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Slovakia has just elected a president who, like the country’s prime minister, opposes military aid to Ukraine and is seen as pro-Moscow It is easy to forget that in June 2021 the Ukrainian Football Association was ordered to remove the words “Glory to the Heroes” from its European Championship shirt after Russia – yes, that Russia – had complained it found the slogan to be upsettingly aggressive and militaristic in tone. Eight months later the same Russia, no doubt still averting its nose from all things militaristic, would invade Ukraine’s eastern border and start a war which has killed at least 11,000 Ukrainian civilians and tens of thousands of its own soldiers. They did at least get the slogan changed, so there’s that. Continue reading...

Welcome returns at Liverpool, Arsenal and Villa juggle ambitions and Guimarães’s discipline under scrutiny Should Bruno Guimarães be booked against Tottenham at St James’ Park the Newcastle and Brazil midfielder faces a dilemma. Given that Guimarães is on nine yellow cards, a 10th would trigger an automatic two-game suspension, depriving Eddie Howe of a key player for forthcoming games at Crystal Palace and at home to Sheffield United. Alternatively, Guimarães could make sure he collected a second yellow card, ideally late in stoppage time, and be sent off. In such a red card scenario, the sanction would merely be a one-game ban. Considering that Guimarães has managed to avoid a booking in 10 games since mid-January the best solution would be to extend that run to 11 matches and then relax in the knowledge that the accumulated bookings slate will be wiped clean after the Premier League’s 32nd game – Tottenham’s visit to Newcastle. Yet if the Brazilian transgresses do not be surprised

Anfield was shorn of its flags and Liverpool lost all of their powers. A thumping first home defeat in 34 matches, against a highly accomplished Atalanta, left the Europa League favourites needing another stirring comeback to resurrect Jürgen Klopp’s chances of signing off with a Dublin final. A manager responsible for so many unforgettable European nights during his Liverpool reign is at risk of exiting quietly. Gianluca Scamacca, the former West Ham disappointment, scored twice as Atalanta displayed the cutting edge, tactical discipline, physical power and defensive might that Klopp’s subdued team lacked all night. It was Liverpool’s first loss at Anfield in 26 games this season and their joint heaviest home defeat in European competition. There were no excuses. Klopp admitted his side “lost the plot” tactically and the overall performance level represented a low point in the campaign. Continue reading...

* Updates from the 8pm BST kick-off at the BayArena * Liverpool v Atalanta: join Michael Butler for our MBM * Have any thoughts? Send them to Will via email 2 mins: A feel like the commentary team at not in Leverkusen for this, which is a bit underwhelming from TNT. Maybe I am wrong … Onto the match … It is certainly a back five West Ham as they look to contain Leverkusen in the early stages. Continue reading...

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! Located in the central lowlands of Scotland on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, just a few skims of a stone from the perishingly cold north sea, Dundee is often subject to inclement weather. On average it rains there 125 days a year and in recent weeks some of the heavier deluges have stymied Dundee’s attempts to host their Scottish Premiership match against Rangers. Last month’s game was kiboshed because the Dens Park pitch was rendered unplayable after a downpour and the game was rescheduled for Wednesday night. Due to be broadcast live on Sky and with 4,000 Rangers fans preparing to make the 80-mile trip from Glasgow, it once again fell foul of the weather, with referee Don Robertson deeming the pitch unplayable following his second inspection of the day. It is rare that one man’s solemn and often futile attempts to bounce a football in various parts of a quagmire have been subject to so much public scrutiny, but such was the

* Manager was left furious after decisions in West Ham game * Kompany handed touchline ban after misconduct charge The Wolves manager, Gary O’Neil, has been charged for his behaviour after the controversial refereeing call in his team’s 2-1 Premier League defeat by West Ham last weekend. Wolves were left fuming when a stoppage-time equaliser from Max Kilman was ruled out after a VAR check for offside against Tawanda Chirewa, who was in front of the goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski. Continue reading...

