Treserie

Players only competed in an average of 22 games in 2019/20 Fifpro: ‘The idea of forming a collective vision is challenging’ The players’ union, Fifpro, has called for a more holistic and coordinated approach to match calendars around the world after its new report found that professional players in the women’s game are suffering from “underloading” as a result of not playing often or consistently enough, competing in an average of 22 matches in the 2019-20 season. The 2021 annual workload study has found that, even at the very top of the women’s game, the low number of games is preventing the growth and development of players and the sport generally. Continue reading...

Long negotiations unable to bring deal for 19-year-old Agreement on £8.4m mov but no time to conclude transfer Liverpool were frustrated in their attempt to sign Fabio Carvalho from Fulham on deadline day despite being willing to pay up to £8.4m for the highly rated teenager. A day of complex negotiations between the clubs saw Fulham reject Liverpool’s opening offer of £5m for a player out of contract this summer. An agreement was eventually reached for the improved fee only for Liverpool to run out of time to conclude personal terms and conduct a medical with the 19-year-old. A proposal for Fulham to keep the player on loan for the rest of the season also brought complications. Continue reading...

Wales midfielder out of favour at Serie A club Rangers also land right-back Mateusz Zukowski Rangers have announced the signing of Aaron Ramsey in one of Scottish football’s biggest deadline-day deals in recent years. The out-of-favour Juventus midfielder has moved on loan for the rest of the season after making 70 appearances for the Serie A club since joining from Arsenal in 2019. The Wales international’s contract in Turin runs until the summer of 2023. Continue reading...

Manchester United footballer was arrested on Saturday after a woman made claims on social media Police have been given extra time to question the Manchester United footballer Mason Greenwood on suspicion of rape and sexual assault. The 20-year-old was arrested on Sunday afternoon after a woman posted images, a video and audio online alleging he had assaulted her. Continue reading...

Dele Alli agrees permanent move to Everton Ndombele, Gil and Lo Celso go out on loan Tottenham confirmed the signings of Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski from Juventus on a busy deadline day for the club. Their arrivals came as Dele Alli agreed a permanent move to Everton and Tanguy Ndombele joined Lyon, becoming the first of several players to depart on loan. Continue reading...

Like this? Forward it to your friend(s) and they can sign up here Nobody was expecting Frank Lampard to conduct his first interview as manager of Everton atop an overturned blue bucket and with a copy of Inverting the Pyramid tucked neatly under his arm. But many a Blue Nose was left scratching the their heads on Monday afternoon at the Hollyoaks-soaked introduction , as well as what actual tactics Lamps might use to dig the Toffees out of the almighty mess they are in: four points off the relegation zone in 16th place, with over half a billion notes of Moshiri’s moolah down the pan. Continue reading...

Highly regarded 22-year-old staying at River on loan I am very happy he is joining City, says Txiki Begiristain Manchester City have signed the River Plate forward Julián Álvarez on a deal until 2027, paying an initial £14m for the Argentina international. The 22-year-old will continue on loan at the Argentinian club until at least July. The highly sought-after Álvarez has five caps and the City director of football, Txiki Begiristain, said: “Julián is a player we have monitored for some time. He is capable of operating in a number of attacking roles, and we firmly believe he’s one of the best young attacking players in South America. Continue reading...

Carlos Santiso referenced 2017 case in leaked phone call Santiso says message was part of friendly, informal chat Rayo Vallecano has defended its decision to hire disgraced coach Carlos Santiso to take charge of its women’s team, despite being aware of a leaked recording in which he encourages his staff to find a girl to gang-rape to help team bonding. Santiso was hired by Rayo on Friday even though he had been forced to resign from his job with the Madrid representative under-12s team in November following the leaking of a voice note sent to his coaching staff. Rayo are based in Madrid and the women’s team plays in the Primera División. Continue reading...

Manager leaves with club third in League One Johnson was appointed in December 2020 Sunderland have sacked their manager, Lee Johnson, in the wake of a humiliating 6-0 defeat at Bolton. Sunderland are third in League One and just two points behind leaders Rotherham, but the club owner, Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, acted following Saturday’s result. The club’s assistant head coach, Jamie McAllister, has also departed the Stadium of Light. Continue reading...

