Juventus’ 25-year-old France midfielder Khephren Thuram in the summer. (Mirror), external

Germany Under-21 international defender Karim Coulibaly is preparing to leave Werder Bremen this summer, with Newcastle United said to be one of five clubs chasing the 18-year-old. (Bild, via Chronicle), external

Argentina and Bournemouth centre-back Marcos Senesi, 28, wants Barcelona to make a move for him this summer, but Liverpool, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Everton, Tottenham, Newcastle and Sunderland are also interested. (Teamtalk), external

Ecuador midfielder Moises Caicedo, 24, says he is committed to Chelsea but has not ruled out a move to Real Madrid later in his career. (AS – in Spanish), external

Brighton and Netherlands goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, 23, could be a summer option for Bayern Munich, with Tottenham and Newcastle also in the hunt. (Teamtalk), external

Colombia defender Jhon Lucumi, 27, is increasingly likely to leave Bologna in the summer, and Sunderland remain keen on a transfer after failing to land him some months ago. (ForzaRoma, via Sport Witness), external

ATLANTA — The Georgia General Assembly ended its annual session early Friday without a plan for new equipment to overhaul the state’s voting system by a July deadline, plunging into doubt the future of elections in the political battleground.

The lawmakers’ failure to offer a solution after months of debate raises uncertainty about how Georgians will vote in November and leaves confusion that could end in the courts or a special legislative session.

“They’ve abdicated their responsibility,” Democratic state Rep. Saira Draper said of inaction by Republicans who control the legislature.

Currently, voters make their choices on Dominion Voting machines, which then print ballots with a QR code that scanners read to tally votes. Those machines have been repeatedly targeted by President Trump following his 2020 election loss, and Trump’s Georgia supporters responded by enacting a law in 2024 that bans using barcodes to count votes.

But state law still requires counties to use the machines. No money has been allocated to reprogram them, and lawmakers failed to agree on a replacement.

“We’ll have an unresolvable statutory conflict come July 1,” said House Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Victor Anderson, a Cornelia Republican who backed a proposal to keep using the machines in 2026 that Senate Republicans declined to consider.

House Republicans and Democrats backed Anderson’s plan, which would have required that Georgia choose a voting process that didn’t use QR codes by 2028. Election officials preferred that solution.

“The Senate has shown that they’re not responsible actors,” Draper said. She added that Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, a Trump-endorsed Republican running for governor, seemed more interested in keeping Trump’s backing than “doing right by Georgia voters.”

A spokesperson for Jones didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment early Friday.

Joseph Kirk, Bartow County election supervisor and president of the Georgia Association of Voter Registration and Election Officials, said he’ll look to the secretary of state for guidance and assumes a judge will rule to instruct election officials how to proceed.

“This is uncharted territory,” he said.

Robert Sinners, a spokesperson for Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who is also running for governor, said officials are “ready to follow the law and follow the Constitution.”

Republican House Speaker Jon Burns told reporters that his chamber was seeking to minimize changes this year.

“You can’t change horses in the middle of the stream,” Burns said.

Burns said he would meet with Gov. Brian Kemp and “take his temperature” on the possibility of a special session. A spokesperson for Kemp didn’t answer questions about what the outgoing Republican governor would do.

Anderson said without action, the state could be required to use hand-marked and hand-counted paper ballots in November.

Election officials say switching to a new system within just a few months, as advocated by some Republicans, would be nearly impossible.

“They made no way for this to happen except putting a deadline on it,” Cherokee County elections director Anne Dover said of the switch away from barcodes. Dover said one problem under some plans is that a very large number of ballots would have to be printed.

Lawmakers seemed more concerned about scoring political points than making practical plans, Paulding County Election Supervisor Deidre Holden said.

“If anyone is resilient and can get the job done, it’s all of us election officials, but the legislators need to work with us, and they need to understand what we do before they go making laws that are basically unachievable for us,” Holden said.

Supporters of hand-marked paper ballots say voters are more likely to trust in an accurate count if they can see what gets read by the scanner.