Tottenham defender and Ireland international who kept Wimbledon in the top division as manager in the 90s Joe Kinnear, who has died aged 77, had a lively and successful career in three footballing arenas – as a trophy-winning defender with Tottenham during the 1960s and 70s, as a 26-cap international with Ireland, and as a combative, resourceful manager of Wimbledon in the 90s, when they defied the established order by maintaining their status as members of the Premier League throughout his seven-year reign. A fleet-footed right-back, Kinnear won the FA Cup, League Cup (twice) and Uefa Cup with Spurs, while for Ireland he was a regular pick across three European championship and two World Cup qualifying campaigns from 1967 to 1975. But of the three elements of an eventful sporting life, his time with Wimbledon was probably the most impressive, given that he was leading a team that barely had any right to be mixing it in the top division. Continue reading...

West Ham are without key players for Europa League quarter-final but the Hammers have a habit of turning up in big games The player who scored the winning goal in last year’s Europa Conference League final is missing. The player who holds the midfield together is out. The opposition have the most exciting young manager in Europe, are about to win the Bundesliga and have not lost a game this season. Oh, and they thrashed West Ham 4-0 when the teams met in pre‑season last summer. Enjoy. “They haven’t lost for 41 games – it is a challenge for us,” Kurt Zouma, West Ham’s captain, said before the first leg of Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final against Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen. Jarrod Bowen, scorer of 19 goals this season, has not travelled to Germany after hurting his back against Wolves last weekend and the Mexico midfielder Edson Álvarez is suspended. The preparations could have gone better. Continue reading...

* Club purchase 1.2 acre site adjacent to Stamford Bridge * Deal reduces – but does not end – chances of Chelsea moving Chelsea are still exploring plans for a new stadium despite finalising a deal to buy a plot of land adjacent to Stamford Bridge. Building one of the biggest and best stadiums in the country is a key priority for Chelsea’s owners, Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, and the path could be cleared by the purchase of a 1.2 acre site belonging to Stoll, a housing charity for veterans. Continue reading...

Record memberships and crowds followed the Matildas effect but with one club’s future unclear the women’s game remains at a crossroads A sensational finish to the A-League Women regular season has set the scene for the first six-team finals series, which promises to be a litmus test for women’s football less than a year after the success of the Women’s World Cup as one club teeters on the brink of collapse. Melbourne City’s dramatic final day, snatching of the premiership ahead of Sydney FC, ended three years of regular season dominance by the northerners. And it was thanks to a shock 4-0 victory over the Sky Blues by City’s local rivals Melbourne Victory. Continue reading...

Championship promotion race is absorbing but amid reform comes a risk of financial divides widening between clubs “It’s like a start-up tech company in Silicon Valley,” says Baroness Sue Campbell, recalling Michele Kang’s description of NewCo, the independent company that will take over running the Women’s Super League and Championship from next season. It is the start-up that drew Kang, one of the most recognisable businesswomen in women’s football, with a portfolio including ownership of Washington Spirit and a majority share in Lyon, to acquire London City Lionesses, who sit mid-table in the second tier of English football. That is the same independent club whose players, at the end of last season, warned the previous owner, Diane Culligan, the “very existence” of the side would be under threat without more investment. Continue reading...

* Serge Gnabry and Harry Kane scored after defensive mistakes * ‘When you have this situation you are going to be punished’ Mikel Arteta said that Arsenal must learn from conceding two sloppy goals against Bayern Munich if they are to have a chance of making it through to the semi-finals of the Champions League. Bukayo Saka’s 18th goal of the season had given the hosts an early lead before defensive lapses allowed Bayern to take a 2-1 lead at half-time through Serge Gnabry and Harry Kane’s 15th goal against Arsenal in 20 appearances. Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard, on as substitutes, combined brilliantly to equalise 14 minutes from time to leave the tie delicately poised after Kingsley Coman struck the post late on. Continue reading...