A solid defence plus Mohamed Salah equals progress. It might not be particularly edifying or good to watch but it does seem to work. This was a dismal game, two hours of spoiling with a dusting of football but, in the football that was played, Salah was decisive. He scored the equaliser and set up the winner, so Egypt will meet Cameroon in Thursday’s semi-final, a meeting of the two most successful sides in Cup of Nation’s history. Egypt had ground their way to this stage, scoring only twice in four games. That’s the way it has always been for Carlos Queiroz and for all the success it has brought him, his cautious strategy can threaten to come unstuck if his side concedes early. Here they were behind inside six minutes, and it would have been earlier but for a weirdly extended VAR check. Ayman Ashraf clearly hacked down Achraf Hakimi and Soufiane Boufal caressed home the penalty. Continue reading...

Email Beau with your thoughts or tweet @duresport USA’s Weah to miss qualifier due to vaccine issue But first, we get surprise announcements. Paramount commentator Clint Dempsey has been voted into the Soccer Hall of Fame, and he just learned it live on the air. Now he gets to surprise Shannon Boxx and Hope Solo. The oft-controversial goalkeeper was shockingly passed over in voting before, and she barely mustered a smile upon learning the news. Paramount Plus, which is airing the game to subscribers in the USA, has punctuated its pregame coverage with a song from another Paramount-affiliated property, South Park -- the classic “Blame Canada.” Continue reading...

Daughter of ex-manager comes on in 2-0 win at Bridgwater Third-tier Southampton upset Bristol City 1-0 The result may have been routine, but it was the late senior debut for Karna Solskjær that stole the spotlight in Manchester United ’s 2-0 defeat of Bridgwater United . Having sold out Fairfax Park for the visit of the Women’s Super League side, it was a horrible start for the tier-three side who conceded in the 17th minute through Charlotte Buxton’s own goal, with Hayley Ladd putting her under pressure. Continue reading...

Former Chelsea manager to be given the chance to revive fortunes at Goodison Park after impressing owner Farhad Moshiri Everton have formally offered Frank Lampard the chance to relaunch his managerial career at Goodison Park and hope to conclude contract negotiations with the 43-year-old by Sunday. Lampard has been offered the job of succeeding Rafael Benítez as Everton manager having emerged as the club’s preferred choice following a final round of interviews in London on Friday. Continue reading...

If Sunderland’s recent history is littered with embarrassments, this was another candidate for the title of the new low. They can seem to be slumming it in League One, but they slumped to their heaviest ever defeat in third-tier football. In a meeting of the inspired and the insipid, Bolton’s third win in a week at least suggested League One has some restorative powers for them. For Sunderland, it seems the land of broken dreams and an ignominious exile from their natural terrain looks like to continue. Bolton could savour a demolition, orchestrated by a recent arrival who highlighted the shift in their fortunes. A ground that hosted Atletico Madrid in 2008 will stage Accrington in April. Bolton used to sign from Real Madrid. Now they have recruited Accrington’s Northern Ireland international Dion Charles and the striker, one of six January signings, scored his second and third goals for his new employers. He ran Sunderland ragged. The Black Cats’ ineptitude was epitomised by Danny Ba

Live updates from the Japoma Stadium, kick-off 4pm GMT ‘Why did people have to die?’: Cameroon mourns after stadium tragedy Get in touch! Email Will or tweet @Will_Unwin It is so loud inside the ground that Geremi cannot hear the questions he is being asked. A bit of insight from Nick Ames who is inside the stadium. Continue reading...

Allan McGregor handed Ross County two goals and the teenager Matthew Wright netted an equaliser in the sixth minute of added time to deprive Rangers of two points. The 19-year-old County striker, who spent the first half of the season on loan with the Highland League side Brora Rangers, scrambled home to earn a 3-3 draw. Amad Diallo scored inside five minutes of his Rangers debut but the loan signing from Manchester United was off injured by the time the late drama unfolded. Major errors from McGregor and Calvin Bassey gifted County two goals inside four minutes with Jordan White and Regan Charles-Cook taking advantage. Continue reading...

Peru go fourth in South American table with 1-0 away win Iran book their place in Qatar with 1-0 victory over Iraq Edison Flores scored a late goal for Peru to earn a 1-0 away win over Colombia on Friday, boosting their chances of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Half-time substitute Flores struck after 85 minutes to give Peru a priceless victory in Barranquilla. The DC United winger raced on to a through ball and fired a low, angled shot which Colombia keeper David Ospina allowed in at his near post. Continue reading...

