Arteta backs scrapping of FA Cup replays as Accrington posit boycott

Arsenal manager says change needed to ‘protect our players’Accrington chairman open to boycott if ‘enough clubs’ want itMikel Arteta insisted that the scrapping of FA Cup replays was necessary to “protect our players” as Accrington Stanley’s chairman said he would support a boycott of the tournament if there was widespread backing.As the backlash against the abandonment of replays continued, the EFL said clubs lower down the pyramid were being marginalised. Accrington’s Andy Holt tweeted that it was important to fight the change “with all our might” and said: “I would support a boycott if enough clubs feel the same.” Continue reading...

Tributes paid to former Wales, Burnley and Swansea winger Leighton James

Popular winger has died at the age of 71James scored 10 goals in 54 appearances for WalesFormer Wales winger Leighton James has died at the age of 71.James’ former clubs Burnley and Swansea – where he spent 13 years of a colourful 19-year senior career – were among those to pay tribute to a gifted player who won 54 caps for his country. Continue reading...

‘Decisive player of the season’: Guardiola and City wary of Palmer

Manager says midfielder asked to leave City two seasons beforePochettino confirms Enzo Fernández is playing with a herniaPep Guardiola has described Cole Palmer as the “decisive player of the season” and said Manchester City must find a way of negating him in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea. Guardiola also revealed that Palmer asked to leave City for two seasons before making his £42m move to west London in September.Palmer joined City at under-eight level and made 19 appearances for the club across three years before leaving for Chelsea, and having scored for City in their Community Shield defeat to Arsenal in August, as well as in their European Super Cup victory over Sevilla that followed 10 days later. He will line up against last season’s treble winners as the Premier League joint-top scorer with 20 goals, alongside Erling Haaland, who is a doubt for the semi-final. Continue reading...

Vitesse Arnhem relegated from Eredivisie after 18-point deduction

Dutch club relegated in wake of Guardian and TBIJ investigationDocuments appeared to show financial ties to AbramovichThe Dutch football association has deducted 18 points from Vitesse Arnhem, officially confirming the club’s relegation, in the wake of an investigation by the Guardian and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) that uncovered apparent financial ties between the club and the Russian oligarch and former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.The KNVB, the governing body of Dutch football, said it had imposed the record sanction because the club, formally known as SBV Vitesse, failed to meet the requirements of its licensing regulations. Continue reading...

Ten Hag calms talk of divided squad as Wilcox appointed technical director

Manager forgives Garnacho and says: ‘We move on’ Wilcox leaves role as Southampton’s director of footballErik ten Hag has denied claims of ­factions within his Manchester United squad, while attempting to put a line under a string of recent controversies.On a day when Jason Wilcox was confirmed as United’s technical director, joining from Southampton, Ten Hag sought to further cool waters after Alejandro Garnacho apologised for the faux-pas of liking a social media post critical of his manager. Continue reading...

Chelsea’s £76.5m hotel deals raise questions over PSR compliance

Club’s losses reduced by property deal with sister companyChelsea would have lost £166.4m without hotel salesPremier League clubs reacted with exasperation after seeing that ­Chelsea eased their financial ­position with the £76.5m sale of two hotels to a ­sister company in a deal that appears to have helped the club avoid a breach of profitability and ­sustainability rules (PSR).Chelsea’s accounts, published last weekend, revealed the club made a loss of £89.9m in the last financial year. That figure would have been £166.4m without the hotels sale from Chelsea FC Holdings Ltd to Blueco 22 Properties Ltd. Both companies are subsidiaries of Chelsea’s holding company, Blueco 22 Ltd. Continue reading...

Nicolas Jackson’s promise hindered by tyranny of expectations at Chelsea | Jonathan Liew

Forward, who faces Manchester City in the FA Cup on Saturday, has managed a debut season goal tally up there with big namesThe pure poacher’s instinct. The understanding of timing and angles, the striker’s sixth sense for exactly where the ball is going to be, and exactly what he’s going to do with it. The ball is loose in the penalty area, and as Nicolas Jackson swoops in with the late run his eyes are fixed firmly on the target. Which, alas, is wedged under the arm of his teammate Cole Palmer.“Next time they’re all out,” Mauricio Pochettino fumed after the penalty fracas on Monday night that somehow managed – in true Chelsea fashion – to snatch a PR disaster from the jaws of a thumping 6-0 victory. As for Jackson, the incident with Palmer and Noni Madueke hardened the views of many Chelsea fans against him, which is some considerable achievement in a game where you have also managed a goal and an assist. Continue reading...

Manchester City face Chelsea with no time to dwell on Madrid heartache

Treble winners turn their focus to becoming the first English men’s club to claim a double-double in FA Cup semi-final Chelsea beware: at 5.15pm on Saturday Pep Guardiola expects Manchester City to show precisely how little sorrow they feel for themselves after being dumped out of the Champions League by Real Madrid.The FA Cup semi-final comes 72 hours after Wednesday’s penalty shootout heartbreak and, maybe, too soon for Mauricio Pochettino’s team as a smarting City aim to forget their lost double-treble and take another step in their bid to become the first English men’s club to claim a double-double. Continue reading...

Liverpool have become ‘too easy’ to play against, admits Jürgen Klopp

Manager says team must toughen up if they are to win the titleKlopp takes hope from return of key players from serious injuryJürgen Klopp has admitted Liverpool have become “too easy” to play against and must toughen up if they are to stand any chance of winning the Premier League title.Klopp’s side travel to Fulham on Sunday in third, two points behind Manchester City and below Arsenal on goal difference, having drawn and lost their past two league fixtures, against Manchester United and Crystal Palace, respectively. On Thursday they also exited the Europa League at the quarter-final stage after a 3-1 aggregate loss to Atalanta and, all in all, are performing poorly. Their hopes of winning a quadruple in Klopp’s final season in charge are long gone but the German still believes he can leave on a high, though only if his players rediscover the character, as well as class, that had them competing on all fronts a little over a month ago. Continue reading...

Maximilian Kilman: ‘I’m really pushing to be in the England squad. It is my dream’

Wolves captain has relished his journey from university and futsal to the Premier League – now he is targeting a spot at Euro 2024Maximilian Kilman is reflecting on the days when, long before evolving into one of the Premier League’s most consistent defenders at Wolves, fierce derbies largely comprised playing in varsity matches for the University of Hertfordshire, from which he will formally graduate with a business and sport management degree this September. “I remember Bedfordshire away,” he says, smiling, recalling playing another university. “It was similar to how it is now; the students would be booing, supporting their university, and you felt that rivalry. It was something I really enjoyed, the whole atmosphere and vibe. I am still friends with some of the boys from the uni team. I don’t think anyone expected I would get this far.”As a teenager Kilman juggled turning out for the university with playing non-league for eighth-tier Marlow and fifth-tier Maidenhead, from whom he joined Wolves six years ago. At university, Kilman starred as a No 10, contributing goals and assists. It was a role he enjoyed a cameo in when Wolves Under-23s earned a comeback victory at Manchester United to pave the way to promotion to Premier League 2 in his first season. After 79 minutes, Wolves, led by Rob Edwards, trailed 2-0 at Leigh Sports Village. “For the last 10 minutes I got thrown up into the attack as a No 10 … I had a tiny say in the game,” he says, typically modest. Continue reading...

FA Cup and Premier League team news: predicted lineups for the weekend action

Manchester City take on Chelsea at Wembley on Saturday while Liverpool are in Premier League action at Fulham on SundayFA Cup semi-finals (stats from all competitions) Continue reading...

FA Cup replays backlash, Nagelsmann extends Germany deal: football news – live

News, Premier League previews and European reactionBarney Ronay: City fail to deliver as Madrid’s power tellsMeanwhile in the Championship, a host of former Premier League sides are nervously peering down rather than optimistically looking up. Here’s Will Unwin on how short-term approaches are holding clubs back.Those FA Cup semi-finals and this weekend’s round of Premier League matches are all under the microscope in everyone’s favourite double digit looking-ahead column. Continue reading...

How the Premier League experience can leave a sour taste for fans

High prices, rescheduled kick-offs, glaring inequality, PSR confusion – all are riling supporters, yet their loyalty abidesIt is about an hour before kick-off at Stamford Bridge and Everton fans are milling outside the gate that leads to the away end. It’s a Monday night and people look tired, having just been dispatched from their coaches at the end of a five-hour journey. Some are waiting for friends, clasping cups of coffee, others are looking for spare tickets. The consistent topic of conversation, meanwhile, is the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules.“As a fan you just want to go to the game, you want to watch the match, you want to live and breathe your team and your club and everything,” says Hanif Karimi, who follows Everton home and away. “Instead you’re spending your evenings reading through reports just to see what they’ve done to us.” Continue reading...

Football Daily | Is a Swiss-style end for FA Cup replays worth trading the family silver for?