* Euro 2025 qualifying updates from the 7.30pm BST kick-off * Any comments? Feel free to email Taha with your thoughts 3 min: McCabe sends in the corner … and Hampton collects well. 2 min: England string together their first few passes before a long punt from an Ireland shirt upsets the order. Carusa wins a corner after her cross is blocked. Continue reading...

* Champions League updates from the 8pm BST kick-off * Live scoreboard | And feel free to mail Barry your thoughts Those teams: Mikel Arteta makes two changes to the team that beat Brighton at the Amex Stadium on Saturday, opting to freshen up the left side of his outfit. Gabriel Martinelli replaces Gabriel Jesus on the wing, while Jakub Kiwior is in for Oleksandr Zinchenko at left-back. Both players who have been dropped are likely to be disappointed, not least because they both played well against Brighton. Other opinions are, of course, available. Manuel Neuer and Leroy Sane come in to the Bayern Munich side that lost at Heidenheim at the weekend, while Kingsley Coman, Noussair Mazraoui and Aleksandar Pavlovic, who also missed that game are on the bench. Eric Dier and Matthijs de Ligt are also in, for Dayot Upamecano and Kim Min-Jae in the heart of Bayern’s defence. Continue reading...

If the rising star has the maturity to recognise Adelaide United is the best place for him right now, maybe that’s a silver lining to this Olyroos saga One of the key pieces of advice the A-Leagues received in early 2020, when they were separating from Football Australia, was that the “best asset” they could possess was the local boy or girl made good. The counsel came from former Premier League boss Richard Scudamore, who was drafted by clubs to advise their new stewardship of the competition, and it’s hard to imagine a more apt example of this than Nestory Irankunda. So it’s no surprise that Australian football has become so invested in the journey of the 18-year-old and the current saga surrounding his status with Australia’s U23 side, the Olyroos. The teenage sensation is emblematic of what the competition is trying to become in its new, belated, “football focused” era; an incredibly talented young man, who received an opportunity to play for his home town club and promptly exc

Hundreds of Munitionette teams played in Britain during the first world war – and their story is being told on stage * Moving the Goalposts: sign up for our free newsletter Much as followers of men’s football of a certain age and type sometimes struggle to comprehend the fact that the sport existed before Italia 90, recent aficionados of the women’s game can be rather blank about its history pre-Canada 2015. Even those aware that women’s football was banned by England’s Football Association for 50 years until 1971 are often startled to learn that it thrived during and immediately after the first world war. And they will certainly have their eyes opened by Wor Bella, a play to be staged at Clapham’s The Bread & Roses Theatre and Newcastle’s Theatre Royal this month. Continue reading...

* Centre-back out of contract at Craven Cottage in summer * Liverpool, Tottenham and Milan linked with 26-year-old West Ham plan to enter the race to sign Fulham’s Tosin Adarabioyo on a free transfer this summer. The centre-back is out of contract at the end of the season but Fulham hope to keep the 26-year-old, who has been linked with Liverpool, Tottenham and Milan. The former Manchester City defender has had an impressive campaign and has become a key player for Marco Silva. West Ham have been leaky at the back, conceding 56 times in the league, and David Moyes has concerns over his options at centre-back. Nayef Aguerd, the Morocco international, is expected to be up for sale and Kurt Zouma, West Ham’s captain, has had fitness issues. Continue reading...

Showcase proves Nike’s criticised reimagining of red and white St George’s Cross for Euros shirts has decades of precedents The replacement of the traditional red and white St George’s Cross with a multicoloured one on Nike’s design for the Euros England shirt became such a hot topic in March that the prime minister got involved. The leader of the opposition, Keir Starmer, called for the kit to be scrapped. But a new exhibition shows that England shirts, and the insignia on them, have been interpreted in multiple ways since the 1950s. Umbro 100: Sportswear x Fashion, at Ambika Gallery in the University of Westminster, tells the story of Manchester-based brand Umbro. As the official outfitter of England from 1954 to 2012, the national team’s shirts are a key part of the exhibition, including a 2011 shirt designed by Peter Saville, the influential graphic designer famous for creating imagery for Factory Records in the 80s and redesigning the Burberry logo more recently. On it, the cr