Centre-forward appears to say ‘fuck Brentford’ in clip Manager Thomas Frank accepts £8,000 fine for red card Brentford have launched an investigation after a video of Ivan Toney appearing to say “fuck Brentford” was published on social media. The forward is thought to be on holiday in Dubai during the Premier League’s winter break. The 25-year-old has scored six goals in an impressive league campaign so far. But now the Bees are looking into a video posted on Twitter that could land the former Peterborough player in trouble with his club. “Brentford FC are aware of the video and are investigating,” said a club spokesperson. Continue reading...

Lampard impressed Farhad Moshiri in Friday meeting Duncan Ferguson and Vítor Pereira were also considered Frank Lampard is in line to become the new Everton manager after a final round of interviews with the club’s hierarchy on Friday. The former Chelsea and Derby manager is expecting to be offered the position after impressing Everton’s majority shareholder, Farhad Moshiri, and members of the club’s board during the process to find a permanent successor to Rafael Benítez. Continue reading...

The former Chelsea captain’s dive into the murky world of NFTs raises questions. Is it OK? And what is he doing there? As the transfer window enters its endgame there has been a familiar sub-plot over the last few days, another chapter in the ballad of Ousmane Dembélé . This is the strangest of sporting lives. Dembélé is only 24. He joined Barcelona for £96m as long ago as August 2017, one of several deals that were steroid-fed by the state of Qatar’s inflationary lust for Neymar. Continue reading...

The Women’s FA Cup offers a chance to dream for players and fans of smaller clubs. We are following the journey from the first round proper to the final at Wembley, continuing with photographer Fabio De Paola’s visit to Stoke for their third-round tie with Nottingham Forest Following their convincing 4-0 victory over Wolves in the second round , Nottingham Forest faced fellow third-tier side Stoke City at Emerys Stadium in the next round. Though Stoke have historically had the upper hand, winning six of their 12 previous meetings, Forest triumphed 3-2 in their most recent Women’s National League – Northern Premier Division game in October 2020. With Stoke scoring five goals in each of their last two games and Forest scoring four in each of their last three, it was unlikely that the game would end goalless. A women’s team representing Stoke City were formed in the summer of 2001 and they’ve been climbing the leagues ever since. They were promoted to the Women’s National League Northe

New manager of seventh-tier South Shields on knock-backs, hearing his name sung again and whether he will copy Peter Reid Kevin Phillips starts with a confession. “Before I signed for Sunderland I didn’t even know it was by the sea,” says the new manager of South Shields. “Geography clearly wasn’t my strong point but I ended up enjoying my time in this area so much that, in the back of my mind, I’ve always hoped to come back one day.” The former England striker’s return to the north-east has brought him to Mariners Park, seven miles up the road from the Stadium of Light and a 10-minute drive from the sandy North Sea beaches where he will doubtless sometimes put his fully professional seventh-tier Northern Premier League Premier Division squad through their paces. Continue reading...

The dire predicament of one of England’s most famous clubs demonstrates the need for urgent reform “Dad came to Derby in 60s from India. Going to games probably made him feel less alien as all supported the same cause. We as a family done the same since ’92. City and club part of identity.” So reads one of hundreds of tweets on an emotional thread devoted to Derby County football club, which risks expulsion from the English game if financial guarantees are not forthcoming by the end of February. A proud city is holding its breath and hoping for the best. But it should never have come to this. Primary responsibility for Derby’s predicament must lie with its former owner, the local businessman Mel Morris. Betting this famous club’s future on its ability to regain a place among the Premier League’s wealthy elite, Mr Morris was found to have flouted the financial fair play rules of the English Football League (EFL), thus driving the club into unsustainable debt. When promotion didn’t h

In a rare interview Dragan Šolak discusses top-10 hopes for Saints, fears over Serbia’s media and missing out on Premier League rights Two days after Southampton held Manchester City to a 1-1 draw at St Mary’s last weekend, the club’s new majority owner, Dragan Šolak , looks extremely pleased with his purchase. It was “an absolutely supreme performance playing against probably the best team in the world”, says Šolak, visibly excited by memories of watching his new team end City’s 12-match winning streak. Born in Serbia and based in Switzerland, Šolak met the Guardian in a suite of offices tucked away in an elegant apartment block in central Milan, one of many places he spends time, he says. He plans to attend as many Southampton games as his travel schedule allows. Continue reading...