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now!You’ve probably heard of the Swiss system. Come on, you know: “The Swiss system is used for competitions in which there are too many entrants for a full round-robin (all-play-all) to be feasible, and eliminating any competitors before the end of the tournament is undesirable. \[1\].” That’s the format next season’s Big Cup group stage will be played within. And thereafter, until a Uefa suit eventually clocks that 36 teams playing each other on a rota devised by a supercomputer until late January to cut down to the same 16 that usually fill the knockouts is few people’s idea of appointment viewing in an age of TV on demand and YouTube sensations.Re: yesterday’s Football Daily letters. Oh the decline! Alex Jackson’s packed pub with seven (seven!) hand pumps on show versus Olivier Bernard’s empty pub with only two hand pumps and lots of fizzy cr@p like C@rling! How we mourn the good old days” – Rob Worsfold (and no other possible members of Camra).Nice to see Carlo Ancelotti taking to bed with Tin in yesterday’s missive. Weird Uncle Carlo, anybody?” – Gerry Rickard.I cannot help but notice that one sure-fire way to get one’s letter published appears to be to include a link to a (somewhat) spectacular/hilarious/lesser-known clip on YouTube. Since, as a Gooner, I have nothing particularly funny to say, and since my country of adoption has the preposterously named Canadian Premier League (which is definitely not a step-up from MLS), I thought I would give it a try by linking to this spectacularly misguided goalline clearance from a couple of years ago involving my ‘home’ team, the Halifax Wanderers. (The visiting team, humbly named ‘Valour FC’, did actually score and won the game once they subbed the wandering player off)” – Pierre Igot.Re: Football Daily Pro Evo names (letters passim). Surely Barry would be Gary Blendenning ” – Tim Jones. Continue reading...

‘That goal kickstarted an era’: how Mark Robins saved Alex Ferguson

As the Coventry manager prepares to meet his old club, his former United teammates discuss that goal in 1990Legend has it that Mark Robins saved the career of an ailing Manchester United manager in 1990. On Sunday at Wembley he could influence the future of another. When Robins was 20, amid a United run of 11 matches without a league win, Alex Ferguson hoped his young striker could provide a much-needed spark in a January FA Cup tie at Nottingham Forest – and it worked.United went on to beat Crystal Palace in an FA Cup final replay and 34 years later Robins will lead Coventry against his former club in the semi-finals. Winning the competition arguably rescued Ferguson’s job in a season when United finished 13th in the First Division. The then chairman, Martin Edwards, always denied Ferguson was on the brink but the results were grim. A loss at the City Ground could have proven fatal but local boy Robins ensured United marched on. Continue reading...

Hayes’ Chelsea legacy is untarnished even if final season ends trophyless | Suzanne Wrack

Ominous Barcelona side are in the way to another Champions League final but recent missteps pale against her achievementsEmma Hayes steps into the technical area at the Estadi Olímpic on Saturday after a draining few weeks on and off the pitch. The task is huge. Over two legs, Hayes must navigate Chelsea past a Barcelona side who are laden with World Cup stars and play irresistible football to reach the Champions League final.This trophy is the only one to have eluded the manager during her 12 years with Chelsea and twice in the past three seasons Barça have stood in their way – inflicting a bruising 4-0 defeat in the Gothenburg final in 2021 and last year winning 2-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals. Continue reading...

Championship trapdoor grips clubs stifled by managerial conveyor belt | Will Unwin

Eight teams are fighting to avoid two relegation spots with short-term approaches holding them backIt is tough at the bottom of the Championship as a collection of former Premier League teams fight to avoid the ignominy of being relegated to the third tier. Six points separate eight clubs, with three games to play and two places below the red line up for grabs.There have been numerous routes taken to this point: some clubs had woeful starts, others dipped in the winter and one never got going. What they have in common is the use of the manager conveyor belt. Few have found any degree of philosophy or style, instead overhauling squads to suit the latest dugout dweller, leaving them gasping for air. The bottom nine clubs have had 24 managers between them – give or take a caretaker or two – and are reaping what they sowed. Continue reading...

Luke Garrard will leave Boreham Wood a legend – even if they go down | Steven Pye

The manager has given fans memories for life over the last nine years. Keeping them up on Saturday would be a perfect endBy Steven Pye for the Guardian Sport NetworkAll good things must come to an end. After nine years at the helm, Boreham Wood manager Luke Garrard takes charge of his last match for the club on Saturday. There will be a few crying eyes at Meadow Park. Hopefully there will also be tears of happiness and relief after the club’s final game of the season against Ebbsfleet. At the end of a tough campaign, the Wood face 90 crucial minutes to stay in the fifth tier. Win and they stay up. Anything else and it’s the drop.A win would neatly bookend the reign of the man who has brought so much joy to the Hertfordshire club. When chairman Danny Hunter appointed Garrard in October 2015, the 30-year-old became the youngest manager in the top five divisions. Keeping Boreham Wood in the National League was going to be a tall order. A former Wood player, Garrard had been assistant to Ian Allinson as the club were promoted after a Conference South playoff final win over Whitehawk. The club had never played at this level before and, just to make the job a little harder, Allinson resigned a few months into the season. Continue reading...

MLS power rankings: new rules hand an edge to Messi and Miami

San Jose have goalkeeping problems, the Whitecaps are defending in a unique way and Miami are given a helping handWelcome back to the Guardian’s MLS Power Rankings, where I have a beef with your specific team and your specific team alone.MLS roster rules might be changing in the middle of the season, but as for this column? It’s following the same format as it has all season. We’re still ranking teams from worst to first. But along with the rankings, we’re diving deep into a handful of teams from around the league who are doing particularly interesting things. Continue reading...

FA Cup replays fall victim to scramble for cash and chaotic decision-making | Paul MacInnes

FA’s latest move reflects a further weakening of the game’s heritage and will only boost the argument for independent regulationIf you had been following the back pages over the past few months the changes to the format of the FA Cup would not have come as a surprise. Last month the Daily Mail reported that replays were to be scrapped, and a shift in the date of the final has been mooted for longer. It says a lot about the state of football in England, however, that the news did come as a surprise to many within the game. The outrage that accompanied it was perhaps less shocking.The game is facing governance challenges from a number of directions, some of which directly led to the new arrangements for the Cup. From next season, each of Uefa’s three club tournaments is to expand, from 32 to 36 teams, with eight fixtures for each side competing in the league phase. There will be more matches over more midweeks and room needs to be made in the calendar to accommodate them. To that effect, fewer replays for Premier League sides in January to March would be welcomed by them. Continue reading...

Premier League and FA Cup semis: 10 things to look out for this weekend

Two big Wembley meetings await in the Cup, while a desperation derby looks to be in store at Goodison ParkThere was a distinct end-of-season vibe at the Gtech Community Stadium after Brentford’s win over Sheffield United, with Thomas Frank and his players performing what amounted to a lap of honour as they took plaudits from fans relieved that the spectre of relegation had finally been banished. Of course only time will tell if the Bees become the first Premier League team to decamp to the metaphorical beach and Saturday’s match at Luton will provide a fair indication. Ravaged by injury with up to 11 players likely to be unavailable, Luton were on a hiding to nothing in their game against Manchester City but still emerged from the rout with their heads held high having restricted the champions to a one-goal lead until their capitulation after the hour mark. It is increasingly difficult to compliment Rob Edwards’ side without sounding condescending, but if it transpires that the Brentford side that turns up in Bedfordshire has mentally tapped out, the Premier League’s most dashing manager, his players and their fans are unlikely to have any complaints whatsoever. Barry GlendenningLuton v Brentford, Premier League, Saturday 3pm (all times BST)Sheffield United v Burnley, Premier League, Saturday 3pmManchester City v Chelsea, FA Cup semi-final, Saturday 5.15pm Continue reading...

‘Playing against 14’: Michail Antonio hits out at officials after West Ham’s exit

Striker criticises refereeing after aggregate loss to LeverkusenDavid Moyes laments lack of ‘fresh legs’ but hails ‘terrific effort’ Michail Antonio hit out at the refereeing and said that it was like “playing against 14” after West Ham lost their Europa League quarter-final to Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 on aggregate.David Moyes’s side made a spirited attempt to recover from their 2-0 defeat in the first leg and were dreaming of knocking out the newly crowned Bundesliga champions after Antonio scored early on at the London Stadium. Continue reading...

Jürgen Klopp defends Salah’s finishing after Liverpool exit Europa League

Salah scores penalty but misses big chance against AtalantaKlopp: ‘We didn’t lose the tie tonight, we lost it at home’Jürgen Klopp said Liverpool squandered their Europa League chances at Anfield last week and insisted Mohamed Salah’s wastefulness was not the cause of their quarter-final exit against Atalanta.Liverpool were unable to overturn a 3-0 first leg deficit in the quarter-final despite dominating the first half and Salah scoring an early penalty. A 1-0 win signalled the last European game of Klopp’s Liverpool reign. The Liverpool manager admitted the failure to add a second goal was crucial in Bergamo but refused to pin the blame on Salah, who was guilty of the biggest miss. Continue reading...

English clubs’ hopes of extra Champions League spot hanging by a thread

Liverpool and West Ham exits likely to mean no fifth spotGermany well set to join Italy in claiming extra placeThe Premier League’s hopes of securing an extra spot in next season’s expanded Champions League are hanging by a thread after the exits of Manchester City and Arsenal from this season’s competition on Wednesday were followed by those of West Ham and Liverpool from the Europa League on Thursday. Germany are the strong favourites to pip England to the prize.The situation has ramped up the pressure in the battle between Aston Villa and Tottenham for a fourth-placed Premier League finish. Villa are fourth, three points ahead of Spurs, who have a game in hand. Continue reading...

Kyle Walker urges Manchester City to channel the pain after ‘cruellest’ defeat

Domestic double the target after Champions League exitFA Cup tie against Chelsea a chance to ‘do something special’Kyle Walker says Manchester City must channel the anguish of their Champions League exit at the hands of Real Madrid into the pursuit of a domestic double. The 33-year-old spoke of the cruelty of Wednesday night’s penalty shootout defeat by Madrid, which followed a second leg at the Etihad Stadium that City dominated from the start of the second half of normal time.The Premier League champions face Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on Saturday and are two points clear of Arsenal and Liverpool at the top of the league with six matches to play. Continue reading...