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! Considering 14 different teams have beaten Manchester United this season, you could have been forgiven for presuming Liverpool would finally add their name to the list at the third time of asking. Going into the weekend’s fixtures, much of the talk was about who would blink first as they contest the title with Arsenal and Manchester City, and on Sunday we got our answer. As Crystal Palace and Brighton fell to emphatic defeats against Liverpool’s only challengers, all eyes turned to Old Trafford. Most were left staring in slack-jawed amazement as they peppered the United goal and assorted fans behind it, the number of shots more common at happy hour in a trendy Magaluf nightspot, but somehow only scored two goals. They weren’t enough to secure all three points and, despite United suffering their third consecutive bombardment in eight days, it was Liverpool who needed a penalty to come from behind and rescue a point. I couldn’t help

* Euro 2022-winning captain missed World Cup with ACL injury * Defender brings ‘flexibility in defence’, says Sarina Wiegman Sarina Wiegman has confirmed Leah Williamson will start for England against the Republic of Ireland on Tuesday night in their second Euro 2025 qualifying group game. Williamson, the Euro 2022-winning captain, said she would be emotional at the Aviva Stadium when she steps out with England for the first time in almost a year, after she was sidelined with an anterior cruciate ligament injury last April. Continue reading...

Hired on a caretaker basis to the end of this season, De Rossi’s unique relationship with Roma gives him an obvious appeal Daniele De Rossi insisted he had not yearned for these moments. Interviewed by Dazn before Saturday’s Rome derby, he gave us a glimpse of vulnerability he might not have allowed in his playing days. “No, this little bit of anxiety you have beforehand, I really didn’t miss that,” he said candidly. “But that’s the beauty of our sport and our city.” More than 20 years have passed since De Rossi took part in this derby for the first time, coming off the bench in a 2-0 win for Roma. He played 30 more, and it is easy to see why some nervousness may persist. De Rossi endured some of the lowest moments of his career against Lazio, including a red card for punching Stefano Mauri in 2012 and defeat in this fixture’s only-ever major cup final at the end of the same season. Continue reading...

* Gunners face German side in Champions League quarter-final * Victory at Brighton was their 10th in 11 Premier League games Martin Ødegaard has insisted Arsenal do not fear anyone as they prepare to face Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich on Tuesday in the Champions League ­quarter-final in scintillating form. An impressive victory at Brighton on Saturday meant Mikel Arteta’s team have won 10 of their 11 Premier League games since the turn of the year and conceded only four goals to reignite their title challenge. Bayern’s hopes of retaining their Bundesliga crown are all but over after they threw away a two-goal lead at Heidenheim to lose 3-2 and the unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen moved to within three points of a first title. Continue reading...

* Premier League updates from the 6pm BST kick-off * Get in touch: Send Luke an email with your thoughts Postecoglou: “It’s a tough opponent. We’ve got to play well … Their biggest threat is that they are fighting for their lives. There’s no easy games for anyone. Everyone’s fighting for something. “They have got threats up front … but ultimately we’re here at home – we’ve got really good form and we need to continue that.” Continue reading...

Liverpool are the first to falter in the three-way title joust with Arsenal and Manchester City, and Manchester United will be delighted at causing this. When Jürgen Klopp looks at the Premier League table he will now see his team second, level on points with Arsenal but behind on goal difference, and one point ahead of City, all three sides having seven games left. United, for the spirit shown in the second half, deserved a draw but Klopp and his side may come to rue allowing Erik ten Hag’s erratic team to take two precious points from them. Continue reading...

