A round up of sporting headlines from national newspapers including news from Chelsea, West Ham, Newcastle United, and Swansea City.
DAILY TELEGRAPH: Swansea City reached their first major cup final in their long history on a day where football surely reached a first: a player kicking a ballboy. Also: Birmingham City have lowered their initial fee for Jack Butland in a desperate attempt to generate interest from Premier League clubs.
THE SUN: Eden Hazard was forced to issue a grovelling apology after seeing red in extraordinary circumstances when he kicked a ballboy during Swansea’s Capital One Cup defeat of Chelsea. Also: West Ham boss Sam Allardyce watched in horror as Dan Potts suffered a sickening injury in his team’s crushing defeat...Aston Villa were so confident of beating Bradford they rejected a deal to split any Wembley profits with the League Two side.
THE INDEPENDENT: Fabricio Coloccini is heading out of Newcastle United after he told officials he does not want to play another game for the club. Also: They have lost semi-finals at the death, with furious recriminations against referees; they have lost to dubious goals and they have been eliminated on penalties, but never have Chelsea tumbled out of the last four of a competition in quite such ignominious fashion.
DAILY MIRROR: Eden Hazard heaped shame on Chelsea after he was sent off for kicking a ball boy. Also: Arsene Wenger has been given the perfect excuse to put his cheque-book away until the summer. Wenger’s close-season signings all came good at the Emirates - and that may be enough to persuade the Arsenal manager to believe his squad is good enough after all.
DAILY MAIL: Chelsea’s bid for Capital One Cup glory ended in shame last night when Eden Hazard was sent off for kicking a ball boy at the Liberty Stadium. Also: Arsene Wenger wanted a reaction from his Arsenal side and - oh boy - did he get it.
THE GUARDIAN: It has taken over 100 years but, finally, Swansea City know what it is like to reach a major final. Also: When Arsenal click as they did for 12 whirlwind minutes at the beginning of the second half, it can feel as if all of their problems, the well-documented angst and the soul-searching, are nothing more than tricks of the imagination.
DAILY EXPRESS: Chelsea’s Eden Hazard was sent off after tussling with a ball boy at the Liberty Stadium last night as Swansea booked a trip to Wembley for the first major cup final in the club’s history. Also: Paul Lambert will stay as Aston Villa manager even if his first season turns into a disaster and the club are relegated.
DAILY STAR: Swansea kicked Chelsea out of the Capital One Cup last night as Eden Hazard was sent off for booting a ballboy. Also: Edin Dzeko has ruled out a move away from Manchester City either now or in the summer.
THE TIMES: Chelsea were dumped out of the Capital One Cup amid disgraceful scenes at the Liberty Stadium last night after Eden Hazard was dismissed for kicking a ballboy. Also: Bradford City’s players are eager for the future of Phil Parkinson to be secured as soon as possible after spending yesterday coming to terms with the fact that they are heading to Wembley in the Capital One Cup final.
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