Liverpool comeback falls short against Atalanta despite early Salah goal

Jürgen Klopp has taken Liverpool to four European finals, one Champions League trophy and places that players and fans alike may never have imagined possible but a journey that enriched his reign is over. There will be no fairytale ending in Dublin after one more feat of escapology proved beyond Klopp’s team against Atalanta.The 91st European game of Klopp’s nine-year Liverpool tenure was also his last despite a much-improved display and victory against Gian Piero Gasperini’s shaky, nervous but ultimately euphoric side. “If we fail, then let’s fail in the most beautiful way,” Klopp had said on the eve of the Europa League quarter-final second leg. Liverpool could not quite deliver. Mohamed Salah converted an early penalty that decided the game but could not transform the tie, however much Liverpool threatened to overturn a 3-0 first-leg deficit during a dominant first-half performance. Continue reading...

Leverkusen knock out West Ham as Frimpong’s strike saves unbeaten run

Bayer Leverkusen will be waking up with sore heads again. Their treble hopes remains alive, as does their sheen of invincibility, but only just. After the beer-stained celebrations that followed their regal charge to the Bundesliga title, Xabi Alonso’s side looked groggy on a pulsating night at the London Stadium and can count themselves lucky to be in a Europa League semi-final against Roma after beating West Ham 3-1 on aggregate.The home fans responding to Jeremie Frimpong’s late equaliser extending Leverkusen’s unbeaten run to 44 matches with rueful applause spoke volumes. West Ham gave everything in their pursuit of a comeback and had the chances to turn the tie around after taking an early lead through Michail Antonio. Continue reading...

West Ham v Bayer Leverkusen: Europa League quarter-final, second leg – live

Europa League quarter-final, 8pm BST kick-off (first leg: 0-2)Atalanta v Liverpool: join Michael Butler for our MBMLive scoreboard | Read Football Daily | Drop Daniel an emailI wonder why Alonso has made those changes. Frimpong certainly seemed to celebrate well the other day but I imagine the rotation is because he’s got the Cup, Europe and the unbeaten record to defend so, with a 2-0 lead, this is a decent time to make changes – especially given the quality of his squad. On which point, I’m really looking forward to seeing who arrives in the summer, because one big sale plus Champions League money equals decent scope in the market.The return of Jarrod Bowen is a massive boon for West Ham. Obviously he scores goals, but more than that, he’s stepped up a level this season – this isn’t a run of form º and his teammates know they can rely on him. Continue reading...

Atalanta v Liverpool: Europa League quarter-final, second leg – live

Europa League quarter-final, 8pm BST kick-off (first leg: 3-0)West Ham v Bayer Leverkusen: join our MBM reportLive scoreboard | Read Football Daily | Send Michael a mailThe teams are out. It is worth noting that four Atalanta players – Djimsiti, Hien, Kolasinac, De Roon – are a booking away from a suspension. That’s the back three and the most defensive of Atalanta’s midfielders. De Roon was brilliant at centre back at Anfield but moved back into his more familiar midfield role today.No Liverpool players are carrying a yellow card to their name. Continue reading...

Martínez the tainted hero as Aston Villa beat Lille in controversial shootout

Long before Emiliano Martínez was booked for time-wasting 39 minutes into this tempestuous knockout tie, there was an air of inevitability that the Aston Villa goalkeeper would prove the hero. So he was, with Martínez saving superbly from Nabil Bentaleb and Benjamin André in a 4-3 penalty shootout victory after Matty Cash’s speculative late strike prevented Lille from advancing and took the game to extra time. Martínez was mobbed by his teammates, Morgan Rogers jumping for a piggyback as Villa’s players charged towards their delirious supporters stationed high in the stand at the opposite end. That, however, is only half of the story.The whole game boiled down to a ludicrous crescendo, Martínez the centre of attention. Of course, he relished being the pantomime villain as he took on a French team for the first time since his World Cup heroics for Argentina in Qatar, when he thwarted Kingsley Coman from 12 yards, and he was up to his old tricks. His every touch was jeered from the off by the locals and, already on a booking, he was cautioned again by the referee, Ivan Kruzliak, during the spot-kicks after being warned for gamesmanship – another dollop of shithousery, you could say – but avoided being sent off and leaving Villa in the unprecedented scenario of being without a goalkeeper for the rest of the shootout because cautions are not carried forward into penalties. At the time, nobody seemed too sure. Continue reading...

Manchester City’s gripping system failure offers glimmer of hope to others | Barney Ronay

Madrid being cast as underdogs is a grotesque measure of where we are but absorbing tie was a telling clash of contrastsIt turns out Pep Guardiola was right after all. Manchester City’s pursuit of the double-treble will now remain “a hypothetical dream”.This was Pep’s own excellent phrase before Wednesday’s second leg against Real Madrid, a formulation that suggests even Guardiola’s dreams are full of theory, algebra, hypotheticals, like a footballing version of Evelyn Waugh’s professor Silenus, the modernist architect who doesn’t sleep but instead lies in the dark for eight hours with his eyes shut doing high-speed calculations, before rising at dawn to design another machine-age masterpiece. Continue reading...

Arsenal eye Alexander Isak and Michael Olise in search for striker and winger

Club’s owners ready to back Mikel Arteta in transfer marketSporting’s Viktor Gyökeres has also been heavily linkedArsenal are targeting a striker and winger in the summer to strengthen Mikel Arteta’s squad after their hopes of reaching a first Champions League semi-final since 2009 were ended by Bayern Munich.Successive defeats against Aston Villa and Bayern have left Arsenal’s chances of silverware this season relying on Manchester City slipping up in the Premier League title race with six games to play after Arteta’s side finished as runners-up last year. There have been signs of ­progress since more than £200m was spent last summer on Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurriën Timber but the owner, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE), recognises that Arteta’s squad needs significant strengthening to help them take the next step. Continue reading...

‘An absolute disgrace’: decision to scrap FA Cup replays met with fury

A deal concocted in corridors of power, says Tranmere’s PaliosWinter break also removed for longer period between seasonsNew changes to the format of the FA Cup, including an end to replays and the final being played during the league season, have been met with strong criticism with the decision-making process described as an “absolute disgrace”.Replays are to be dropped from the first round onwards from next season and the final moved to the penultimate weekend of the Premier League campaign, as part of a deal agreed between the FA and Premier League. Mark Bullingham, the FA’s chief executive, said the agreement would secure “a strong format for the future” for a trophy that continues to generate the majority of the FA’s income. The Premier League is understood to have argued that change was necessary due to the expansion of European fixtures from next season. For smaller clubs that traditionally stood to benefit from replays, however, this perspective has not been shared. Continue reading...

Football Daily | Real Madrid and Ancelotti always find a way. How do they do it?

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now!Maybe Fede Valverde, Real Madrid’s man of the match at the Etihad, said it best: “Against all odds. Acting like dead people. THIS IS FOOTBALL HERITAGE REAL MADRID.” Yes, Manchester City are out, Madrid are through, water is wet. Stick your xG, bookies’ odds, possession stats, and moral victories. Liam Gallagher, Ricky Hatton, Jason Manford, your boys took one hell of a beating. So Madrid continued their inevitable march towards another Big Cup semi-final, their 12th in the last 14 years. Sometimes over the years they have bullied and swaggered their way to victory, through Sergio Ramos headers or Gareth Bale bicycle kicks. Sometimes, as on Wednesday, they have grafted, ridden their luck, found a goal or a pass or a tackle from nowhere, watched as their opponents have inexplicably squandered their chances – like a Bond villain missing a point-blank shot with an automatic weapon, only to see 007 cling on for dear life and triumph at the last. Madrid always find a way. Carlo Ancelotti always finds a way. How do they do it?Seeing Pompey’s John Mousinho referred to as the ‘Pro Evo version of the Special One’ (yesterday’s Football Daily) got me wondering: what would the Football Daily Pro Evo equivalents be? Mack Russian and Barney Greatending have a nice ring to them” – Tom Murray-Rust.Re: yesterday’s Memory Lane (full email edition). Footballers do actually still run pubs, even in the modern era. I’d like to nominate Newcastle United’s former French left-back Olivier Bernard and give a big shout out to The Masons Arms in Blyth. It’s always worth name-checking Ollie for an excuse to watch this again and again” – Jason Rohan.This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions. Continue reading...

A US Premier League game would be wildly popular – and demean everyone

Fifa is considering a policy change that would allow leagues to play domestic matches overseas, reopening one of football’s most squalid ideasThe dream – or nightmare – of a 39th Premier League match in America has drawn a little closer. After reaching a settlement with US promoter Relevent Sports, Fifa last week signaled it will consider changes to its policy of blocking league matches from being played outside the league’s home country. The indication that Fifa’s thinking on the issue may be evolving in a more flexible direction will be welcomed by Europe’s top clubs and deplored by football traditionalists.For clubs, the commercial case is clear. This is an argument anchored not in culture but money. The work of evangelizing soccer is already done; the sport is not like American football, say, or rugby league, or basketball, or even cricket, which are still trawling the globe for converts and regularly hold matches overseas. In the world of professional sport, football is No 1 and probably always will be. Taking chunks of the European domestic season on the road represents a juicy financial opportunity, potentially unlocking valuable revenue to help weather the storm of a newly restrictive regulatory environment and bringing teams closer to the millions of football fans who live outside Europe. Continue reading...