Farhad Moshiri due in London on Friday to meet candidates Squad set to be strengthened before Monday’s transfer deadline Frank Lampard, Vítor Pereira and Duncan Ferguson will have their chance to land the Everton manager’s job on Friday when the club conduct a final round of interviews with the candidates to succeed Rafael Benítez. Farhad Moshiri, Everton’s majority shareholder, is expected to travel from his home in Monaco to hold the interviews in London alongside members of the board. The intention is to arrive quickly at a decision, albeit 12 days after Benítez was sacked, in order to strengthen the new manager’s squad before Monday’s transfer deadline. Continue reading...

A revitalised Vivianne Miedema and Beth Mead breathed life back into Arsenal’s title challenge in a tough defeat of Brighton. Despite having earned just one win in their previous seven games, the Gunners are still top of the WSL and were able to extend their lead to four points here, albeit having played a game more than second-place Chelsea. Continue reading...

England midfielder joins with Diane Caldwell and Signe Bruun City land Julie Blakstad | Spurs loan Arsenal’s Schnaderbeck Manchester United made three significant signings on WSL deadline day in order to boost their title hopes, Marc Skinner bringing Diane Caldwell, Jade Moore and Signe Bruun to the club. England international Moore, who has previously played for Reading and Atlético Madrid, has signed a contract until the end of the season from Orlando Pride. The midfielder said that now is the right time to return to the English league. “I’m delighted to be here at a club like Manchester United,” she said. “It’s a proud moment after a difficult period for me. It’s great to be back in this league too, I have a lot of experience in the WSL, having played in it for around a decade, and I think I can bring some of that to this team.”’ Continue reading...

Chambers signs deal to 2025 as Villa’s fourth January arrival Arsenal poised to buy Turner from New England Revolution Aston Villa have signed the defender Calum Chambers from Arsenal. The 27-year-old, who can play at centre-back or right-back, is the fourth arrival since Steven Gerrard took over as manager, joining Philippe Coutinho, Lucas Digne and the goalkeeper Robin Olsen. Chambers, who has signed a three-and-a-half-year deal, has made only five appearances this season, with three of those in the Carabao Cup and his most recent Premier League game coming in late August. Continue reading...

It ended, as it had for a long time seemed that it would, with penalties. And as has happened twice before at the Africa Cup of Nations in the past 24 years, Egypt beat Ivory Coast on penalties after a 0-0 draw. Eric Bailly, who had had an excellent game, saw his dinked effort pushed against the crossbar by Egypt’s substitute keeper Mohamed Abou Gabal. Combined with Mohamed Salah’s decisive spot-kick, it was enough for Carlos Queiroz’s Egypt to progress. Continue reading...

Besiktas forward discusses his 2022 World Cup ambitions, why he gave up ice hockey and what it was like to be in a team with Kaká “If we make the World Cup people will know who we are,” Cyle Larin says. The Besiktas forward knows that Canada are on their way to achieving something special. They have only once qualified for the World Cup, only to go out in the first round after losing all of their group games at Mexico 86, but a place in Qatar is there for the taking. November’s 2-1 victory over Mexico has made people take notice of Canada, who are one point clear of the USA at the top of the standings. They had not beaten Mexico since 1976 and Larin, who scored both his side’s goals on a freezing night in Edmonton, feels that momentum is building. “We can compete against anybody,” Larin says. “If you’re playing for this team, it’s special. You saw it in the Mexico game. Continue reading...

‘Pereira Out’ grafitti was daubed on Goodison Park Frank Lampard has been interviewed for manager’s job Vítor Pereira has attempted to placate Everton fans opposed to his appointment by giving an unusual public interview to defend his managerial record and claim “Pereira Out” graffiti on Goodison Park is evidence of passion rather than a personal attack. Everton’s latest managerial search strayed into farce on Wednesday when Pereira gave a lengthy interview to Sky Sports News while awaiting a decision from the club on his interview to succeed Rafael Benítez as manager. Within hours of it emerging on Tuesday that the Portuguese coach was Farhad Moshiri’s favoured candidate , graffiti was daubed on a wall at Goodison that read: “Pereira Out, Lampard In”. The former Chelsea and Derby manager Frank Lampard has also been interviewed for the vacancy. Continue reading...

Former Chelsea player promoting non-fungible tokens Posts include images of Premier League and Uefa trophies The Premier League and Uefa are taking legal advice over the use of images of their trophies in non-fungible token (NFT) digital assets being promoted by John Terry and other big names in English football. Chelsea are looking into Terry’s posts because some have included images of the club’s badge. Terry has used his Twitter account to promote the NFTs in question, which are cartoons of baby apes. Some of the images feature the Premier League, Europa League and Champions League trophies and have been tweeted by Terry and in one case retweeted by his former Chelsea teammate Ashley Cole. Continue reading...