Right-wing election activists lobbied lawmakers for an immediate switch to hand-marked paper ballots, but the House turned away from a Senate proposal to do so.

Anderson said he wasn’t sure if a special session could escape those political crosswinds, but said Georgia lawmakers must fix the problem.

“This is a legislative problem,” Anderson said. “It’s a legislative solution that has to happen.”

Kramon and Amy write for the Associated Press.

Peaky Blinders fans were left baffled over Arthur Shelby’s glaring absence.

Peaky Blinders’ Arthur Shelby actor has finally opened up about his absence from The Immortal Man.

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man is on Netflix and the follow-up film explores Tommy Shelby’s (played by Cillian Murphy) redemption arc as he attempts to right his wrongs.

The Peaky Blinders film, which sees Barry Keoghan star as Tommy’s son Duke Shelby, focuses on the father and son relationship as Duke begins to head down a dangerous path.

Tommy, reluctant to return to his family, is forced to face the demons of his past following an unprecedented tragedy and viewers discover some hidden secrets about Tommy’s life in the events between the series and the film.

The film begins with Tommy living away from his family in a derelict mansion, which features a graveyard he regularly visits.

Viewers were shocked to see Arthur Shelby’s name written on one of the gravestones, and here is all you need to know about actor Paul Anderson’s absence.

Why is Paul Anderson not in The Immortal Man?

Arthur Shelby was last seen in season six of the flagship series, while he was battling an opium addiction following a relapse.

Paul Anderson played Arthur in all six seasons of the show, and is one of only three stars to have appeared in every episode, besides Cillian Murphy and Sophie Rundle.

Anderson opened up on the film and his absence to LADbible, explaining: “Well, what can you do eh? It is how it is. I thought I’d just leave them to it. I think it’s great. I [wasn’t] very nice to people in it [the series]. But people loved me.”

Creator Steven Knight said there were no plans to bring Anderson back, telling The Hollywood Reporter his character had been written out of the film.

He explained: “What I’ll say is that the story determines the cast, and the story was set. I knew that Tommy needed to have done something that he couldn’t forgive himself for.

“Therefore, that’s why the plot went in that particular direction. But in terms of Paul, all I’ll say is that he’s a fantastic actor.”

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What happened to Arthur Shelby in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man?

In the sequel film, Tommy was seen living in isolation as he was haunted by the ghosts of his past, including his brother, Arthur.

He often visited his brother’s grave, though it was not mentioned for a long time how his brother really died.

At first it was suggested he had died by suicide, but by the end of the film Tommy revealed what really happened as a flashback played out on screen.

He explained how he had killed his own brother in a drunken fit of rage, while they were both in a car together.

Tommy was seen strangling Arthur during a struggle, which ended with Arthur laying lifeless and Tommy almost instantly regretting his actions.

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man is on Netflix

Joyce Anderson Valdez, major fund-raiser for Republican politicians including three former presidents and two former California governors who was respected professionally and revered personally for her tenacity and charm, has died. She was 70.

Valdez, who served as state GOP finance director for many years, died Wednesday at her Arcadia home after a long illness.

Pete Wilson, who benefited from Valdez’s expertise in his campaigns for both the U.S. Senate and California governor, considered her a longtime close friend.

“With the exception of Ronald Reagan, Joyce Valdez is probably responsible for more of the successes of the Republican Party in California than anyone else in history,” Wilson said in a statement after her death. “She never had an event that wasn’t a huge success because she simply refused to accept failure.”

He ended his accolade warmly: “She lightened our hearts as she lightened our pockets. Advice to St. Peter: Don’t even try to hang onto your wallet. With Joyce’s energy and charm, you don’t have a chance!”

When major donors reversed the tables and threw a salutary black-tie dinner for Valdez at Jimmy’s in 1985, Interior Department Western representative Carol Hallett telegraphed knowingly: “When Joyce gives the last supper, you can be sure she’ll have a cash bar.”