Players and fans celebrated history after Athletic Bilbao beat Mallorca 4-2 on penalties to win their 24th Copa del Rey title and their first since 1984 - ending a 40-year trophy drought in a nerve-wracking final in Seville. "There’s real pride in representing a community like Athletic," said one fan. Bilbao are the fourth oldest Spanish club and among three never to be relegated, alongside Real Madrid and Barcelona, while staying loyal to their unique philosophy of only fielding players of Basque origin. "This is one more dream I've fulfilled. I've dreamt about this moment so many times," said Basque-born winger Nico Williams. * Athletic Club beat Mallorca in Copa del Rey final to end 40-year trophy drought Continue reading...

* Jeff Shi says league and PGMOL must react ‘to uphold integrity’ * Wolves had late equaliser ruled out for offside against West Ham Wolves’ anger over the latest video assistant referee controversy has prompted their chairman, Jeff Shi, to question whether the technology is “really what football wants or needs” and urged the referees’ body Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) to address concerns to “uphold the integrity of the competition”. Wolves had a stoppage-time equaliser against West Ham on Saturday disallowed because of a controversial call. Max Kilman’s late header was ruled out after the VAR, Tim Robinson, advised the referee, Tony Harrington, to review the goal on the pitch-side monitor. The goal was overturned because the Wolves substitute Tawanda Chirewa was in an offside position and deemed to be clearly obstructing the West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski’s line of vision. Continue reading...

* Belgian’s double helps champions seal 4-2 win at Crystal Palace * City’s squad struggling to cope with workload, admits Guardiola After Kevin De Bruyne’s double in the 4-2 win at Crystal Palace took the Belgian to 100 Manchester City goals and maintained his club’s chase to retain the Premier League title, Pep Guardiola garlanded his star man with praise. “The numbers, presence, consistency have been amazing,” said the manager of De Bruyne, who scored City’s spectacular equaliser in his 250th Premier League game for the club to cancel out Jean-Philippe Mateta’s early counterattacking opener before later adding their fourth. “He is one of the best players in the history of Man City. The goals, assists, the lot. What can I say? The first goal is unbelievable and so is the assist for Erling [Haaland].” Continue reading...

* Florian Wirtz scores only goal for unbeaten Bundesliga leaders * German champions slump from 2-0 up to lose at Heidenheim The Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen battled past Union Berlin 1-0 on Saturday to equal a league record unbeaten run of 28 consecutive matches and all but secure their first league title with a 16-point advantage at the top and six matches remaining. The visitors, who are also through to the German Cup final and face West Ham United next week in their Europa League quarter-final first leg, put Union on the back foot from the start. Despite a string of chances Xabi Alonso’s team had to wait until deep in first-half stoppage time for Florian Wirtz to convert a penalty. Minutes earlier, Union had Robin Gosens sent off after a second booking. This story will be updated Continue reading...

Derby days do not get much sweeter for Norwich City. Their hex over Ipswich Town extended to 15 years and the consequences of this feisty, fully merited win may be greater still. For one thing, it puts a severe dent in their rivals’ hopes of automatic promotion, which had looked irresistible at the outset; for another, it tightens their own stranglehold on sixth place and infuses their playoff challenge with potentially decisive momentum. Whisper it quietly, but this may only have been an appetiser: with this result, the odds on a reunion in the playoffs next month have surely shortened dramatically. Marcelino Núñez was the hero for David Wagner’s team, beating Vaclav Hladky with a 39th-minute free-kick during a spell of concerted Norwich pressure. It said everything for their display that they restricted the league leaders, usually so swashbuckling, to scraps and there was no scope on this occasion for Kieran McKenna to mastermind one of Ipswich’s trademark late comebacks. Continue

Wycombe’s captain, one of a handful of Jewish footballers in England, on coping with abuse and the sport’s response “I knew by speaking out that I would get a backlash,” Joe Jacobson says. The Wycombe Wanderers defender, who is one of a handful of Jewish footballers playing in England, is speaking with depressing honesty. Jacobson, who hopes to lead Wycombe out at Wembley when they face Peterborough United in the EFL Trophy final on Sunday afternoon, was targeted after posting on social media about Hamas attacking Israel on 7 October. There was nothing particularly controversial about the 37-year-old Welshman’s comments. Jacobson simply questioned images of people in London and Sydney appearing to celebrate the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. “We got a few comments back,” he says. Continue reading...

