Liam Rosenior's tenure as Chelsea boss got off to a brilliant start, as the Blues bested a spirited Charlton side 5-1 at They Valley. Jorrell Hato opened the scoring with a beautifully struck volley just before half time. Toisin Adarabioyo added a second, with Miles Leaburn offering a brief reply, before Marc Guiu, Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez rounded off the scoring for the Blues.
Micky van de Ven defended Tottenham and Aston Villa's fracas at the end of their FA Cup third round tie, but sent a blunt warning to his Spurs team-mates that they cannot only show "this passion" when they are losing, having gone into half-time 2-0 down.
Antoine Semenyo left a lasting impression on his new Manchester City teammates with his man of the match performance in the Sky Blues 10-1 win over Exeter City in the third round of the FA Cup. The former Bournemouth man grabbed a goal and an assist, prompting Rico Lewis to say the Ghanaian international made a "seamless transition" into Pep Guardiola's side.
Tottenham Hotspur saw their injury crisis worsen after Brazil international Richarlison limped out of their FA Cup third-round tie with Aston Villa on Saturday evening. The north Londoners are now sweating on the fitness of the 28-year-old striker, who had to be replaced midway through the first half after picking up a suspected hamstring problem.
Former Newcastle and Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given has been condemned by viewers for describing Wilfried Nancy's managerial tenure at Celtic as "an absolute Holocaust", while working for the BBC as a pundit. The 49-year-old made the comments during the broadcast of Final Score earlier on Saturday. Presenter Jason Mohammed issued an on-air apology later in the show.
With the possible reunion between the experienced tactician and the dominant Premier Soccer League outfit driving the rumour mill, a possible conflict between the two parties has been identified. Mosimane is clubless, and Sundowns have struggled to impose themselves under Miguel Cardoso; many believe a reunion will be the best move for both parties.
Marc Guehi could be the beneficiary of an FA rule change on player eligibility in cup competitions. The Crystal Palace captain was part of the Eagles embarrassing 2-1 loss at minnows Macclesfield in defence of their FA Cup crown, but could continue in the competition if he completes a switch to Manchester City or Arsenal in the January transfer window.
Marc Guehi was spotted approaching angry Crystal Palace fans in the aftermath of his side’s historic FA Cup defeat against sixth-tier Macclesfield FC on Saturday afternoon. The Eagles captain came face-to-face with the travelling supporters following a seismic loss which manager Oliver Glasner said he had “no explanation” for after the full-time whistle.
The Soweto giants are set to lose one of their players this January amid local interest and a bid for the star. That situation may force Amakhosi into the transfer market to find a suitable replacement. However, any move will be closely scrutinised as questions linger over whether the club can avoid another costly transfer blunder.
Macclesfield made history on Saturday, as the first non-league club to knock out the reigning FA Cup winners since 1909 thanks to their 2-1 win over Premier League outfit Crystal Palace. A phoenix club established in 2020 after the winding up of Macclesfield Town FC, their achievement is truly remarkable. Here's all you need to know about the Silkmen.
Macclesfield FC captain Paul Dawson dedicated his side’s incredible FA Cup victory over holders Crystal Palace to late team-mate Ethan McLeod, who died in a car crash at the age of just 21 last month. The Silkmen produced one of the greatest upsets in the tournament’s history as they defeated Oliver Glasner’s Eagles at Moss Rose Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Al-Ittihad director Ramon Planes believes the club's captain and star striker Karim Benzema will extend his stay in Saudi Arabia. The 38-year-old's contract is set to expire in June 2026. Speculation over the five-time Champions League winners future intensified towards the end of last year, when he gave a cryptic answer to questions over his intentions to extend his stay in the Middle East.
Manchester City opened up their FA Cup campaign with a barely believable 10-1 victory over Exeter City in the third round on Saturday. Antoine Semenyo scored and assisted on his debut for the Cityzens, while youngster Max Alleyne also netted his first goal for the club, as Pep Guardiola's side swept aside their League One opponents at the Etihad Stadium.
