CHELSEA fans have been left in hysterics after Marc Cucurella “salvaged” his relationship with Puma in a new advert.
The left-back’s boots hit the headlines during the Blues’ 4-3 win over Tottenham last Sunday.
He suffered two disaster moments in the derby, slipping in the build-up to both Spurs goals in the first ten minutes before Chelsea staged a stunning comeback.
A fuming Cucurella charged across the pitch after Dejan Kulusevski made it 2-0 and swapped boots.
After the game, the Spaniard posted a snap of his pair of Puma Future 8s in the bin alongside the caption: “Sorry Blues.”
The boots were set to be released by the sportswear brand the following day.
And they were even engraved with the message: “This boot might be leaked. We’re used to it. Don’t worry. Stay tuned.”
It looked to be a marketing own goal but Puma have brilliantly responded.
In a new advert posted on social media, Cucurella is wearing the boots alongside a caution wet floor sign.
Puma wrote with the image: “It’s not how you slip, it’s how you bounce back.”
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The post also sees the wet floor sign placed in front of a goal, by the entrance of a Puma store, at a bus stop and on a West London street.
Fans found it brilliant, with one saying: “Excellent salvaging work.”
Another added: “Best marketing ever.”
A third wrote: “What a comeback from Puma.”
Chelsea players also saw the funny side as Marc Guiu and Enzo Fernandez commented laughing emojis.
A blockbuster night of boxing is underway with stacked cards in Liverpool and Monte Carlo.
Natasha Jonas headlines against Ivana Habazin on Merseyside with Lauren Price and Viddal Riley also fighting on a huge bill.
While Cheavon Clarke goes for the vacant European cruiserweight title against Leonardo Mosquea in Monte Carlo.
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SHOPPING for perfume can be hard at the best of times, never mind when you’re gifting.
But if a new signature scent is on your shopping list, these unisex fragrances are a guaranteed hit . . .
AllSaints Shoreditch Leather Eau De Parfum, £40 for 30ml, boots.com
Inspired by the AllSaints leather jackets, this is every bit as cool and edgy as you would expect.
Amber, patchouli, leather accord and sandalwood make it fiery and in your face – almost like a hot toddy in fragrance form, a real confidence boost in a bottle.
It’s perfect for this time of year when the weather is chilly, and the added notes of saffron, rose and jasmine give it a softness akin to suede.
Aesop Virere Eau de Parfum, £115.00 for 50ml, johnlewis.com
If you like the great outdoors, you’ll love this herbaceous, green scent.
Zesty bergamot, tart, almost bitter green tea and warm, earth hay unite to create a fragrance that feels like a breath of fresh air.
It is as energising as a brisk walk in the countryside.
Warm, jammy fig and spicy pink pepper give it staying power, grounding the lighter notes for year-round wear.
Surprisingly, it’s my favourite of the three.
LBTY Vine Thief Eau de Parfum, £225 for 100ml, libertylondon.com
On first sniff, you’re hit with a boozy, woody scent that’s just as opulent as you’d expect from the department store’s signature fragrance line.
Notes of condensed milk and strawberry offer a subtle freshness that stops it being too heavy, while vanilla and musk add a comforting edge that’s like wrapping yourself in a cashmere blanket by a roaring fire.
It’s a true winter warmer.
SHOPPING baskets at the ready – today is the last day Boots customers can receive an exclusive, complimentary luxury treat from Dior when spending £125 or more on selected Dior beauty products or ladies’ fragrances.
The limited-edition make-up bag contains mini Miss Dior and J’Adore fragrances. Talk about getting more for your money!
Shop now, while stocks last, on boots.com and in 93 stores nationwide.
FEELING tired, short of breath, pale skinned? Nails all brittle or plagued by headaches? You could be iron deficient.
Guidelines state men over 18 and women over 50 need 8.7mg and women 19-50 need 14.8mg, but five per cent of us are deficient.
Iron is found in red meat, chicken, beans, lentils and, of course, spinach.
If you feel like your iron intake needs a boost, here are three ways to help…
ZENB pasta is made from 100 per cent yellow peas – no wheat, gluten or anything else.
The brand is the only regular pasta alternative I like. Now it has brought out some fine noodles that are perfect for soups and Asian dishes.
A 100g portion contains 3.9mg of iron, which is 28 per cent of your daily recommended intake.
This is a great way to get iron, plus protein and fibre, into your diet without supplements or pills.
One of my favourite products and they take just five minutes to cook.
From £4.50 for a 320g pack with four individual portions, zenb.co.uk.
I DON’T always believe a fancy name guarantees a fancy product.
But I do love the berry-flavoured daily greens from Elle Macpherson’s Super Elixir range.
It is a new flavour from the cult wellness product, with more than 40 ingredients. The main one is barley grass, followed by leaf powder and wheatgrass – all great sources of iron. Plus there is kelp and spinach, too.
There are also plenty of fruit and veg powders and fibres which help with energy production and are great for the gut, cognitive health, immunity and skin, hair and nails.
This is a pimped-up green powder but thanks to all the antioxidant rich fruits, you get a big fruity smell when you open the container and it tastes lovely.
It has got a supermodel price tag though.
From £50.40 for month’s supply, welleco.co.uk.