From the early 1960s to mid-1980s, the effervescent Valdez organized dinners and other events that raised more than $100 million for Republican candidates, among them Presidents Reagan, Gerald Ford and George Bush and Govs. Wilson and George Deukmejian. Many considered her the party’s best fund-raiser not only in California but nationwide.

Not all of her candidates were successful, even with the money she funneled to their campaign coffers. Among those were GOP presidential candidate Bob Dole and Senate candidate Ed Zschau.

Occasionally, Valdez lent her talents to favored Democrats for “nonpartisan” offices such as Los Angeles City Council members John Ferraro and Joan Milke Flores. She also raised campaign money at the local level for the late Los Angeles County Sheriff Sherman Block.

Valdez told The Times in 1982 that she often relied on celebrity guests to attract paying supporters to her fund-raising dinners, cocktail parties or coffees.

“There are so many fund-raising events, and people get so tired of going out night after night,” she said. “A star will draw them out to actually attend the event.”

Frank Sinatra was a favorite, she said, and Wayne Newton, and especially her longtime friend Ronald Reagan.

“The prez looks like a Supreme Court justice all of a sudden–very distinguished,” she said proudly in late 1989 when she booked him as centerpiece for a dinner that netted Wilson $700,000.

When he was governor, Reagan appointed Valdez as a commissioner of the state’s Industrial Welfare Board. She had also helped Block set up his Sheriff’s Youth Foundation and served on its board.

Born in Supreme, Ala., Valdez lived much of her adult life in the Los Angeles area, where she became a nationally top-ranked amateur golfer.

Valdez, widowed by the death of her husband of 48 years, Frank Valdez, is survived by four children, Dennis Valdez, Valinda VanderWerff, Vicky Vangeison and Valerie Iida; a brother, Monte Anderson; three sisters, JoAnn Scott, Vivian Whitaker and Gloria Alerich, and 10 grandchildren.

Services are scheduled at 11 a.m. today at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier.

Kelly Cates, Joe Hart and Danny Murphy discuss why Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson is “the favourite” to be in the starting XI for England in this summer’s World Cup.

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Bayern Munich set to rival Manchester United for Nottingham Forest‘s Elliot Anderson, Morgan Rogers could leave Aston Villa if they fail to qualify for the Champions League, while Arsenal trio face uncertain future at the club.

Manchester United are set to face competition for Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson, 23, with Bayern Munich ready to step up their interest in the England international. (Mail + – subscription required), external

Aston Villa‘s English winger Morgan Rogers, 23, may be tempted to look for Champions League football elsewhere if Unai Emery’s side fail to qualify for next season’s competition. (Talksport), external

Arsenal‘s Brazilian winger Gabriel Martinelli, 24, faces an uncertain future at the club along with English left-back Myles Lewis-Skelly, 19, and 18-year-old English winger Ethan Nwaneri. (Times – subscription required), external

Newcastle fear being dragged into another Alexander Isak-style saga with Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali, 25, amid speculation of a £100m move to Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea or Real Madrid. (The I), external

Manchester City defender Nathan Ake is a target for AC Milan and Inter Milan with the Netherlands international, 31, unable to command a regular starting spot this season. (Caughtoffside), external

Arsenal have little intention of allowing 23-year-old Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori to leave this summer despite growing interest from Serie A clubs including Inter Milan, AC Milan, Juventus and Napoli. (Teamtalk), external

Liverpool are eyeing up a potential deal to sign Real Madrid and France midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, 23, this summer. (Football Insider), external

Juventus are listening to offers for Jonathan David, 26, with West Ham, Tottenham and Nottingham Forest all expressing an interest in the Canada striker in the past. (Tuttosport – in Italian), external

Paris St-Germain have no plans whatsoever to sell 25-year-old Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to Arsenal. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Roma captain Lorenzo Pellegrini is wanted by Juventus with the 29-year-old Italian attacking midfielder out of contract at the Giallorossi at the end of the season. (Gazzetta dello Sport – in Italian), external