Manchester United want loan fee, wages and relegation bonus Lingard feels disrespected and let down by boyhood club Jesse Lingard feels let down and disrespected by Manchester United after a proposed loan to Newcastle was on the verge of collapse because of the terms demanded by his boyhood club. For the deal to happen as it stands, Newcastle could end up paying more than £15m to take Lingard for the rest of the season. United are demanding a £2.5m loan fee, full coverage of the player’s wages and a £12m bonus if the Saudi Arabian-owned club avoid relegation from the Premier League. Continue reading...

Supporters and survivors talk of the chaotic scenes that left eight dead after a crush outside the Olembe Stadium About 150 yards from the turnstiles at the Olembe Stadium stands a plain white-painted metal fence. There are Vs at the top of the posts for the addition of barbed wire, but none has been added. There are three gates in the fence, but only the left-hand one was open on Monday night. Separating it from the central gate was a temporary barrier. On Tuesday, it lay flat, buckled over a kerb by the side of a road, flattened by thousands of feet. It was there, during Cameroon’s Africa Cup of Nations last-16 victory over Comoros , that eight people died and a further 38 were injured. An attempt has been made to clear up but inside the left-hand gate and on the avenue leading up to the South Stand, debris remains. There are shards of broken vuvuzelas, a sandal and a shoe, a pair of broken sunglasses and the shattered lens from another. An advertising banner lies twisted on the du

Arsenal and Juventus among clubs targeting him next summer Sevilla decide not to sell Diego Carlos after two Newcastle bids Newcastle have made a €40m (£33.5m) offer for Lyon’s defensive midfielder Bruno Guimarães and are awaiting a response from the French club. The 24-year-old Brazil international has not indicated whether he would welcome a move to St James’ Park. Other suitors, including Arsenal and Juventus, are interested in buying him at the end of the season. Continue reading...

Colombia international has £66m release clause Manchester City agree £15.5m fee for River Plate’s Álvarez Tottenham have had a €45m (£37.6m) offer for Luis Díaz rejected by Porto. Antonio Conte wants to strengthen his squad before the transfer window shuts next Monday and Díaz has emerged as a key target. Spurs are braced for a busy week and want to move players in and out of the club. They are hopeful of an agreement with Wolves for Adama Traoré , who Conte intends to convert into a right wing-back, but they will have to increase their offer for Díaz. Continue reading...

Senegal 2-0 Cape Verde Liverpool striker scores but is then forced off Liverpool forward Sadio Mané suffered a concussion scare while helping Senegal book their place in the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations with a 2-0 win over nine-man Cape Verde. Mané was involved in a clash of heads with Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha early during the second half of the last-16 tie in Bafoussam. Following treatment for the mid-air collision in the 53rd minute when chasing a long ball upfield, Mané was allowed to continue while Vozinha, shown a red card for the foul, was carried off the pitch on a stretcher and reported to have been taken to hospital. Continue reading...

Africa Cup of Nations updates from the 7pm GMT kick-off Eight killed after crush outside Africa Cup of Nations match And you can drop Scott an email with your game thoughts Morocco: Bono, Hakimi, Aguerd, Saiss, Masina, Louza, Amallah, Amrabat, Boufal, En-Nesyri, El Kaabi. Subs: Ounahi, El-Haddadi, Mohamedi, Chair, Aboukhlal, Barkok, Chakla, Tagnaouti, R Mmaee, S Mmaee, Chibi, Tissoudali. Malawi: Thomu, Sanudi, Chaziya, Chembezi, C Chirwa, Mhone, Banda, Idana, Madinga, Muyaba, Mhango. Subs: Petro, Cholopi, G Chirwa, Mbulu, Fodyah, Banda, Ngalande, Kakhobwe, Chester, Ndhlovu, Davie, Phiri. Continue reading...

Report into football governance will suggest solidarity system Lord Foulkes will outline proposals to Council of Europe Fifa should tighten its proposed rules on intermediaries to limit the money made by super-agents, the influential Council of Europe will be told on Wednesday. A cap on the amount agents can make in any transaction and on the service fees they can charge are among the ideas to be put forward, alongside the creation of a solidarity system that would see money filter from the biggest clubs in Europe to smaller leagues and teams. Continue reading...