Bayern Munich’s Musiala emerges as top target for Guardiola at Manchester City

German club could demand huge fee for 21-year-oldOther City targets include Lucas Paquetá and Eberechi EzeManchester City are planning a big push to sign Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala this summer. Pep Guardiola wants more options in attacking midfield and Musiala is emerging as his top target.Bayern will not want to lose the Germany international, who has two years on his deal, and could ward off suitors by demanding a huge fee. The 21-year-old, who can play in a variety of positions in attack, has made impressive strides since leaving Chelsea five years ago and is a key player for the Bundesliga side. Continue reading...

As City and Arsenal exit Europe, is the Premier League really the world’s best? | Max Rushden

In a game where Eric Dier is among those who moved abroad and kicked on, plenty believe the English arrogance is realIt’s that Mitchell and Webb sketch reprised. Premier League fans looking around nervously. Are we … the farmers? (credit to Charlie on X who asked me this question). How can we carry on if the Premier League isn’t “The Greatest League In The World”™? The Champions League quarter-finals have been a salutary reminder that there are good footballers in good football teams managed by good coaches who happen to play in other countries. You may be reading this after the Europa and Conference League games – who knows what state the coefficient will be in after Thursday’s Europa and Conference League games.Best League in the World is an easy throwaway line. It feels very Barclays, very early days of the Premier League. Pump this up. Hype it up. Every game is great. We can’t have dead air. Football fans deserve more credit. For every great advert, for every Chelsea 4-4 Manchester City, there’s a Manchester City 0-0 Arsenal. And that’s OK. We love football because games are different: some are wild, some are tense, some are brilliant, some are terrible, and just give you a good chance to catch up with whoever you sit next to. We put the hours in – we know this stuff. It’s actually part of football’s joy. Continue reading...

Champions League team of the week: Kimmich breaks record … and Arsenal

A round packed with goals brought us a smiling Ousmane Dembélé, a frustrated Bukayo Saka and match-winning performance from a goalkeeperIf Tuesday night’s Champions League second legs tipped one way and then the other with attacking flair, then Wednesday was a night for grit to win the day – and English football to be the loser. It also brought a restoration of the old order, with Bayern and Real Madrid to meet in the semi-finals.Goalkeeper: Andriy Lunin, Real Madrid Continue reading...

Manchester City and Arsenal crash out of Champions League – Football Weekly Extra

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Nicky Bandini, Lars Sivertsen and Sid Lowe as Real Madrid and Bayern account for Manchester City and Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-finalsRate, review, share on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud, Acast and Stitcher, and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and email.On the podcast today: you can never write off Real Madrid. Manchester City dominated them for almost the entire 120 minutes, but they stayed in it and ultimately went through on penalties to exorcise the demons from their collapse at the Etihad last year. Continue reading...

Women’s Champions League: where the semi-finals will be won and lost

Chelsea must be wary of Caroline Graham Hansen while PSG will look to capitalise on Tabitha Chawinga’s speed against LyonMoving the Goalposts: sign up for our free newsletterThis weekend brings the first legs of the Women’s Champions League semi-finals and I am particularly intrigued to see how my old club Chelsea approach their tie against Barcelona. This is the third encounter between the clubs in the space of four seasons and it will be interesting to see what Chelsea’s coaching staff have learned from those previous games – the 2021 final and 2023 semi-final, which both ended in defeat.To draw on my recollections of playing in those matches, in 2021 we went into the final with a high press and the attitude that ‘we’re going to do our thing’. But we all know how that worked out – within 20 minutes we’d conceded three times and by half-time it was 4-0, which is how that final finished. Continue reading...

‘It’s why we went abroad’: Kane relishes semi-final clash with Real’s Bellingham

Bayern Munich striker looking forward to Champions League tieKane admits Wednesday’s win over Arsenal ‘feels amazing’Harry Kane says the Champions League semi-final meeting between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid justifies the decisions he and Jude Bellingham made to continue their careers on the continent.Two of England’s biggest stars will face each other in 12 days’ time after their clubs overcame Arsenal and Manchester City respectively. A final on familiar territory at Wembley will be at stake and Kane welcomed the match-up with his international teammate, who has enjoyed a stellar season since moving to Spain from Borussia Dortmund last June. Continue reading...

Jeff Reine-Adélaïde: ‘It was obvious Mikel Arteta would go on to be a manager one day’

The former Arsenal prodigy rebuilding his career in Belgium with RWD Molenbeek hopes his old club can win the Premier LeagueWhen Jeff Reine-Adélaïde was looking for a new club last year, he had plenty of interest. But the former Arsenal teenage prodigy, who had joined Lyon for €25m in 2019 after resurrecting his career at Angers, kept being asked the same thing.“A lot of teams wanted me last summer but the question was if I was really ready to play a full season,” he says. “I could understand that they were scared after my injuries because I had only played a few games and I wasn’t starting much.” Continue reading...

'We lacked that magic moment': Mikel Arteta rues small margins in Arsenal defeat by Bayern – video

Mikel Arteta said Arsenal 'lacked that magic moment' after losing to Bayern Munich and missing out on a first Champions League semi-final since 2009. Joshua Kimmich’s second-half goal was enough to secure a 3-2 aggregate win. 'I thought we had the capacity and the quality to win the semi-finals because the margins have been very small,' Arteta said. 'But those margins are coming from something else that maybe we don't have yet and we have to learn it.'‘Small margins’: Arteta says Arsenal have plenty to learn after Bayern defeatArsenal knocked out by Bayern after Kimmich header secures last-four spotHardened Bayern show true colours and hand Arteta biggest challenge Continue reading...

'I don't have any regrets': Pep Guardiola proud of Man City performance after shootout loss – video

Manchester City came from behind in their quarter-final second leg at the ­Etihad Stadium, after Kevin De Bruyne’s 76th-minute strike cancelled out Rodrygo’s opener early in the first half. Despite the holders dominating ­possession, Real held on until the end of extra-time and eventually prevailed following a penalty shootout. 'We did everything, I don't have any regrets with what we have done,' said Guardiola. Continue reading...

City fail to deliver cutting edge as Madrid’s will to power shines through | Barney Ronay

Holders still played like champions of Europe for long periods but a lack of decisive end product proved their undoingPep Guardiola had talked about the need to suffer before this game. OK then. It’s a deal. This was a gripping, gruelling, sky blue migraine of a football match, one that Manchester City really didn’t deserve to lose, but which somehow always felt like it was slipping from their grasp even during a second half when City seemed to be very slowly, carefully, methodically pulling the legs off this Real Madrid team.There will be no double-treble now after Madrid’s victory on penalties. But City still played like champions of Europe for long periods. They took Madrid into a horrible place. These are not footballers accustomed chasing and covering, waiting for the blow to fall. At times it felt as though Real spent the last hour of this game desperately trying to take it to a replay back at their tiny ground with a corrugated roof. Continue reading...

‘No regrets’: Guardiola proud that City did ‘everything’ despite European exit

Guardiola admits Real Madrid ‘a little bit better’ in shootout‘Football is about scoring goals … they are in the semi-finals’Pep Guardiola claimed he had “no regrets” after Manchester City’s dream of a ­double-treble ended in the heartbreak of a 4-3 penalty shootout defeat by Real Madrid on a night when Arsenal also crashed out of the Champions League, their 1-0 loss at Bayern Munich consigning them to a 3-2 aggregate defeat.City came from behind in their quarter-final second leg at the ­Etihad Stadium, Kevin De Bruyne’s 76th-minute strike cancelling out Rodrygo’s opener early in the first half. Yet despite the holders dominating ­possession, Real held on until the end of extra time and eventually prevailed from the spot. Continue reading...

‘Small margins’: Arteta says Arsenal have plenty to learn after Bayern defeat

Manager says team ‘gutted’ after quarter-final exit in Germany‘Those margins are coming from something. We have to learn it’Mikel Arteta said Arsenal’s players were “gutted” after losing to Bayern Munich and missing out on a first Champions League semi-final since 2009. Joshua Kimmich’s second-half goal was enough to secure a 3-2 aggregate win.Arsenal were visibly disconsolate at the end and Arteta admitted they fell just short in a tightly-contested tie. “At the moment it is a gutted dressing room,” he said. “We are very disappointed. We have to go through it. We tried against a team with a lot of experience. Through the tie the margins have been very small.” Continue reading...

Hardened Bayern show true colours and hand Arteta biggest challenge | Ed Aarons

After Champions League elimination, Arsenal manager must pick up his jaded squad to keep fight alive for Premier LeagueRoughly translated, Bayern Munich’s motto “mia san mia” means “we are who we are”. On a night when Arsenal were hoping to reach the Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 2009, it was Thomas Tuchel’s side who showed that there is no substitute for experience when it comes to this competition.Having now joined a select band including José Mourinho and Pep Guardiola to lead a side to the last four with three different clubs, Tuchel knows what it takes to go all the way. Yet while the Bayern manager did his chances of finding new employers this summer no harm, after a vastly improved second-half display ended Arsenal’s dream of winning this competition for the first time, Mikel Arteta now faces one of the biggest challenges of his managerial career as he attempts to pick up his jaded squad after a week that has played out exactly how he must have feared it would. Continue reading...

Real Madrid dethrone Manchester City after Rüdiger holds nerve in shootout

Antonio Rüdiger had been booed throughout because the Manchester City support had not forgotten what he did as a Chelsea player to Kevin De Bruyne in the 2021 Champions League final; the forearm smash that put their midfielder out of the game, which they would lose.Rüdiger was a central figure here and, with his Real Madrid team leading through Rodrygo’s early goal, it was his fluffed clearance that played a part in De Bruyne’s 76th-minute equaliser, the goal that looked set to even the score on more than one level. Rüdiger would err again at the end of the first period of extra time, tiptoeing into an excellent position to the left of goal only to slice wide. Continue reading...