The Sea Robbers were very dominant against Usuthu and registered a big win that will perhaps add impetus to their title-chasing campaign. Determined to wrestle back the title from their Soweto rivals, the Bucs not only won but also registered a clean sheet. Masandawana could, however, reduce the gap should they win their next game against Sekhukhune United on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola has defended the passing skills of his goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. The Manchester City boss praised the Italian's composure, control and short passing game, saying the 26-year-old is "much, much better than people think", with the ball at his feet. However, the Spaniard admitted that the ex-PSG man's long passing could not compare to City's former keeper Ederson.
Wrexham’s Hollywood co-owner Rob Mac has described his side’s performance in their FA Cup third-round victory over Nottingham Forest as ‘incredible’. The Red Dragons produced a sublime showing to knock out their Premier League opposition on penalties, producing the first shock of the round. After the game, McElhenney was unable to hide his delight.
Wayne Rooney was reduced to tears on punditry duty for the BBC as he watched his brother John produce the greatest shock result in FA Cup history. Non-league side Macclesfield FC ran out 2-1 winners over cup holders Crystal Palace to progress to the fourth round and shock the footballing world with a late Yeremy Pino consolation not enough to save the Eagles’ blushes.
The 30-year-old pushed for a move away from Chloorkop during the last PSL transfer window amid rumours that he was a wanted man in Europe. He could now secure a transfer, but he is being linked with Masandawana's local rivals, the Buccaneers. If that happens, it would mark the end of the right-back's time with the Brazilians, where he has been since October 2020.
Macclesfield FC - the lowest-ranked team left in the FA Cup - recorded one of the greatest shocks in the competition's history as they stunned holders Crystal Palace in a seismic 2-1 victory on Saturday. Goals either side of half-time from Paul Dawson and Isaac Buckley-Ricketts ensured the Silkmen, who were newly-reformed in 2020, reached the fourth round at the expense of their Premier League opponents.
Goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce was the hero as 10-player Manchester United clung on to steal a 0-0 draw away at Arsenal in the first WSL game of the new year. The visitors were reduced to 10 midway through the second half when Jayde Riviere was sent off, but held firm to keep a clean sheet and ensure the Gunners do not pull further away from them at the top of the table.
Arsenal failed to take advantage of a huge opportunity to open up a four-point cushion inside the Champions League places on Saturday, forced to settle for just a point in a 0-0 draw with Manchester United despite the Red Devils being reduced to 10 just past the hour. The Gunners created plenty of chances and really should've come away with the win but were let down by their finishing on a disappointing day out.
Arsenal star Declan Rice has been banned from driving after he was caught speeding twice on the same road in the space of a week. The England midfielder has also been issued with a fine after he was spotted going over the speed limit in his £40,000 Jaguar Land Rover at the start of last year. He did not appear at Crawley Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
A split between Jason Wilcox and Ruben Amorim led to the latter's sacking at Manchester United after the Portuguese coach took issue with a comment made by the director of football. Amorim was sacked as the Red Devils coach last week after he exploded in a post-match press conference and made a number of pointed comments aimed at the club's hierarchy.
Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany insists he has not spoken to Lennart Karl over his recent transfer remarks regarding Real Madrid after reiterating that the teen sensation has apologised for his “communication mistake”. The Bavarians' head coach has come to the aid of the 17-year-old, who raised eyebrows earlier this month by revealing it is his “dream” to play for the Spanish giants.
The 26-year-old has become another Mamelodi Sundowns player to have his loan spell cut short, either because of limited game time or the parent club’s desire to have him back. This follows the release of fellow loanee Matías Esquivel by Greek side AE Kifisia after his stint abroad failed to gain momentum. Closer to home, Khulumani Ndamane is also reported to be on his way out of TS Galaxy, having been loaned out shortly after signing for Masandawana.
United States international Jenna Nighswonger looks to be finally set for some regular game time after completing a loan move away from Arsenal. The full-back has found opportunities hard to come by since joining the Women's Super League club last January but has now secured a temporary switch that should change that - one which also includes an option to buy.
Chelsea's new boss Liam Rosenior has said that he wants to emulate Sir Alex Ferguson's great Manchester United treble-winning side, which was the result of developing young players, at Stamford Bridge. One of the reasons for Rosenior's appointment has been his success with youngsters at BlueCo-owned Strasbourg and he will be tasked with replicating that in west London.
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