The Pharaohs won 4-1 the last time they met but expect them to be cautious against opponents with a strong midfield Ivory Coast’s meeting with Egypt on Wednesday may only be the last 16, but it is a game that has a climactic feel. It’s 14 years since they last met competitively, but memories of that game remain fresh. The image of Amr Zaki turning sharply in the box in that Cup of Nations semi-final, sending Kolo Touré running in the wrong direction as he powered by to score stands as the defining one of Egypt’s period of dominance when they won three Cups of Nations in a row under Hassan Shehata. Egypt won 4-1, a crushing victory over the Ivorian golden generation. That was a brilliant side, defensively ruthless with a fleet of creative midfielders – Ahmed Hassan, Mohamed Aboutreika, Osama Hosny – and in each tournament a striker who hit form just at the right time. Shehata’s side were also mentally tough: victory in Ghana in 2008 was the first time a North African side had won a Cu

Spanish club paying loan fee of about £5m and full wages Martial wants move in search of more playing time Manchester United have agreed to loan Anthony Martial to Sevilla for the rest of the season, with the Spanish club paying a fee of about €6m (£5m) and covering the forward’s £150,000-a-week salary. Martial is due to fly to Spain to complete the transfer after pushing for a move in search of more game time. He came on as a late substitute in Saturday’s win over West Ham for his first appearance since early December. Continue reading...

Tottenham manager has been scathing over a lack of quality in the squad and his chairman will not have missed the message After a result like Tottenham’s 2-0 Premier League defeat by Chelsea it is commonplace to turn the focus on the manager and, goodness knows, Antonio Conte had offered the ammunition. There was a new 4-4-2 starting system from the Spurs manager, featuring full-backs in front of full-backs and not much creativity in central midfield. The messages appeared everywhere. There was no Sergio Reguilón, despite the overload of full-backs – or Emerson Royal, for that matter. They would kick their heels on the bench. But at least they were inside the stadium, which is more than could be said of Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso and Dele Alli. Continue reading...

The 3-0 home loss to Norwich proves final straw for Italian Three-month stay produced two wins from 14 matches Watford have sacked Claudio Ranieri less than four months after giving the Italian the task of keeping them in the Premier League. Ranieri was appointed after the sacking of Xisco Muñoz in October, but he has been unable to make a positive impact and has picked up only seven points during his 13 league games in charge. Patience has been wearing thin for a while and Watford, who have slipped to 19th after losing 3-0 at home to Norwich City last Friday, are looking for their third manager of the season. Continue reading...

Musa Barrow scored a 71st-minute winner as the Gambia continued their surprise run at the Africa Cup of Nations, advancing to the quarter-finals with a 1-0 win over Guinea. Barrow, one of the outstanding performers at the tournament, was set up by a defence-splitting pass from Yusupha Bobb. The Bologna forward then took the ball away from the Guinea defence with his right foot, before finishing emphatically with his left foot to settle the last-16 tie. Continue reading...

Away fans had problems getting into Elland Road on Saturday West Yorkshire police are also looking into the incident Leeds United and West Yorkshire police are reviewing crowd safety protocols at Elland Road after hundreds of Newcastle United fans complained about a crush outside the away end on Saturday. Traffic congestion around Elland Road meant that many supporters arrived later than planned for the Premier League game which was won 1-0 by Newcastle . With 3,000 away fans having made the trip and matters further slowed by Covid passport checks, significant overcrowding occurred around five turnstiles. Continue reading...

Manchester United forward wanted on loan Alli out of favour at Spurs and can leave on loan Newcastle could turn their attention to Tottenham’s Dele Alli if they are unable to reach an agreement with Manchester United over a loan deal for Jesse Lingard. Eddie Howe, who has strengthened his squad by signing Chris Wood and Kieran Trippier, is desperate for further additions as he tries to save his side from relegation. Newcastle want more firepower and have targeted Lingard, who has fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford. Continue reading...

Like this? Forward it to your friend(s) and they can sign up here While the fairytale story of Comoros’s journey to the knockout stages of this year’s Africa Cup of Nations will some day make an inspirational feel-good movie, one suspects Disney’s scriptwriters will have to leave out some of the finer details on the grounds that audiences may find them just a little bit too far-fetched. Continue reading...

An injury-time strike from US forward Tobin Heath salvaged a point for Arsenal against Manchester City at the Academy Stadium. The World Cup winner’s 92nd-minute goal came after controversy in the buildup to Khadija Shaw’s opener had marred Manchester City’s controlled performance against the dominant league leaders. The Arsenal manager, Jonas Eidevall, was shown a yellow card in his second consecutive game, having also collected one during Arsenal’s midweek League Cup defeat to Manchester United, for protesting the heavy deflection off the referee that allowed winger Lauren Hemp to race free before sending in a low cross for Shaw to tap in. Continue reading...