The defender credited Sarina Wiegman’s guidance after making a first competitive start since 2021 in the draw with Sweden When Lotte Wubben-Moy walked out at Wembley against Sweden there can be little doubt about the pride she was feeling. Named in England’s starting lineup in a competitive match for the first time since November 2021, a long and patient wait over, the 25-year-old defender finally had her chance. Entering the field hand in hand with the sister of her boyfriend, the cyclist Tao Geoghegan Hart, will have been a memorable moment. “It’s a very special feeling for both me and my family,” says the England defender. “I had my partner’s little sister walking out with me so that was super special. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the cherry on top in terms of getting the win tonight but this is something for me personally to build on. There are a lot of relationships for me to gel together. I hope this is the start of many more.” Continue reading...

* Club are facing second points deduction for PSR breaches * ‘It wouldn’t have happened on my watch, trust me,’ he says Sean Dyche has condemned the mismanagement that has left Everton facing two points deductions in one season and insisted he would never have allowed the club’s reckless spending to happen on his watch. Everton are braced for a second deduction next week that would jeopardise their Premier League status following a hearing into a breach of profit and sustainability rules (PSR) for the three-year period up to 2022-23. The club has already been docked 10 points this season, reduced to six on appeal, for a £19.5m overspend in the four-year period up to 2021-22. Continue reading...

* Manager believes team will harness frustration of Chelsea loss * ‘We have to turn this around. We have to take energy.’ Erik ten Hag believes Manchester United’s added-time capitulation at Chelsea will make them “mad and angry” for Liverpool’s visit on Sunday. United led 3-2 as Thursday’s game entered the 99th-minute before a Cole Palmer penalty and the same player’s 101st-minute strike gave Chelsea victory. The defeat leaves United 11 points behind fourth-place Aston Villa and nine from Tottenham in fifth. Continue reading...

Jürgen Klopp has appealed for fans to “show a bit of class” at Old Trafford on Sunday in response to the tragedy chanting that marred Manchester United’s recent FA Cup win over Liverpool. Two United supporters were arrested on suspicion of tragedy chanting after their team’s thrilling 4-3 victory last month. 'It's just helpful that we educate our kids in specific things - respect, understanding, all these kind of things,' Klopp said. 'Let's just show a bit of class in these moments. Don't do that. Don't sing this or sing that.' * Jürgen Klopp and Erik ten Hag urge fans to avoid tragedy chants * ‘We will be mad, angry’: Ten Hag expects United reaction against Liverpool Continue reading...

* Liverpool manager wants ‘show of class’ in FA Cup tie * Ten Hag tells supporters to enjoy game ‘in the proper way’ Jürgen Klopp and Erik ten Hag have appealed for fans at Old Trafford on Sunday to avoid the tragedy chanting that marred Manchester United’s recent FA Cup win over Liverpool. Klopp called on supporters to “show a bit of class” and his United counterpart said the game must not be “used as an excuse for abusing rival fans” about past tragedies. Continue reading...

* Brazilian midfielder admired by PSG and Manchester City * ‘My intention would be to keep Bruno for as long as we can’ Eddie Howe is adamant he intends to keep Bruno Guimarães at Newcastle long term but acknowledges he would be “absolutely foolish” to offer any guarantees. The Brazil midfielder’s contract contains a £100m release clause and he is much admired by, among others, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City. “Players like Bruno are not around every corner,” said Newcastle’s manager. “They are very, very rare. Bruno should be appreciated for everything he brings.” Continue reading...

British billionaire who heads family that owns Tottenham Hotspur fined $5m and given three-year probation by New York judge The British billionaire Joe Lewis was spared jail time for his part in a “brazen” insider trading conspiracy on Thursday, and was instead fined $5m and given a three-year probation by a New York judge. The 87-year-old, who heads the family that owns Tottenham Hotspur, had faced as much as 45 years in prison if convicted at trial. But in a court filing on Monday, prosecutors said Lewis deserved leniency given his age, health issues and the fact that he had voluntarily come to the US to face punishment. Continue reading...