Real Madrid beat Manchester City on penalties in Champions League quarter-final – live

Champions League updates from Etihad, kick-off 8pm BSTBayern Munich 1-0 Arsenal (agg: 3-2) Get in touch with Barry | Live scoreboard: Wednesday’s latestPep Guardiola: With our people, we feel safe, we feel protected, we feel supported,” said the Manchester City manager in his pre-match press conference. “We know we can handle momentum. We are going for it. We have a gameplan we believe in, and we are going for it. If we lose, we lose. We shake hands – Real Madrid will deserve it. I want us to play and deserve to be in the semi-finals.“You have to adjust something from Bernabeu - the result was good, but we have to perform a little better. We have the last training session, and we will talk about that and hopefully go through. We need to feel the pressure - we don’t want to lose the game. We need hunger to compete. It is true we feel more comfortable because we have won \[this competition now\]. Our people at home will help us a lot. You can’t for 90 minutes, all the time, be better, you have to suffer.” Continue reading...

Rangers’ Premiership title hopes dented again by goalless draw at Dundee

Rangers’ regression continued with a goalless draw at Dundee, which further dented their increasingly fragile title hopes.Philippe Clement’ side lost for the first time ever against Ross County on Sunday in their poorest performance since the Belgian took charge last October, and he was looking for a reaction at Dens Park. But in a game played at the third time of asking after the pitch was twice ruled unplayable, there was no improvement. Continue reading...

Arsenal knocked out by Bayern after Kimmich header secures last-four spot

It was a night when Bayern Munich lived up to their assertions that, when the Champions League comes around, they are an altogether different beast. Perhaps the obituaries were written too quickly for a troubled superpower that, on this evidence, retains the muscle memory of serial winners. They are two games from visiting Wembley in search of a seventh continental title and the manner in which a depleted side put the dampeners on Arsenal suggests Thomas Tuchel may yet sign off from his fleeting tenure by making an irresistible point.This was, nonetheless, a missed opportunity for Mikel Arteta and his players. Arsenal had a clear foothold in the game after producing an accomplished first half but were outplayed after the interval and left feeling distinctly flat. The fact is they departed with a whimper and it was impossible to shake the sense that, ultimately, they did not quite back themselves enough. Bukayo Saka’s unwise decision not to shoot when presented with a deliciously located free-kick deep into added time was emblematic of the gulf in clarity between these sides. Continue reading...

Bayern Munich 1-0 Arsenal (agg: 3-2): Champions League quarter-final, second leg – live

Champions League updates from Allianz Arena, kick-off 8pm BSTManchester City v Real Madrid – follow it liveGet in touch with Scott | Live scoreboard – Wednesday’s latest5 min: That early attack has got the Bayern fans hollering again. So much for Arsenal’s opening stadium-shushing gambit, then.3 min: Sane probes down the right. He makes it into the box and attempts to work space to shoot, but then pings Kimmich in on the overlap. Kimmich dinks across to Kane, who tries to steer a shot into the bottom right. The ball bobbles wide. That was a dangerous move. Continue reading...

Hamano and Buchanan power Chelsea past Aston Villa to go top of WSL

Chelsea shrugged off the disappointment of their FA Cup semi-final exit to climb back above Manchester City at the top of the Women’s Super League with a 3-0 defeat of Aston Villa.An opening goal from Aggie Beever-Jones and first Chelsea goals for Maika Hamano and Kadeisha Buchanan ensured victory over 10-player Villa, after goalkeeper Anna Leat was sent off five minutes in for handling the ball outside her area. Continue reading...

Chelsea 3-0 Aston Villa: Women’s Super League – live reaction

WSL updates from the 7pm BST kick-off at KingsmeadowGet in touch with Sarah | Live scoreboard: Wednesday’s latestDo send in any snack chat you have, tonight I am tucking into some chocolate digestives for this clash. Another topic which I would like to hear your thoughts on is what legacy Emma Hayes will leave in the WSL when she leaves at the end of the season. You can get in touch via email or X (@rendellx)Aston Villa boss Carla Ward said on Rachel Daly, who plays for the first time tonight since announcing her international retirement: “Daly is a top professional, she has inspired many and she will continue to do so. In the week I have said England’s loss is Villa’s gain.” Continue reading...

‘If we fail, fail in the most beautiful way’: Klopp calls for special Liverpool display

Klopp evokes memories of comeback against Barcelona in 2019Gasperini says game is among Atalanta’s most important everJürgen Klopp evoked memories of Liverpool’s famous Champions League comeback against Barcelona before their Europa League quarter-final second leg with Atalanta and said: “If we fail, then let’s fail in the most beautiful way.”Liverpool find themselves in a similar predicament to that unforgettable 2019 semi-final second leg with a 3-0 deficit to overturn against the Italian team on Thursday. Klopp was reluctant to draw comparisons with the Barcelona game, on the basis of Liverpool’s poor performance against Atalanta last Thursday and the absence of the Anfield factor. But he admitted the situation reminded him of a line he used in a rousing pre-match speech before the 4-0 triumph over Lionel Messi and co, and urged Liverpool to give everything to rescue their Europa League campaign. Continue reading...

Stoke to pay for Kayleigh McDonald’s ACL surgery after her GoFundMe plea

Defender sustained injury in game against Burnley last monthClub agree to fund operation after player laments ‘worst news’Stoke City have agreed to pay for a player in their women’s team to undergo surgery on an anterior cruciate ligament injury after she started a GoFundMe page in order to cover the necessary costs.Kayleigh McDonald sustained the injury during Stoke’s 2-1 defeat to Burnley in the Women’s National League North last month and, having undergone a scan, claims she was told by the club that she would have to join an NHS waiting list in order to receive treatment. Desperate to be operated on “in a more timely manner”, McDonald, a defender who joined Stoke from Blackburn last summer, decided to go down the private healthcare route, costing £20,000 – hence the setting up of the fundraiser. Continue reading...

Xabi Alonso hopes for no Leverkusen hangover at West Ham in Europa League

Head coach has no fears of comedown after Bundesliga title winDavid Moyes buoyed by possible return of Areola and PhillipsXabi Alonso is confident Bayer Leverkusen will not suffer from a hangover when looking to maintain their treble charge by pressing home their advantage over West Ham in the Europa League.Leverkusen, who are unbeaten in 43 matches in all competitions this season, celebrated wildly after ­winning the first Bundesliga title in the club’s history on Sunday. ­Alonso’s players downed giant glasses of beer after their emphatic 5-0 win over Werder Bremen and there have been suggestions that they could be off their game in the second leg of their quarter-final against West Ham, who lost 2-0 in Germany last week. Continue reading...

Georgia footballers protest against Tbilisi’s ‘foreign influence’ bill

Captain of national men’s team among those posting apparently coordinated social media messagesLeading players in Georgia’s national men’s football team have backed mass protests sparked by a “foreign influence” bill criticised for mirroring a repressive Russian law.Riot police have clashed in recent nights with large rallies of people protesting outside the parliament building in Tbilisi against the bill, which is viewed in Brussels as a threat to future EU membership. Continue reading...

Football Daily | Portsmouth party like there’s no tomorrow after going through wringer

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now!Where was the most happening place on Tuesday night? With Mbappé’s boys in Barcelona? Among a stream of yellow flags in Westphalia? No, as much as we love Big Cup, the game does exist outside of it. The most exuberant celebrations were on the south coast at Fratton Park, where Portsmouth, after 12 years of lower-league shenanigans, sealed their return to the big-time (Championship). Theatricality marked the occasion, too. A point was required for promotion; three to win League One. After 82 minutes they were heading towards none, trailing 2-1 to visitors Barnsley. A Colby Bishop penalty and Conor Shaughnessy header later, they were champions. Cue the final whistle, your bog-standard pitch invasion, and a party like no tomorrow for a fanbase that has been put through the wringer; for a while there, tomorrow didn’t seem to be on the cards.The bit about penalty arguments in yesterday’s Football Daily reminded me of Steve Nicol’s miss in the 1984 European Cup final shootout. With senior squad members arguing over the order the penalties were going to be taken (after the 1-1 draw against Roma in their own stadium) they turn round to see Nicol, then 22 and on as a sub, has taken matters into his own hands and is striding towards the penalty spot with the ball under his arm. As Nicol tells it: ‘For the only time in my career, I don’t feel in full control. I start my run-up. Then, midway through, I lift my head and look where I want to put the ball. A classic mistake. The ball soars over the bar.’ While some of the members of the team sympathised with the youngster, the ever-forgiving Mark Lawrenson walked up and said: ‘Unlucky Nico, you d1ckhead!’ Fortunately, the Italians’ own penalty blunders and Bruce Grobbelaar’s spaghetti legs got the lad out of trouble” – Martin McGrath.Tony Adams revealed he was due to take the penalty that made Gareth Southgate infamous, against Germany in the Euro 96 semi-final, but the current England manager stepped up instead as he felt confident that ‘he had this’. Oh Gareth!” – Alex Metcalfe.This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions. Continue reading...

Steve Evans quits Stevenage to take Rotherham job after Richardson sacked

Evans returns to club where he enjoyed success from 2012-15Richardson lost 18 of 24 games and oversaw relegationRotherham have appointed Steve Evans for a second spell in charge after sacking Leam Richardson.Richardson left on Wednesday morning after losing 18 of his 24 games, overseeing relegation to League One, and Evans was swiftly named as his replacement on a three-year deal after he quit as Stevenage’s manager. Continue reading...