On a frustrating evening for the pair of big-name strikers, they once again struggled to show why they were so sought-after last summer At least they’ll always have Leicester. Even while they celebrated Wednesday’s sensational come-from-behind victory at the King Power, sensible Spurs fans – and their manager – knew it was most likely to be remembered as a joyous freak occurrence rather than the start of a new era. In the excitement, that win was compared to Spurs’ magnificently ludicrous triumph over Ajax in the 2019 Champions League semi-final and it is true that the matches have similarities. Both created thrilling, enduring memories from improbable situations; and both were followed by monumental no-shows. Continue reading...

Diogo Jota won vital spot kick after tangling with Vicente Guaita ‘Took our hope away’: Vieira critical of Kevin Friend’s decision A livid Patrick Vieira was unsparing in his criticism of the referee, Kevin Friend, and VAR after his Crystal Palace side were beaten 3-1 by Liverpool . Vieira said Friend had been “naive” in awarding a penalty to Diogo Jota late in the game, a decision that he said “took our hope away”. At the time Palace were 2-1 down and pushing hard for an equaliser that would have changed the complexion of the title race. As it is Liverpool are now only nine points behind Manchester City with a game in hand. Continue reading...

Burkina Faso 1-1 Gabon (B Faso win 7-6 on pens) 90th minute Burkina own goal forced extra-time Burkina Faso held off a gallant rearguard action from 10-man Gabon to advance to the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals with a 7-6 victory on penalties after a 1-1 draw in their last-16 tie in Limbe on Sunday. Ismahila Ouédraogo netted the decisive kick to ensure they are the first side into the last eight after an incident-packed and energy-sapping clash. Continue reading...

La Liga leaders battle back from 2-0 down to grab draw Lorenzo Insigne sends message as Napoli see off Salernitana 4-1 La Liga leaders Real Madrid fought back from two goals down at home to rescue a 2-2 draw against lowly Elche thanks to a last-gasp Éder Militão goal in stoppage time. Real wasted a golden opportunity to widen the gap at the top of the table after second-placed Sevilla stumbled at home with a draw against Celta Vigo on Saturday. Real have 50 points from 22 games, four points ahead of Sevilla. Elche opened a two-goal lead with Lucas Boyé netting in the first half and Pere Milla scoring after the break. Continue reading...

The coach steering the Rossoneri ’s rejuvenation talks about getting the best out of young players and his mother’s critical eye Stefano Pioli led Milan back to the promised land, guiding a team that used to define themselves by continental conquests to a first Champions League qualification in eight years, but even that could not save him from parental criticism. If the Rossoneri end this season without a trophy, his mother will be waiting to remind him, again, that he has won no major silverware in two decades of senior club management. “Definitely. Yes, definitely,” he says, leaning in with an unapologetic grin. “And it’s right that she does. In every family there is the hard one and the soft one. My father was the softer one, my mum is the very tough one. That’s how it should be. That’s how you get the most out of someone.” Continue reading...

Eddie Howe has said he does not know whether he will meet Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah next week but any conversation with Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler is bound to be considerably easier after this. Newcastle’s manager is not taking his players to a warm weather training camp on the Red Sea coast until Sunday but at the final whistle he resembled a man feeling the sun on his back for the first time following a long, hard winter. Continue reading...

If you like delays then this match had them all. First there was a serious clash of heads that caused two Brentford players to be substituted with suspected concussions, before play was stopped again during the first half for more than 15 minutes after officials spotted an “unofficial drone” circling overhead. One day after Watford’s game with Norwich was delayed by floodlight problems , a police helicopter patrolled the skies during the second half to ensure the drone did not return as Rúben Neves sealed a fourth victory in five league games for Bruno Lage’s rapidly improving side. Continue reading...

Striker scores in 3-2 win at Hoffenheim but is taken off injured Bayer Leverkusen crush Augsburg; Union Berlin rise to third Borussia Dortmund battled to a 3-2 victory at European hopefuls Hoffenheim to close the gap on Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich as Erling Haaland made it 56 goals in 57 league games for the club. The win lifted second-placed Dortmund to 43 points, three behind Bayern, who face Hertha in Berlin on Sunday. Dortmund, looking to make it three wins out of three league games this year, got off to a strong start and Haaland tapped in for the lead in the sixth minute from Donyell Malen’s pass inside the area. Haaland, who had to be taken off injured in the 63rd minute, has scored 16 times in the league this season. Continue reading...

