FEATURES

Eberechi Eze bounced back from his midweek nightmare at Brentford to help Arsenal set a new FA Cup record as they thumped Wigan 4-0 to cruise into the fifth round. Eze, whose form has been the subject of much scrutiny having been hauled off at half-time by Mikel Arteta during Thursday night's 1-1 draw at the Gtech Stadium, produced two superb early assists as the Gunners became the first Premier League side in history to score four times in the opening 30 minutes of an FA Cup tie.

GOAL reviews the major takeaways from Americans playing in Europe, including more McKennie magic

Manchester United earned their seventh straight victory in all competitions as they came from behind to beat London City Lionesses 2-1 in the Women's Super League. A stunning Jess Park equaliser and a late Millie Turner winner on her return from injury secured the three points after Nikita Parris had given the newly-promoted visitors the lead, as the Red Devils stay second in the division with the hard-fought victory.

Lauren James' brilliance helped Chelsea boost their chances of qualifying for next season's Women's Champions League in an important 2-0 win over Liverpool on Sunday, the Blues securing all three points at a time when plenty of negative noise has swirled around the club. Disappointing results led to questions being asked of head coach Sonia Bompator and her future, while the departure of head of women's football Paul Green this week caused a real stir. But the players did all they could do on Sunday, seeing off a revitalised Liverpool side thanks to goals from James and Sjoeke Nusken.

Roony Bardghji is finding out the hard way that life at the top of the European game can be as cruel as it is rewarding. The Swedish sensation, who arrived in Catalonia with a burgeoning reputation as one of the continent's most exciting young attackers, has once again drifted into the shadows at Barcelona. Despite a packed schedule that has seen the Blaugrana navigate a relentless run of fixtures across La Liga, the Champions League, and domestic cups, Roony has found himself surplus to requirements in Hansi Flick's immediate tactical setup.

Liverpool are by no means back to their best. And nor is Mohamed Salah. But there were enough positive signs from both in Saturday night's 3-0 FA Cup fourth-round win over Brighton to suggest that this most trying of seasons might actually end on a positive note for the Reds. Arne Slot's men were actually quite flat in the first half, perhaps exhausted from the effort required to end Sunderland's unbeaten home record in the Premier League in midweek, but they still went into the interval ahead thanks to Curtis Jones' close-range finish from Milos Kerkez's cross.

It's just as well Manchester City once again spent big during the January transfer window, as Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo were needed off the bench to help Pep Guardiola's men overcome Salford City in a surprisingly competitive FA Cup fourth-round clash at the Etihad on Saturday afternoon. Despite being gifted an early lead through Alfie Dorrington's own goal, City struggled horribly to break down their League Two opponents, while at the same time giving the visitors a couple of clear sights of goal.

Still just 22 years old, Jhon Duran has joined the sixth club of his increasingly nomadic career and his third in the space of just 12 months, making the controversial decision to head to Russia and sign for Zenit St Petersburg. It is a little over a year since the former Aston Villa hitman was being linked with European giants Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Chelsea, but after spells in Saudi Arabia and Turkey, the striker is already drifting further into obscurity.

GOAL looks at the biggest storylines among Americans Abroad, including a big FA Cup tie for Brenden Aaronson.

Chelsea thumped Hull City 4-0 to reach the fifth round of the FA Cup on Friday evening. Pedro Neto scored a hat-trick, including a goal directly from a corner, and Estevao also hit the back of the net as the Blues thumped Liam Rosenior's old employers.

Ahead of what is poised to be a significant World Cup year season, GOAL offers the definitive ranking of every MLS club in league history

GOAL breaks down what teams could look like if MLS followed the NBA's lead with its All-Star game.

Robinho Jr only turned 18 in December, but he has already broken into the senior team at Santos, where he is now rubbing shoulders with Brazil's all-time record goal-scorer, Neymar. The teenager is already attracting transfer interest from a host of top European clubs, partly because of his ability, but also due to the footballing legacy of his father.

By his own admission, Cole Palmer still isn't fully fit as he grapples with a niggling groin issue that has plagued him all season long. The scary thing is, we're starting to see the Chelsea talisman at something close to his best despite his ongoing injury troubles, and the timing of his recent uptick in form could be perfect as he eyes a place in Thomas Tuchel's England squad for the 2026 World Cup.