Mesmerising drone footage shows Portsmouth fans filling pitch after winning League One – video

Stunning drone footage captured the moment Portsmouth fans stormed the pitch as they were crowned League One champions. Portsmouth return to the Championship after a 12-year absence. John Mousinho’s side twice hit back from behind to beat playoff hopefuls Barnsley 3-2. Fans can be seen celebrating in the centre of the pitch with the players and setting off smoke bombs. Portsmouth win promotion to Championship and League One title Continue reading...

Henry Winter’s surprise exit a sign of the fracturing evolution of the football media | Jonathan Liew

Times writer probably closest thing football journalism had to a celebrity but the game, and how we consume it, has changedFor more than three decades, English football media was a Winter wonderland. An eternal Winter. Winter extending an icy grip over the landscape. But even Winter, it seems, can end up being frozen out. Given the cold shoulder. It’s time to wrap up for Winter, now this particular Winter’s tale has reached its final chapter.That, with apologies, was the opening paragraph to a column about Henry Winter’s dismissal by the Times, written in the style of Henry Winter for the Times. On the other hand, it’s entirely possible you haven’t the faintest idea what, or who, I’m talking about. Which to an oblique and probably self-defeating extent is actually the point. Continue reading...

Ollie Watkins is a real contender to be Premier League player of the season

He has scored 19 goals and laid on 10 assists in the league – the best return for an Aston Villa striker in more than 40 yearsBy Ben McAleer for WhoScoredSome younger Aston Villa fans would be forgiven for not being aware of Peter Withe’s career. Withe was the last player to score 20 league goals in a season for the club, doing so in 1980-81, the last time Villa won the top flight. Withe’s goalscoring record has stood for more than 40 years but is likely to be broken before the season is out.Ollie Watkins scored his 19th league goal of the season on Sunday at the Emirates, potentially putting a nail in the coffin of Arsenal’s title challenge. Arsenal are just two points behind the leaders with six games to play, but the Manchester City juggernaut is relentless. This time last season they put together a run of 12 wins to secure the title, the first stage of a treble they are keen to repeat this year. Given how City are playing – they have not lost since their defeat at Villa Park in December – Watkins’ late strike on Sunday was a huge blow for Arsenal’s hunt for silverware. Continue reading...

The Knowledge | Premier League players representing countries with the lowest Fifa ranking

Plus: winning a title from way behind, even further-apart country clashes in the Euro and long-throw fatigueMail us your questions or tweet @TheKnowledge\_GU“Chris Wood is having a pretty good season,” begins Iain Cargill. “Being from New Zealand, whose Fifa ranking is 104, which Premier League players come from countries with lower Fifa rankings?”“If we discount players at clubs who have yet to make their first league appearance then Wood is the player from the second lowest-ranked country currently represented in the Premier League,” writes Tom Reed. “Marvelous Nakamba at Luton comes from 122nd-ranked Zimbabwe (all rankings measured from the current list).Gunnar Nielsen Manchester City 2009-10, ranked 125th with Faroe IslandsGaël Bigirimana Newcastle 2012-13, ranked 135th with BurundiStéphane Sessègnon Sunderland 2011-12, ranked 136th with BeninFlorent Hadergjonaj Huddersfield 2018-19, ranked 141st with KosovoHelder Costa Wolves 2018-19, ranked 142nd with Angola in January 2019Nathaniel Mendez-Laing Cardiff 2018-19, ranked 149th with GuatemalaEl Hadji Ba - Sunderland 2013-14, ranked 159th with MauritaniaAlex Nimely Manchester City 2009-10, ranked 161st with LiberiaDexter Blackstock Southampton 2004-05, ranked 163rd with Antigua and BarbudaAl Bangura and Albert Jarrett Watford 2006-07, ranked 165th with Sierra LeoneBobby Bowry Crystal Palace 1994-95, ranked 176th with St Kitts and NevisJason Roberts Blackburn 2007-08, ranked 176th with GrenadaZesh Rehman Fulham 2004-05, ranked 178th with PakistanEmerson Boyce Wigan 2012-13, ranked 178th with BarbadosModou Barrow Swansea 2016-16, ranked 179th with GambiaOnel Hernández Norwich 2019-20, ranked 179th with CubaVurnon Anita Newcastle 2013-14, ranked 183rd with CuraçaoKyle Lightbourne Coventry 1997-98, ranked 184th with BermudaMesca Fulham 2013-14, ranked 184th with Guinea-BissauNeil Danns Blackburn 2003-04, ranked 185th with GuyanaJordi Amat Swansea 2016-17, ranked 191st with IndonesiaFrédéric Nimani Burnley 2009-10, ranked 202nd with Central African RepublicRuel Fox Spurs 1998-99, ranked 202nd with Montserrat Continue reading...

Everton on the brink: questions over club’s finances are more urgent than ever

Time taken for Farhad Moshiri to attract new investors may have made a viable solution harder to find Everton fans are used to owner Farhad Moshiri telling them that better times will be arriving soon. He began his reign at the club in 2016 promising to give fans “whatever I have” – the type of soundbite he would continue to deliver during the following eight years. He promised fresh financing for the new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, a new star striker, and to bring in a wealthy and expert investor.In January 2023, Moshiri told Everton’s Fan Advisory Board: “The club is not for sale, but I have been talking to top investors of real quality to bridge a gap on the stadium. I can do it \[fund it\] myself … We are close to having a deal done.” Continue reading...

Football League: Portsmouth win promotion to Championship and title

Stockport win League Two, Mansfield go up, Forest Green downSouthampton beat Preston to boost automatic promotion hopesLate goals from Colby Bishop and Conor Shaughnessy confirmed Portsmouth’s return to the Championship after a 12-year absence. John Mousinho’s side twice hit back from behind to beat playoff hopefuls Barnsley 3-2 and ensure they will finish the season as champions, sparking celebrations at Fratton Park.Portsmouth seemed likely be frustrated in their search for the single point they needed in order to make certain of promotion when Devante Cole gave Barnsley an early lead then John McAtee restored the visitors’ advantage after Kusini Yengi’s equaliser. But Bishop levelled from the penalty spot in the 83rd minute and Shaughnessy headed in from a corner six minutes later to put the seal on Portsmouth’s promotion party. Continue reading...

Mbappé seals wild PSG comeback win as Barcelona implode after Araújo red

High in the Olympic stadium, the flares were lit. Way below, Kylian Mbappé had lept over the advertising boards and was running towards the 3,000 supporters who had travelled from France, his teammates chasing him across the track, celebrating wildly. There was a solitary minute remaining and, for all their domination, it had been on edge, but now it really was over: Paris Saint-Germain are heading into the semi-final of the Champions League, overturning a 3-2 first leg defeat at the Parc des Princes with a 4-1 victory in Catalonia; Barcelona, for a sixth season in a row, are not.This time, though, there was no collapse, and no shame. Barcelona had won away and although they had suffered here, they had competed against a side who may well be considered a favourite to reach the final, hanging on long enough to launch a late reaction that allowed them to believe in a way back, one last, unlikely chance. In the final minute, though, that hope was taken away when PSG, who had come from one down from the first leg and one in the second to lead 3-1 here, were able to run. Continue reading...

Borussia Dortmund’s Sabitzer sinks Atlético Madrid in seesaw thriller

Another raw and savage night of Champions League football at the Westfalen: the colours vivid, the sounds ear-shattering, the defences in utter disarray. And yet even as an elated Borussia Dortmund toasted this remarkable victory with the Yellow Wall, there remained the eternal question of whether they are ever going to allow us to take them seriously. Whether they will ever escape this riotously entertaining cycle of boom and bust. What kind of resistance they can offer against a Paris Saint-Germain side who have flaws of their own, to be sure, but do not struggle to punish porous, fidgety defences.It was a flawed and chaotic tie, a tie that felt like a whole psychodrama in its own right, a tie Dortmund effectively lost twice and then won twice. Late goals from Niclas Füllkrug and Marcel Sabitzer secured a first semi-final since 2013, and while Atlético admirably fought back early in the second half, in hindsight it felt like the last stand of a stumbling and broken team, a fibreglass facsimile of the battleships Diego Simeone used to produce. Continue reading...

Barcelona v PSG: Champions League quarter-final, second leg – live

Champions League updates, 8pm BST kick-off (first leg: 3-2)Live scoreboard | Read Football Daily | And send Scott a mail2 min: Mbappé runs at young Cubarsí but comes off second best, sprawling on the turf. He wants a foul, but play is waved on, correctly so. Great challenge by the 17-year-old defender. “In the First World War, the Turkish troops fought their own division in a thick fog while trying to progress in Russia,” writes Krishna Moorthy. “I always thought this was an exaggeration but after FCB fans attacking their own bus, I tend to believe it could actually have happened.”PSG get the ball rolling. Peter Oh isn’t finished, meanwhile. “Throwing stuff at your own team’s bus?! Mes Que Un Flub.” Continue reading...

Borussia Dortmund v Atlético Madrid: Champions League quarter-final, second leg – live

Champions League updates, 8pm BST kick-off (first leg: 1-2)Live scoreboard | Read Football Daily | And send Taha an email2 min: Hummels intercepts at the back and tries to bypass the midfield with a through ball, but it’s cut out.1 min: Dortmund see more of the ball in the opening exchanges, passing it around the back. Continue reading...