Decordova-Reid strikes to seal Fulham’s fourth straight win Nearest rivals Bournemouth suffer surprise 1-0 defeat to Hull Fulham extended their lead at the top of the Championship with a thrilling 3-2 win at Stoke . There was an explosive start inside two minutes, with Rodrigo Muniz cancelling out D’Margio Wright-Phillips’ first senior goal for Stoke. Fábio Carvalho’s eighth goal of the season put Fulham ahead after 33 minutes. Continue reading...

Stirring Spurs comeback at Leicester suggests the Italian could finally be waking a sleepwalking club It felt like an end, not a beginning. Internazionale had just gone 2-0 down at home to Torino with half an hour to play and, as the camera panned to the touchline, Antonio Conte bore the expression of a man who had accepted an invitation to dinner only to discover that the menu would be entirely vegan. His side had won three of their opening seven games of the 2020-21 season and were eighth in Serie A. The prospect of mounting any sort of challenge for the scudetto seemed laughably remote. At which point, something stirring and strange happened. Alexis Sánchez pulled one back after a goalmouth scramble. Romelu Lukaku bundled in a scruffy equaliser and then converted a contentious penalty with six minutes remaining. Continue reading...

Digne and Cash struck by drinks bottle after goal Several hundred fans stage sit-in protest at full-time Everton have vowed to ban any fan caught throwing objects on to the pitch at Goodison Park after several Aston Villa players were struck by a plastic bottle during their side’s 1-0 win over Duncan Ferguson’s team. Former Everton player Lucas Digne and Villa defender Matty Cash were both struck on the head by what appeared a full bottle of Lucozade as they celebrated Emiliano Buendía’s decisive goal in front of the home section of the Bullens Road Stand. A supporter was arrested at Goodison Park. Several objects were thrown at the Villa players in first-half stoppage time and Everton insist everyone responsible for the disgraceful scenes will be banned. Continue reading...

The striker scored five in an 18-0 Asian Cup win over Indonesia to cement her status as a great of the Australian game All things considered, the Matildas’ 18-0 destruction of Indonesia provided a somewhat anticlimactic stage for Sam Kerr to etch herself into the record books as the greatest goalscorer in Australian history. When it comes to points of historical significance, there is generally a romantic desire for a scene you could slap an orchestral score on – circumstances that help contribute to the mythology surrounding the achievement. Continue reading...

He is in no way qualified but bringing Rooney back to Goodison Park would deliver the rush of authentic emotion we all crave It was interesting this week to see the fascination on social media with close-up clips of the celebrations after Tottenham’s 3-2 win at Leicester. This stuff is very popular right now. The digital eye has detected a hunger out there, a shared sweet spot for footage of unbound emotion, feelings-porn: players and fans lost in the moment, Antonio Conte baying and leaping and glowering like a bear startled by a hornets’ nest. Continue reading...

New bid being prepared after fresh talks on Friday Conte says he hopes Spurs will listen to him on transfers Tottenham have stepped up their pursuit of Adama Traoré and are increasingly confident of signing the Wolves player. Fresh talks were held on Friday and Spurs are preparing a new bid for the 25-year-old, who is high on Antonio Conte’s wishlist. Wolves have accepted that Traoré will not extend his contract beyond the end of next season and although Bruno Lage would like to keep the Spain international until the summer, the club are ready to sell at the right price. Continue reading...

Premier League updates from the 8pm GMT kick-off The Fiver: Watford, Norwich, Planet Earth and Meat Loaf And feel free to email scott.murray@theguardian.com Dean Smith’s turn. “We’ve only won back to back games once this season, and we want to do that again, and follow the positive performance against Everton. It’s given everyone a spring in their step. Angus Gunn is ready. He’s played a couple of games already this season but didn’t have the protection in front of him. He wasn’t well protected against Arsenal and Palace but will be today. We have a gameplan that we think will get us the three points.” Claudio Ranieri talks to Sky Sports. “It’s a crucial match, of course. We are in a relegation battle and we have to fight from the first until the end of the match. The last match was good. We conceded a stupid goal, but created a lot of chances, and it was very important. Tonight will be a very good match because Norwich play well, and we play well. It’s an important match. I ge