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! Chelsea welcome Manchester United to Stamford Bridge on Thursday night for a football match that, like last Sunday’s game between Manchester City and Arsenal, is almost entirely impossible to predict – albeit for completely different reasons. With the benefit of hindsight we can probably forecast that it will be more entertaining, a bit like chancing across two drunk, washed-up prizefighters swinging haymakers at each other in a pub car park. At the start of this season the notion that an April league fixture between Chelsea and Manchester United would be between struggling to finish fifth and a team struggling to get into the top half of the table was unlikely but not entirely implausible. It is a measure of how far and quickly these two once-mighty clubs have fallen that less than a decade ago it would have been unthinkable. I know there is next to nothing written about non-league football teams, but the heartbreaking news of th

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Robyn Cowen and Jonathan Fadugba as Arsenal and Manchester City claim important wins in the hunt for the Premier League title Rate, review, share on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud, Acast and Stitcher, and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and email. On the podcast today: straightforward wins for Manchester City and Arsenal. Was that a statement performance from the champions? Winning with ease while Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland watched on from the bench – who needs them when Phil Foden has a left foot as good as that. Continue reading...

* Zinchenko: title push fuelled by not losing to City or Liverpool * Arsenal travel to Brighton on Saturday before hosting Bayern Oleksandr Zinchenko says that Arsenal are fortified for the Premier League title run-in by their unbeaten record in this season’s competition against Liverpool and Manchester City. The Ukraine left-back started for the first time in two months as Arsenal beat Luton 2-0 at home on Wednesday night to follow up Sunday’s 0-0 draw at City. Zinchenko’s previous appearance in the starting XI had been in the 3-1 home win over Liverpool on 4 February when he was forced off at half-time with a calf injury that would see him miss the next five matches. Continue reading...

African women’s football has the world’s attention but this year’s continental competition is in danger of being cancelled * Moving the Goalposts: sign up for our free newsletter After Morocco staged what was arguably the best-organised Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) in 2022, this year’s edition, set to be played in the same country, was expected to be a significant step in raising the profile of the women’s game in the continent. If, that is, it goes ahead. With the credible performances of South Africa, Nigeria and Morocco at last year’s Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand – all three teams reaching the last 16 – this year’s tournament is expected to be the most keenly contested since its inception in 1998. Continue reading...

Mikel Arteta had parked the bus to secure what he hopes will prove a priceless point in Arsenal’s Premier League title quest at Manchester City on Sunday. Here he tinkered extensively with the engine to fire another result to keep things ticking over. Arsenal will need Liverpool to stall at some point if they are to realise their dream of a first championship title in 20 years; Jürgen Klopp’s team play next at home against Sheffield United on Thursday night. In the meantime, all Arsenal can do is look after what they can control. Continue reading...

* Former Spanish FA president detained at Madrid airport * Spanish Super Cup switch to Saudi Arabia is being looked into Spanish police have detained the disgraced former football federation president Luis Rubiales on his return to the country amid an ongoing corruption probe. Spain’s Civil Guard said that Rubiales is being questioned by police at Madrid’s airport after he was detained on exiting the plane that brought him back home from the Dominican Republic. Police have 72 hours to hand Rubiales over to a judge or release him. Rubiales was returning to Spain amid a judicial probe into the business deal to hold the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia. Rubiales was in the Dominican Republic two weeks ago when police raided a property belonging to him in Granada and the offices of the Spanish Football Federation in Madrid as part of a corruption and money laundering investigation that included the Super Cup among other deals. Seven people were detained by police and Rubiales

* Sevilla manager Sánchez Flores and Marcos Acuña targeted * Getafe forced to partially shut central stand for three matches Getafe have been ordered to partially close their central stand for three matches by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) following the racist and xenophobic abuse suffered by the Sevilla manager, Quique Sánchez Flores and the player Marcos Acuña in Saturday’s La Liga game. The referee Iglesias Villanueva stopped the match in the 68th minute as part of La Liga’s protocol against racism after he heard fans in the stands calling the Argentine defender a “monkey” and the Spanish coach a “gypsy”. The club have also been fined €27,000 ($29,000). Continue reading...