Arsenal arrive in Munich with destiny and opportunity still in their hands | Nick Ames

Sunday’s defeat by Aston Villa has added jeopardy, and Mikel Arteta knows ousting Bayern will take some doingArsenal landed in a gusty Munich aiming to show they have not been blown off course. A week is a long time in football and it was only last Tuesday, when Mikel Arteta’s players emerged for their first leg to a rapturous reception at the Emirates, that they were being favoured to dethrone a wobbly Bayern Munich. The picture has clouded since then and there is a sense of being caught between absolutes when the rematch kicks off on Wednesday night.If Arsenal overcome their depleted hosts, they will have achieved an outcome for the ages and can savour a first Champions League semi-final since 2009. Should Bayern make home advantage and elite-level lineage count, those hovering to sound the death knell on their season will form an orderly queue. At this point of a campaign the lightest breeze can resemble a hurricane, as was amply shown by the reaction to Aston Villa’s victory in north London on Sunday. Continue reading...

Cole Palmer’s imagination and audacity integral to Chelsea’s future

England prospect showcased his ingenuity by scoring four goals in Monday’s 6-0 Premier League thrashing of EvertonSometimes it is possible to watch football and know what is going to happen next. That’s Erling Haaland dispatching a one-on-one, or Virgil van Dijk coming out on top in a duel. Other times you watch not knowing, but hoping, the possibilities determined by your imagination. Such moments are less certain, but they are altogether more exciting, and Cole Palmer seems to revel in them.Moments such as the goal which sealed his hat-trick against Everton on Monday night. Intercepting Jordan Pickford’s clearance, the Chelsea forward could have done a number of things to make the goalkeeper pay, but he chose the most immediate, the most daring, the prettiest even. With Nicolas Jackson looking for a lay-off and yards of space in front of him, Palmer chose instead to hit an instant right-foot wedge shot from 35 yards. At first it seemed to loft too high into the west London night, but then the ball dipped, just in time, ducked under Pickford’s crossbar and set the crowd alight. Continue reading...

Jude Bellingham says joining Real Madrid was a ‘no-brainer’

England midfielder moved to Spain from Dortmund last summerBellingham faces Manchester City in Champions LeagueJude Bellingham has said joining Real Madrid was a “no-brainer” despite interest from many other elite clubs including Manchester City, who they face in Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final second leg.The midfielder signed for Real last summer from Borussia Dortmund in a deal worth up to £115m after discussions with a host of clubs. Bellingham was asked how close he came to joining the treble winners. Continue reading...

Emma Hayes hopes Chelsea players’ WSL success is never taken for granted

Chelsea Women have chance to go top with win over Aston VillaClub’s FA Cup and League Cup hopes over after recent defeats Emma Hayes has said she hopes Chelsea supporters do not begin to take her players for granted after an unprecedented successful period at the club.Hayes’s side welcome Aston Villa to Kingsmeadow on Wednesday night as they return to Women’s Super League action after two consecutive losses in cup competitions. Sunday’s FA Cup defeat to Manchester United followed a tempestuous loss to Arsenal in the Continental League Cup final. Continue reading...

Manchester City are holders, but Real Madrid’s kings must still be dethroned

Last year’s semi-final blitz at the Etihad was a triumphant night yet Pep Guardiola knows there is no guarantee of a repeatBlowing away Real Madrid in a Champions League semi-final second leg before their home crowd was the fantasy Manchester City made reality last spring. The challenge for the holders is to knock the Madridistas out again at the Etihad Stadium, and after the scintillating performance of a year ago there is no sense of inferiority.By the close of a seismic night at a jubilant Etihad Stadium Pep Guardiola’s team were 4-0 victors, 5-1 on aggregate, a step closer to the treble, and Carlo Ancelotti’s continental aristocrats were heading back to the Spanish capital shellshocked. Continue reading...

Football Daily | Football’s version of toddlers at a party fighting over the last piece of cake

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now!Having watched his team record their best result of the season against Everton, Mauricio Pochettino must have been thrilled that talk in his post-match press conference was dominated by talk of an unseemly squabble between several of his players over who should take a penalty. And while it might sound like we’re being facetious, nothing could be further from the truth – finally, the wider football world had been provided with incontrovertible evidence of what exactly the Argentinian has to put up with. An elite manager cast into a role more kindergarten cop than Jürgen Klopp, it has long been suspected that Pochettino has had foisted upon him a squad seriously lacking in wisdom and experience. And on Monday night, like two entitled toddlers at a party fighting over the last piece of cake, Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke proved the point when both tried to snatch a spot-kick from each other and their team’s designated penalty-taker. Ultimately neither petulant tantrum-thrower got their way and demonstrating effortless cool of the jazz musician his name suggests he should really be, Cole Palmer got to riff, be-bop and scat on an already perfect hat-trick.I’m going to try ‘I believe in rainbows and unicorns’ (yesterday’s Football Daily, full email edition) at my next performance review with management when they ask me what I’m going to do to improve my work performance. I would have thought ‘stop shipping calamitous own goals’ might be a better solution. Once is unlucky, twice is careless” – Brian James.Wow! That Wrexham team must be really good, back-to-back promotions. They must be better than any other team in League Two. What’s that? They have played one game more than Stockport County and are four points behind. But, but, that must mean Stockport are a better team this season? Must be a fluke. Wrexham were champions of the National League last year. Where were Stockport then? Oh, in League Two because they won the National League the year before. Where were Wrexham that year? Oh, second, behind Stockport and failed to go up in the playoffs. What about head-to-heads? Stockport 5-0 Wrexham, game at Wrexham still to be played. That’s good, it will give the Wrexham players the opportunity to form a guard of honour for the champions (hopefully)” – Dave Challinor Brian Ross.Send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s winner of our prizeless letter o’ the day is … Brian Ross.This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions. Continue reading...

Keïta suspended and fined by Werder after walking out of Leverkusen game

Club say midfielder went home after being left out of team ‘We won’t tolerate Naby’s behaviour,’ says head of footballWerder Bremen have suspended Naby Keïta for the rest of the season and imposed a “substantial” fine after accusing him of walking out of Sunday’s Bundesliga fixture with Bayer Leverkusen.The 29-year-old former Liverpool midfielder did not feature in a 5-0 defeat at the BayArena, with his club saying he had chosen “not to travel to the ground with the team and decided to go home instead” after discovering he was not in the starting lineup. Continue reading...

Double-treble is Manchester City’s motivation, admits Bernardo Silva

Midfielder says desire to ‘create a legacy’ is inspiring playersKyle Walker winning battle to be fit for Real Madrid second legBernardo Silva believes Manchester City’s attempt to claim a historic second consecutive treble and become arguably the greatest club team of all time is “an inspiration”, with the team a possible 12 matches from achieving the feat.City face Real Madrid in Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final second leg with the tie poised at 3-3 after last week’s match at the Bernabéu. City lead the Premier League by two points from Arsenal and Liverpool with six games left of the campaign. On Saturday they play Chelsea at Wembley in their FA Cup semi-final. Continue reading...

Harry Kane calls on Bayern Munich to save their season and knock out Arsenal

‘Step up and be counted,’ says 39-goal striker before second legSané is fit for German side, but Gnabry and Coman ruled outHarry Kane admits Bayern Munich’s underperforming stars must “step up and be counted” in their Champions League quarter-final second leg against ­Arsenal, which offers hope of rescuing a potentially trophyless season.A lack of silverware was not part of the plan when Kane joined Bayern last summer but they have drawn a blank domestically, a fact confirmed on Sunday when Bayer Leverkusen sealed the Bundesliga title, taking it outside Bavaria for the first time since 2012. But they start as favourites against Mikel Arteta’s side on Wednesday after last week’s 2-2 draw and Kane believes it is time for the six-time continental champions to make their experience count. Continue reading...

Everton takeover in added time after 777 gets extension to repay £160m loan

Repayment of debt is condition of 777 taking over clubLength of extension said to be weeks not monthsThe proposed takeover of Everton has moved into added time after the bidder 777 Partners was granted a last-minute extension to repay a £160m loan.The latest missed deadline drags the takeover saga past the seven-month mark since Farhad Moshiri agreed to sell his shareholding in the Premier League club to 777, an American investment firm that has faced months of scrutiny about its ability to raise the funds to complete the deal. Last month Moshiri assured supporters that the deal was in the “home straight”. Continue reading...

Samuel Eto’o claims he is victim of Caf campaign before match-fixing hearing

Cameroon FA president’s lawyers lodge complaint with FifaThey claim Caf general secretary has breached Fifa ethics codeSamuel Eto’o has accused the Confederation of African Football’s general secretary of several breaches of Fifa’s code of ethics during the investigation into allegations that he was involved in match-fixing.The Guardian understands that Eto’o’s lawyers have lodged a complaint with world football’s governing body alleging that Véron Mosengo-Omba opened the investigation to create “negative publicity” about the former Barcelona striker, who has been president of the Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot) since December 2021. Continue reading...

Pochettino 'upset' at Chelsea penalty spat and argues with journalist – video

A furious Mauricio Pochettino said it was 'a shame' that Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke took the gloss off Chelsea’s 6-0 win over Everton by trying to snatch a second-half penalty off Cole Palmer. Pochettino, who confirmed Palmer is the side’s designated spot-kick taker, admitted the incident sent out the wrong image about his team’s mentality. Chelsea’s head coach wants his players to focus more on the collective. Pochettino then clashed with a journalist once the press conference had ended, showing his emotions at having been asked repeated questions about the penalty taker confusion and very little about the rest of the game. ‘It’s a shame’: Pochettino angry with Jackson and Madueke over penalty spat Continue reading...

