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Guardiola expects Palace to be ‘professional’ against Arsenal in Premier League title-race finale

By The Associated Press

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola expects Crystal Palace to be “professional” in its team selection against Arsenal on the final day of the Premier League season, when the destination of the title might be decided.

That May 24 match at Selhurst Park comes three days before Palace plays Rayo Vallecano in the Conference League final, leaving open the possibility that Palace manager Oliver Glasner might rest key players ahead of one of the biggest games in his club’s 121-year history.

Second-place City is five points behind Arsenal in the Premier League with a game in hand – coincidentally against Palace on Wednesday.

To win the title, City will likely need Arsenal to drop points against Palace, considering the leaders are heavy favorites to win their other remaining game — at home to already-relegated Burnley on Monday.

Asked Tuesday if he was concerned that Palace might play a weakened team, Guardiola said: “They are so professional, the teams. Crystal Palace will play top against us. We saw Leeds yesterday against Spurs even being out of the relegation battle and (staying) in the Premier League again how they compete.

“We have played here against Aston Villa in the past, or West Ham – (they had) nothing to play and we saw how difficult it was. So I’m pretty sure (Palace) will do their best.”

West Ham’s controversial loss to Arsenal on Sunday ensured Palace cannot be relegated.

Glasner said after beating Shakhtar Donetsk last week to reach the Conference League final that it would be “nonsense” for people to criticize him for fielding a weakened lineup against Arsenal.

“I’m not responsible for Arsenal, I’m not responsible for Manchester City, I’m responsible for Crystal Palace,” he said, “and I get paid for doing the best things for Crystal Palace and not for City and not for Arsenal.

“Again, I don’t know what we’re doing yet. Maybe we’ll be playing with the same lineup that we’ll play against Vallecano … maybe it feels like the league title is decided on the last day. But at the end, it’s a result of 38 matchdays and everybody gets what they deserve.”

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

NYPD says dozens rescued from human trafficking during World Cup

By WTOP Staff
▶ Watch Video: Inside look at security preparations for World Cup Forty-three people, including seven minors, were rescued from human traffickers during the World Cup matches in the New York City area, according to the New York City Police Department's Special Victims Unit.The rescue operations were carried out between June 11 and July 19 by specialized NYPD detectives who arrested 89 individuals."The surprise was really the outpouring of support behind the mission and the collaboration with all our partners," said Inspector Gary Marcus, commanding officer of the Special Victims Unit.Those rescued, largely the victims of sex trafficking, are now being supported with an array of social services for the victims, including food, housing and counseling.The 87 operations carried out during the World Cup have generated new leads, officials said, and law enforcement agencies are building more cases based on the investigations already underway."We have ongoing investigations now as a result of these operations," an NYPD official told CBS News.Major sporting events are known to law enforcement as hotbeds of human trafficking.Years in advance, the NYPD devoted significant resources to preparing for the World Cup. Eight matches were played at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, including the final on Sunday."When we talk about the outreach and the prep we do, a large part of that involved visiting the known sex offenders, particularly the known human traffickers, in our registry," Marcus said. "Whether they're on parole or probation for human trafficking, we visited them to make sure they're compliant with the terms of their release, and secondly, to let them know that the NYPD is watching."The matches were held in multiple cities around the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Preparations to secure those games and prepare for crimes like human trafficking were coordinated between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.Police departments in many locations that hosted World Cup matches have made arrests and rescues connected to human trafficking, including in Georgia, New England and Missouri. Nationally, there were more than 673 arrests on human-trafficking charges made during the World Cup, and 61 adults and 13 minors rescued, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
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