Mikel Arteta has hit back at suggestions that Arsenal players have prioritised club over country after a staggering 11 members of his squad withdrew from international duty. The Gunners boss insists that the medical decisions were necessary and the club maintains a transparent relationship with national team managers, including England's Thomas Tuchel.
Christoph Kramer saw Caspar Jander as a future international, but the highly talented midfielder has now reached a dead end at Southampton. Could a move to the Bundesliga be his way out?
The FA Cup quarter-final draw has produced some spectacular matchups, headlined by a heavyweight clash between Manchester City and Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium. Meanwhile, League 1 strugglers Port Vale have been rewarded for their magical cup run with a dream tie against Chelsea. Premier League leaders Arsenal also face a tricky away test against Championship outfit Southampton.
Sixteen teams will be whittled down to a final eight as the race for English football's most prestigious domestic cup prize heats up - here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about the upcoming draw
Fulham manager Marco Silva has staunchly defended his heavily rotated squad following a shocking 1-0 FA Cup fifth-round defeat to Championship side Southampton. Despite making nine changes to his starting eleven, the Portuguese tactician refused to use a controversial disallowed goal as an excuse, instead pointing to his team's overall poor performance and demanding better execution.
Macclesfield FC will welcome the Premier League's Brentford to their Moss Rose home in the next round of the 2025-26 FA Cup after the fourth round draw handed the non-league side another glamorous tie against top flight opposition. The Silkmen sensationally beat holders Crystal Palace in the third round to complete one of the greatest FA Cup shocks of all-time.
Russell Martin has reportedly been identified as one of the leading candidates to become the next head coach of the Columbus Crew. The 39-year-old Scottish manager is being considered to fill the vacancy left by Wilfried Nancy, who departed the defending MLS champions in December 2025 to take charge of Scottish Premiership giants Celtic FC.
Coventry City and Southampton have both been charged by the Football Association (FA) following the unsavoury scenes at the end of their 1-1 draw in the Championship on Saturday afternoon. An ugly melee broke out between both sets of players and club staff, with Sky Blues manager Frank Lampard later apologising for his part in the scuffle at St. Mary’s.
Frank Lampard was forced to apologise after a heated post-match melee erupted following Coventry City’s hard-earned draw at Southampton. The Sky Blues boss appeared to inflame tensions with a sarcastic gesture towards the home crowd, triggering confrontations between players and staff and overshadowing a resilient display from his Championship leaders.
Chelsea and England legend Frank Lampard sparked a Championship melee after celebrating Coventry City's hard-fought draw against Southampton on Saturday. The Sky Blues were reduced to 10 men at the start of the second half, but they managed to hold Southampton to a draw to extend their unbeaten run to nine matches, with their last loss coming in November against Wrexham.
Southampton have sacked manager Will Still after just 16 games in charge, with the Championship promotion hopefuls languishing in 21st place. The 33-year-old managed only four wins during a torrid start to life back in England, and Saturday’s 2-0 home defeat to Preston proved to be his final match in charge as the Saints turn to interim boss Tonda Eckert.
Ex-Real Madrid star Gareth Bale has claimed he feared going bankrupt during his playing days, despite being handsomely paid throughout his glittering career. Bale won a staggering 20 major trophies as an electric winger and is widely considered to be one of Britain’s best-ever footballers, yet even he still had anxieties over the prospect of somehow blowing away all his money.
Former Southampton winger Eljero Elia, 38, was lucky to walk away unscathed after being involved in a horror motorway smash which wrecked the £270,000 ($364k) Lamborghini Urus he was driving. Elia was travelling in his native Netherlands when the crash occurred but, fortunately, no one was injured.
USMNT forward Patrick Agyemang opened his account for Derby County with a first-half goal in their Championship clash against Southampton. The 24-year-old striker struck in the 40th minute to bring the Rams level at 1-1, notching an important milestone early in his stint with the club following his summer move from Charlotte FC. Both the Saints and Rams would settle for a point Saturday.
Theo Walcott couldn't bring himself to put friend and former team-mate Gareth Bale on top of a five-player list of Premier League legends, even when afforded the chance to amend his blind ranking. The two ex-wingers, both known for their blistering pace and energy, shared a flat during their youth days at Southampton but are now retired from playing.
Arne Slot knew full well that the first question of his post-match press conference after Tuesday night's Carabao Cup win over Southampton would be about Hugo Ekitike - but he wasn't happy about it.
Southampton