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Mark Langdon and Paul MacInnes as they look back on some midweek Premier League action Rate, review, share on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud, Acast and Stitcher, and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and email. On the podcast today; Spurs and West Ham play out a 1-1 draw, a decent result for both sides? Or should Spurs have figured out a way to beat the low block by now? Continue reading...

* Team’s ‘resilience’ praised before planned reset against Luton * Jurrien Timber has ‘good chance’ of returning this season Mikel Arteta says he put his “ideology aside” to secure Sunday’s 0-0 draw at Manchester City as he prepared to reset for Wednesday night’s home game against Luton. The Arsenal manager organised his team in a low block at the ­Etihad Stadium, ordering them not to be lured out or to leave any spaces. They had just 27% of possession, playing 269 passes to City’s 700 while they committed 20 fouls. The point was everything to Arteta in terms of the Premier League title race, as was preventing City from scoring at home for the first time in 58 matches – a club-record run that went back to 9 March 2022 and the 0-0 with Sporting in the Champions League last 16 second leg. City were 5-0 up from the first leg. Continue reading...

The fact that Tottenham saw most of the ball came as little surprise. West Ham are built to absorb pressure and the longer this game remained locked at 1-1, the less likely that David Moyes was to tell his side to gamble on chasing the goal that would have tightened their grip on seventh place. Perhaps Moyes, drawing on that pragmatic streak, wanted to see some proper defending after West Ham’s collapse against Newcastle. There was a lot of talk of “resilience” from the Scot, who rued Michail Antonio wasting a glorious opportunity on the hour, and a distinct relish in the way he spoke about restricting Spurs to so few clear chances. “We had to defend,” said Moyes, who accepted that a draw was the right result. “But that is part of football.” Continue reading...

* The 49-year-old is said to have bought 17,000 shares last year * Kroes in post for just over two weeks amid turmoil at Ajax Ajax have suspended new CEO Alex Kroes with immediate effect on suspicion he has been involved in insider trading in the club’s shares, the club supervisory board said in a statement on Tuesday. The board said it had learned Kroes had bought more than 17,000 Ajax shares a week before his intended appointment was announced on 2 August 2023. “External legal advice indicates that he likely engaged in insider trading,” the board said in the statement. Continue reading...

Manager once mocked for a throwaway line has his team shooting for the Champions League and admirers on his tail The calendar showed 1 April, but there was nothing fishy about a league table that showed Bologna in fourth place. Thiago Motta’s side have held that spot for more than a month, even if it was striking to see after Monday’s 3-0 win over Salernitana that they had closed to within two points of Juventus in third. The gap was 20 at the start of February. April Fools’s Day in Italy is known as Pesce d’Aprile – April Fish. The tradition is for children to stick paper pesci on people’s backs and see how long they go unnoticed, but journalists have been known to mark the occasion with made-up stories, as happens in other countries. Bologna supporters must hope the headlines now linking their manager to Juventus turn out to be fake news. Continue reading...

Carla Ward and Remi Allen discuss the lack of female managers in the elite women’s game – and where progress is being made * Moving the Goalposts: sign up for our free newsletter A couple of weeks ago, Carla Ward, the manager of Aston Villa, was taking part in a documentary about mums in football. “I’ve got a four-year-old little girl, and all she talks about is what she sees,” Ward says. “She loves to tell everyone that her mum is the manager of Aston Villa.” During filming, the documentary makers asked her daughter what she wanted to be when she was older. Her response? A football manager. “They said: ‘Why?’ She said: ‘Because I see my mummy doing it,’” Ward recalls. Continue reading...