Only four teams in Women's Super League history have ever endured a longer wait for a first win of the season than Liverpool did this term. Winless through 12 matches, only Yeovil Town, Doncaster Rovers Belles, Everton and Reading had ever experienced more barren streaks in the competition than the Reds, whose status as the former two-time WSL champions made their case stand apart as the most shocking and surprising of the five.

The official confirmation of Roberto De Zerbi's Marseille departure arrived at 2:35 on Tuesday morning. In that sense - and that sense alone - the timing of the news was odd. But there was nothing else remotely surprising about De Zerbi's exit. It had been coming for some time, and Sunday's humiliating 5-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain at Parc des Princes was obviously the final nail in De Zerbi's coffin.

Arsenal missed out on the chance to restore their six-point lead at the top of the Premier League table after being held to a 1-1 draw at Brentford on Thursday. Mikel Arteta's side, who were way off their best throughout a frustrating evening in west London, looked to have found a way to win when Noni Madueke headed home superbly just after the hour mark. But Keane Lewis-Potter produced his own exceptional header 19 minutes from time to earn the hosts a point they thoroughly deserved and put a dent in the Gunners' title hopes

Barcelona were thumped 4-0 by Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final on Thursday, as Diego Simeone's side ran riot against a truly dismal Blaugrana side. Hansi Flick's high line was exposed routinely and ruthlessly throughout a night that the Metropolitano faithful could barely believe.

Manchester United took one huge step towards a first-ever Women's Champions League quarter-final on Thursday, with goals from Elisabeth Terland, Melvine Malard and Julia Zigiotti Olme delivering a 3-0 win over Atletico Madrid in Spain. In their first foray in the competition proper, the Red Devils are all-but-in the last eight now, and set to meet Bayern Munich in the next round.

EXCLUSIVE: Tillman speaks with GOAL about his growth, new pressure at Leverkusen, and his USMNT World Cup ambitions.

After a quiet MLS season and a winter of roster churn in Philadelphia, the pathway may finally be opening for teenage prodigy Cavan Sullivan.

So there we have it! The Sean Dyche era at Nottingham Forest is officially over - after just 114 days and a measly 18 Premier League games, with a 0-0 draw at home to rock-bottom Wolves proving the final straw. Dyche leaves the City Ground with the team sitting 17th in the table, just three points above the drop zone with 12 matches of the 2025-26 campaign remaining.

The Metropolitano pitch has become a major talking point ahead of Atletico Madrid's Copa del Rey semi-final first leg against Barcelona. "Honestly, it's not in good condition," Koke admitted after Sunday's home defeat to Real Betis. "We slip, the turf comes up. Clearly, we have to play better, so it's not an excuse, but we're expected to perform at a high level and we need a pitch of that same quality to be able to do so."

Managers often say that the one positive thing about modern football's relentless schedule is you never have too long to stew on a disappointing result. The opposite, however, is now true for Michael Carrick, who has all the time in the world to dissect Manchester United's 1-1 draw at West Ham before his side are in action again.

Arsenal are heavy favourites to go on and win this season's Premier League. They've put themselves in a commanding position with around a third of the campaign remaining and ought to see out the job from here on in. It's been a real team effort with everyone in Mikel Arteta's squad pulling their weight, but there will always be clamour to crown one player above all others. Why can't that be Martin Zubimendi?

Liverpool closed the gap on those above them in the Premier League's top-five race as Virgil van Dijk's header secured a 1-0 win over Sunderland on Wednesday. Arne Slot's side became the first visiting team to win at the Stadium of Light this season while taking advantage of both Chelsea and Manchester United dropping points 24 hours earlier.

Erling Haaland scored his first open-play goal in nearly two months as Manchester City fired another warning to Arsenal in the Premier League title race with a 3-0 win over Fulham. Pep Guardiola's side made sure they built on the momentum of their stunning late comeback win at Liverpool on Sunday and were utterly ruthless, striking three times before half-time.

Arsenal have one foot in the Women's Champions League quarter-finals after beating OH Leuven 4-0 in Belgium on Wednesday. Two from Frida Maanum and goals for both Olivia Smith and Alessia Russo got the job done, moving the reigning European champions one big step closer towards a meeting with London rivals Chelsea in the last eight.

GOAL takes a look at which MLS teams did the best, and worst, with their kits this season