Mikel Arteta handed a historic start to 16-year-old sensation Max Dowman for Arsenalâs FA Cup fifth-round tie against Mansfield Town. The Hale End graduate became the youngest player to ever start a match in the competition for the Gunners.
Arsenal just about did enough to edge past League One side Mansfield Town in the FA Cup fifth round, running out 2-1 winners on the road on Saturday. Mikel Arteta made several changes to his starting XI and initially lined them up in a 3-5-2 formation with wingers in lieu of wing-backs, which only emboldened their ambitious hosts. Nevertheless, goals in either half helped see the Gunners into the hat for the quarter-finals.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has launched a scathing assessment of English football's scheduling, claiming that domestic cup competitions are held in higher regard than European success. The City boss is frustrated that his side must face Newcastle United in an FA Cup fifth-round tie at 8pm (GMT) on Saturday, leaving them with minimal recovery time before travelling to face Real Madrid on Wednesday.
The recalled Andy Robertson was the star of the show with a goal and an assist as Liverpool went some way towards making amends for Tuesday's utterly embarrassing Premier League loss at Wolves. Indeed, the rematch was a far better experience for the Reds as they returned to Molineux on Friday evening to record a 3-1 win that secured Arne Slot's side a spot in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
Wolves have revealed a series of moving permanent tributes to Diogo Jota at Molineux, timed to coincide with their FA Cup encounter against the forward's other former English club, Liverpool. The unveiling marks a significant moment of remembrance for the Portuguese international and his brother, Andre Silva, following their tragic passing last summer, an event that sparked a massive wave of emotion across the footballing world.
Leeds United have issued a firm plea to their supporters to respect a planned pause in play during Sunday's FA Cup fifth-round tie against Norwich City. The break is designed to allow players observing Ramadan to break their fast, a protocol that was unfortunately met with hostility during the clubâs recent Premier League defeat to Manchester City at Elland Road. Seeking to avoid a repeat of those scenes, the west Yorkshire club released a detailed statement ahead of the game.
When Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought Wrexham in 2020, the Welsh club were a long way from the Premier League. Back then, the Red Dragons were still in the National League, the top tier of non-league. But since returning to the EFL in 2023, Wrexham's rise has been literally unprecedented, becoming the first team in English football to achieve three successive promotions. Now, they're after a fourth.
Arne Slot called Tuesday's embarrassing 2-1 loss at Wolves "the same old story". And he was right. There was nothing new or novel about their painfully predictable defeat at Molineux. Liverpool produced a dreadfully flat first half, got themselves back into the game after gifting the opposition a goal, only to then lose it by conceding an injury-time winner.
Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior could barely contain his frustration after his side conceded a 93rd-minute equaliser against Burnley at Stamford Bridge on February 21 - just three days after blowing a 2-0 lead at home to Leeds United. "We've set fire to four points from two home games," the Blues boss fumed in his post-match press conference.
Arsenal remain in the hunt for an unprecedented quadruple, with former âInvinciblesâ squad member Jeremie Aliadiere telling GOAL why the Gunners would not âswapâ three of those trophies for a guaranteed Premier League title triumph. The Frenchman is of the opinion that domestic dominance can be restored at Emirates Stadium while collecting multiple pieces of major silverware.
Wrexhamâs incredible Hollywood story shows no signs of slowing down as the Red Dragons secured a vital 1-0 victory over Charlton Athletic at The Valley. In a match defined by defensive grit and a solitary moment of technical brilliance, Phil Parkinsonâs side proved they have the stomach for the promotion fight. The victory keeps Wrexham firmly in the hunt for a historic rise through the divisions.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has broken his silence following a wave of criticism on social media after a video emerged of him refusing to sign an autograph for a supporter outside the Emirates Stadium. The incident took place as the Spaniard was in his car following the Gunners' victory over Wigan Athletic and he has taken the chance to tell his side of the story.
One regular weekend of refereeing, that's all we ask for. Will never happen. At least not in the current climate - because if the fourth round of the FA Cup taught us anything, it's that the absence of VAR definitely doesn't mean an absence of controversy. The first half of the Aston Villa-Newcastle game alone made a compelling case for the continued use of technology for offside decisions and penalty claims.
The draw for the fifth round of the 2025-26 FA Cup took place on Monday and produced some intriguing ties ahead of the next round of games in the competition. Chelsea have been drawn to face Wrexham, while Manchester City face a tricky test against Eddie Howe's Newcastle United and Premier League leaders Arsenal are away to League One side Mansfield Town.
Chelsea's players have come in for heavy criticism after being filmed walking straight past a group of excited young Hull City mascots before the FA Cup fourth-round tie between the two clubs. Blues stars including club captain Reece James, Estevao Willian and Joao Pedro can be seen passing by the children without acknowledging them, with the incident sparking widespread outrage on social media.
Though the Premier League took a week off to allow for the FA Cup, there were still plenty of storylines to follow within England, while title races around the rest of Europe continue to take plenty of twists and turns.
Mikel Arteta found himself caught up in an awkward encounter with an autograph-hunting supporter following Arsenalâs FA Cup fourth-round win over Wigan. The Gunners boss was looking to head home with his family after that encounter, but was spotted in his car by eagle-eyed fans. Despite making it clear that he had no intention of granting shirt-signing requests, one individual persevered.
Mikel Arteta deployed Bukayo Saka in a central role for Arsenal against Wigan in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday and saw his team cruise to a emphatic 4-0 win. The Arsenal boss spoke about his decision to swap Saka from his usual role out wide, admitting it is something that he had wanted to try and is now a tactic that he could look to use more often.
Mikel Arteta has confirmed the reason behind Martin Odegaard's absence from the matchday squad for Arsenal's FA Cup win over Wigan on Sunday. The Gunners eased past the Latics on home turf to breeze into the next round of the competition but Odegaard sat out the resounding home victory as the Norwegian's stop-start season continues.
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.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has heaped praise on Mohamed Salah for his starring role in their 3-0 win against Brighton in the FA Cup on Saturday evening. Strikes from Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai saw the Reds build a commanding 2-0 lead, before Salah, who ran the show, capped off proceedings from the penalty spot.
Wayne Rooney launched a scathing attack on the standard of officiating in the FA Cup on Saturday, as Newcastle United overcame Aston Villa 3-1 in the fourth round despite multiple game-changing decisions going against them in the absence of VAR. The former Manchester United striker was particularly critical of a decision which saw a free kick given for a Lucas Digne handball which was clearly 'three yards inside' the penalty area.
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