IF you’re looking for a supplement that offers your entire daily intake of iron, then Innermost’s The Rise capsules could be a good solution.
With just two capsules a day you’ll get 14mg of iron. But these may also help cognitive function and stamina because they contain other productivity-boosting ingredients.
These include vitamin B, a superfood called maca and the mushroom cordyceps, which are said to aid endurance.
Plus there is bacopa monnieri, a plant that has been used for centuries in traditional Ayurvedic medicine that improves cognitive function for a sustained energy boost.
In trials, 85 per cent of people said two capsules a day made them feel more productive.
From £19.96 for a 30-day supply, liveinnermost.co.uk.
STRICTLY Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas has chosen a plunging cleavage as she joins her fellow judges for this year’s final.
Head judge Shirley has joined Motsi Mabuse, Craig Revel Horwood and Anton du Beke as they gather to judge this year’s four finalists on Strictly Come Dancing.
Shirley, 64, chose a gold fitted dress with a plunge neckline exposing her cleavage for tonight.
She left her dark hair in loose waves as she took her seat on the judging panel, alongside the others.
Taking to Twitter, viewers were shocked to see the star wear such a daring choice.
One viewer wrote: “Shirley looks a picture tonight. If a little over-exposed.”
Another added: “Blimey Shirley.”
The wardrobe choice comes as the former dancer also revealed this week that she’s split from her fiancé Danny Taylor, after six years together.
Speaking on the Great Company podcast, she revealed she’s now single.
She said: “Currently, I’ve just split with my boyfriend.”
She then claimed that her romantic relationships have been a “disaster, all the way along the line”.
She added that she is now focusing her attention on her family as she explained: “What I am truly grateful for is that I still have my mother, and that she lives with me, and I get these precious moments with her,” she said.
“Because my mother is the only thing that’s been a staple in my life. No friend, no marriage, no nothing.”
Shirley and Danny met in 2018 during a pantomime together, getting engaged three years later.
Shirley has been married twice before, first to Sammy Stopford and then to Corky Ballas who she shares her son Mark with.
Continuing on the podcast, she added: “All I keep saying at the end of the day is I’m blessed to have had my son, and without the journey I took, I wouldn’t have him, and then I wouldn’t have my grandson.
“So, it’s fate, if you want to, it’s the directions that you choose.”
Strictly first kicked off back in 2004, and over the years has crowned 21 winners.
Here is a full list of who has been lucky enough to win the famous Glitterball Trophy:
MAKE the most of some tasty bargains on Christmas veg.
With prices set to plummet this week, you’ll save even more with a few clever tricks.
Here’s how to enjoy great-value goodness over the festive season and beyond . . .
TOP OF THE SHOPS: Super-markets have vegetable deals this week with most dropping prices to 15p for any of 2kg of potatoes, a kilo of carrots and 500g of parsnips or sprouts.
Sainsbury’s has swede deals from Wednesday, while broccoli is 15p at Asda and Aldi on Thursday. Lidl’s Thursday deals include a 15p bag of shallots.
FESTIVE FREEZE: It pays to buy extra vegetables and preserve them for future dishes.
Sliced carrots, parsnips and broccoli can all be blanched by putting them in boiling water for a few minutes until they just start to soften, then plunging them into ice-cold water.
Spread them on a baking tray lined with parchment and freeze them. Once solid, you can tip them into freezer bags and keep for soups, stews and sauces.
Braise red cabbage with apple and spices, and freeze it for future meals.
POTATO SO FUN: Why not buy that extra 15p bag of potatoes.
Once you’ve set aside enough for your Christmas feast, you can use the rest for other cheap dishes.
A simple baked potato will offset some of the upcoming overindulgence, or serve as part of a spicy vegetable curry or Spanish tortilla with onions and eggs.
These meals will cost your pennies.
SPROUT SHOUT: If your 15p sprouts are likely to get left, try a new way of cooking them in your air fryer.
Remove the tough outside leaves, toss in olive oil with a dash of salt and pepper then cook on 180 degrees in your air fryer for around six minutes until they start to soften.
Sprinkle over grated parmesan or another hard cheese and return to the air fryer until the cheese is melted and the sprouts are tender.
USE the code NINJA35 at argos.co.uk to get 35 per cent off a Ninja Speedi 10-in-1 rapid cooker and air fryer for £99.45 instead of £153.
SAVE: £53.55
STOCKING filler alert! New Lacura Eyelashes from Aldi are offered in three styles, from dramatic to delicate, and they’re £3.49 a pack.
GET three selected toys for £20 at B&M, including the LED Championship pool set which is £12.99. Buy three and save £18.97.
SHARE a box of Lindt Lindor white chocolate truffles, £6.30 at Morrisons, or save with a box of Aldi’s Moser Roth luxurious white truffles, £3.49.
SAVE: £2.81
ENJOY enjoy a day at a Sea Life centre this month with tickets from £5 for visitors on Universal Credit or other qualifying benefits. See visitsealife.com/uk/universal credit.
WITH 20 per cent off many styles in Sainsbury’s Tu range, you can get this cable-knit slouch cardigan for £17.60, down from £22.
SAVE: £4.40
TO get £10 back, spend at least that on fuel, sign up at topcashback. co.uk/uk-fuel-dec 24-tcb and upload a picture of your receipt.
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