David Squires on … Manchester City looking down on their title rivals again

Our cartoonist looks back on a dramatic weekend in which Pep Guardiola’s machine powered back up to the summitGet yourself a copy of a cartoon in the Guardian Print StoreLike what David does? Consider supporting our journalism Continue reading...

‘It’s open to everyone’: women’s football watch parties are on the rise

Organisers around the UK work with venues to ensure parties are free to attend, LGBTQ+ inclusive and accessibleOn a Wednesday night in late March, the inside of Stamford Bridge’s Tea Bar is decked out by Baller FC, a collective which hosts women’s football watch parties. The group’s DIY decor taps right into women’s football fandom. There is a cardboard cutout of Chelsea’s Emma Hayes. “In Sarina we trust,” reads a flag with an illustration of the Lionesses’ manager. Posters commemorate the seven grassroots teams invited here to celebrate their achievements. This evening’s party culminates in Chelsea’s Champions League fixture against Ajax at Stamford Bridge, with tonight’s guests given free tickets.It’s the second time Baller FC has teamed up with Chelsea – Fran Kirby popped by at the last event – and is indicative of the collective’s success since being set up by a group of friends in 2022. As women’s football fans, they were tired of scouring the capital trying to find a pub that would put on games. For the Women’s Euros in 2022 they took over a pub in east London, hosting watch parties for every one of the tournament’s 31 games. Crucially, they wanted the women’s football to be the main focus and not shunted to the sidelines for, say, a clashing men’s sports fixture. Continue reading...

Donny van de Beek 'WILL return to Man United in June' - with the Frankfurt loanee set to look for a 'new club' as £40m star suffers further blow in his search for an Old Trafford exit

It had been widely accepted that the 26-year-old , who joined Man United for £40million in 2020, needed to go out on loan to play first-team football.

Record breakers? Arkadag FC and the winning streak still under scrutiny

Turkmenistan’s champions lay claim to a world record but some suspect details lie behind their dazzling winning runIt’s not often that a football world record goes from Wales to Saudi Arabia only for Turkmenistan to also have a claim. In March, Al-Hilal surpassed the achievement of 27 consecutive top-tier wins set by The New Saints of Wales in 2016. The 18-time Saudi champions have now extended that streak to 34 and look unstoppable at home and abroad.The same can be said in central Asia where Arkadag FC have won every competitive game in their history. The 2023 league title was lifted in December with 72 points from 24 matches. Throw in seven cup victories and six from six so far this season and it comes to 37 and counting. Yet the world record resides in Riyadh, over a thousand miles to the west. Continue reading...

‘It’s a shame’: Pochettino angry with Jackson and Madueke over penalty spat

Pair attempted to wrest spot kick off Cole Palmer at 4-0 upManager warns it is ‘last time I will accept this behaviour’A furious Mauricio Pochettino said it was “a shame” that Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke took the gloss off Chelsea’s 6-0 win over Everton by trying to snatch a second-half penalty off Cole Palmer.Pochettino, who confirmed Palmer is the side’s designated spot-kick taker, admitted the incident sent out the wrong image about his team’s mentality. Chelsea’s head coach wants his players to focus more on the collective and he warned Jackson and Madueke that they will be dropped if they do not learn from their behaviour. Continue reading...

Cole Palmer scores four as Chelsea stun abject Everton

Pep Guardiola used to call Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham Hotspur side the ‘Harry Kane team’ and the Argentine now has the ‘Cole Palmer team’ at Chelsea.\]\]>

Cole Palmer’s four-goal haul helps Chelsea pile misery on dismal Everton

On a night when Jordan Pickford’s distribution deteriorated and Jarrad Branthwaite added to Sean Dyche’s gloom by going off injured, nothing summed up the extent of Everton’s collapse more than the fact that the players who tried hardest to stop Cole Palmer scoring were wearing blue.Such is the nature of life at ­Stamford Bridge for Mauricio ­Pochettino, whose side are three points off sixth place after their most emphatic win in the Premier League this season. Some teams cruise through 6-0 thrashings, but not ­Chelsea. They are sometimes brilliant, always enigmatic and still, despite fleeting signs of progress, prone to moments of inexplicable immaturity. Continue reading...

Chelsea v Everton: Premier League – live

Premier League updates, 8pm BST kick-off at Stamford BridgeEverton’s points deduction appeal will be heard before final dayMail Michael with your thoughts | Premier League standings1 min: A nasty one for Gallagher, who get the full weight of Onana (and his studs) on the top of his right foot in the game’s opening moments.Peeeeeeeep! And we’re off at the Bridge. Continue reading...

Premier League aims to have Everton’s latest appeal heard before final day

League seeking clarity in case of last-day relegation battleAppeal over two-point penalty will be ‘resolved urgently’The Premier League is seeking to have Everton’s appeal against their latest points deduction heard before the end of the season in an attempt to bring some clarity to any final-day relegation battle.Everton were docked two points last week for breaching Premier League profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) by £16.6m up to June 2023. The club, already deducted six points for a financial breach of £19.5m up to June 2022, faces another hearing into whether it can exclude £23.46m in stadium interest payments from its PSR calculations for 2020-23. That case will not be heard before the end of the season, raising the possibility of a relegated club taking legal action should Everton suffer a third points deduction that would have left them in the bottom three instead. Continue reading...

Do I not like that: Ten Hag rebukes Garnacho for social media activity

Winger liked posts on X criticising Manchester United coachArgentinian withdrawn at half time in 2-2 draw at BournemouthAlejandro Garnacho has been ­spoken to by Erik ten Hag after the ­Manchester United winger liked tweets that criticised his half-time substitution at Bournemouth and suggested he had been “thrown under the bus” by the head coach.Garnacho quickly removed his likes on the two messages, which the club believe shows contrition, and any further action will be decided internally. Continue reading...

Al-Ittihad player Abderrazak Hamdallah whipped by spectator – video

Al-Ittihad’s forward Abderrazak Hamdallah was struck by a spectator at the end of the match in which Al-Ittihad lost 4-1 to Al-Hilal in Abu Dhabi. Hamdallah appeared to throw his water on the audience member before they quickly retaliated. Saudi FA and players union condemn whipping of player by spectator Continue reading...

Agony for Arsenal and Liverpool. Why did it go wrong and is there still hope? | Ed Aarons and Andy Hunter

We ask whether the teams’ Premier League defeats had been coming, where the problems lie and what the managers must reflect onArsenal: Mikel Arteta’s decision to disrupt the formula that has served them so well since the turn of the year backfired spectacularly against an Aston Villa side who came to the Emirates Stadium with a clear gameplan. Kai Havertz looked threatening during the first half as he consistently broke through the lines from his midfield position but Gabriel Jesus was unable to provide the cutting edge in attack as Arsenal faded badly after the break. By contrast, Ollie Watkins was a constant menace and unsettled the usually assured Gabriel Magalhães, while John McGinn and co were able to control possession for Villa against an ineffective Arsenal midfield. But of most concern was how panic seemed to spread among Arteta’s players as they chased the game and were eventually overwhelmed. EA Continue reading...

‘They’re going to demand a lot’: Barça’s Xavi braced for PSG second leg

Barcelona take 3-2 lead into Tuesday’s second leg at Camp Nou‘We need our fans to be loud because PSG will make us suffer’Barcelona are ready for a battle against Paris Saint-Germain in the return leg of their Champions League quarter-final, Xavi Hernández said on Monday, adding that his players are willing to suffer in order to advance.Barça beat PSG 3-2 in the first leg in France last week but Xavi said his side would need to be nearly flawless to reach the semi-finals for the first time in five years. Continue reading...

Champions League final 2024: When and where the match is and how to watch it on TV

Saudi FA and players union condemn whipping of player by spectator

Abderrazak Hamdallah struck at end of Saudi Super Cup finalSAFF says it is ‘shocked with the disgraceful scenes’The whipping of a player by a spectator after the Saudi Arabian Super Cup final has been condemned by the country’s football federation and players’ union.Al-Ittihad’s Morocco forward Abderrazak Hamdallah was struck by the spectator at the end of the match which Al-Ittihad lost 4-1 to Al-Hilal in Abu Dhabi last Thursday. Continue reading...

Football Daily | The trouble with being pretenders to City’s throne in Premier League title race

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now!It speaks volumes about the title race and the exacting standards to follow that Manchester City have set anyone hoping to beat them in it, that both Liverpool and Arsenal’s largely unexpected defeats on Sunday have been labelled in some quarters as “chokes”. While the sight of both sides blowing a one-point lead over the course of 24 hours is never going to be up there with those of Greg Norman throwing away an apparently unlosable Masters or Jana Novotna mentally disintegrating after double-faulting in what should have been the knockings of a Wimbledon final against Steffi Graf, there were several tell-tale signs at both Anfield and the Emirates that, even though all three title-chasers still have six games to play, the players and fans of both sides felt deep down that a marvellous opportunity had been blown for another season at least.Perhaps Arsenal fans will now appreciate the true meaning of the word Emery” – Krishna Moorthy.In regards to your letters from Christian Goldsmith (and 1,057 other pedants) on Friday, can I be one of 1,058 pedants to offer congratulations that you’ve acquired a reader, or converted a reader into a pedant? Either way, congrats” –Guy Stephenson. Continue reading...

LIVERPOOL CONFIDENTIAL: Caoimhin Kelleher attracts plenty of suitors after deputising for Alisson, Anfield falls silent 35 years on from Hillsborough and why UEFA will be relieved if Reds exit Europa League

Irishman Kelleher has done his prospects no harm at all ahead of the summer with a number of clubs interested in signing him after filling in well for Alisson in recent weeks.