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Is Jack Grealish the answer for Pep Guardiola and Man City?
By Joe Townsend
Football
Wed December 11, 2024 · 1h ago
It's not been an easy 12 months for Jack Grealish.

Since the pinnacle of playing a vital role in Manchester City's treble-winning season, he has suffered from a plague of injuries and loss of form, culminating in his omission from England's squad for Euro 2024.

Despite positive signs in Lee Carsley's opening weeks as interim Three Lions boss, further injuries brought any growing momentum to a grinding halt.

But could things be about to change?

Jack Grealish
"Our football is always built from the midfield. The quality. They make our tempo and the way we have to play," Pep Guardiola explained after their 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest.

"We control the game, and [against Forest] Jack [Grealish] gave us that pace. When to accelerate and control, he did it really well.

"I’m so happy for him."

Jack Grealish and Kevin De Bruyne
Kevin De Bruyne's goal and assist on his first league start since September was widely considered the catalyst for City finally ending their winless streak, helping to keep Guardiola's crucial change under the radar.

A dearth of options and an unprecedented slump in form led him to try something he never previously had: Grealish as a true central midfielder.

"He was really good," the City boss continued.

“I know his quality. He has attributes to play holding midfield: keep the ball, break the lines and show composure."

Jack Grealish touch map new
Only Ilkay Gundogan (93) and Ruben Dias (92) had more than Grealish's 77 touches against Forest, with the England international producing a near faultless all-round performance, creating three chances for his team-mates, completing two tackles and still managing a couple of attempts on goal.

He helped Manchester City create their most expected goals (xG) in nine games and score three times in a league match for the first time since October 5.

For Grealish, though, there was one thing missing.

Jack Grealish
Should he fail to find the net before December 16 it will be a year since his last Premier League goal. He has provided only one assist in that time too.

"Playing in the middle, Jack was involved in many things," Guardiola added.

“Hopefully in the next games, if I decide to play him in that position, he can be involved in the final third and decisive in goals and assists."

Grealish will certainly hope so, as his impending anniversary is one no-one wants to celebrate.

More importantly, while for the moment it was for only one game, there was enough to suggest it is perfectly feasible he really could be the answer to Manchester City's problems.

And that Guardiola may have just introduced a brand new Jack Grealish.

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Ange Postecoglou and Russell Martin's refusal to adapt will be their ultimate downfall
By Alex Keble
Football
Thu December 12, 2024 · 10h ago
The message Ange Postecoglou would give Tottenham supporters is hold your nerve.

To this day the defining image of the Postecoglou era is the surreal nine-man high line deployed by Spurs in a 4-1 defeat at home to Chelsea in November last year, a game of absurdist kamikaze commitment to ‘Plan-A’ that soon became the manager’s mantra.

A year on and against the same opponents it was the same strategy and the same problems and the same result, only this time with a lot more antipathy raining down from the stands.

Spurs were applauded off the pitch last November, the defeat that ended their run of eight wins and two draws from the first ten games of the season being so noble - and oh so heroic - it left fans and pundits swooning over the new manager.

Next Premier League Manager to leave odds (via Sky Bet)
Gary O'Neil - 2/7
Julen Lopetegui - 9/2
Ange Postecoglou - 13/2
Russell Martin - 8/1
Eddie Howe - 20/1
Sean Dyche - 40/1
Kieran McKenna - 40/1
50/1 bar
Odds correct at 1330 GMT (10/12/24)

The reaction was considerably colder at full-time last Sunday after another hopelessly one-dimensional performance.

Tottenham did what Tottenham do: press high and hard, endlessly, no matter the scoreline, the fatigue, the injuries or anything else that might make another manager change tack just a little.

Jamie Carragher led the criticism on Sky Sports, lamenting Tottenham’s decision not to sit off a little and frustrate Chelsea after they had stormed into a 2-0 lead, and it was Carragher who came up with the perfect image to capture the madness of Postecoglou’s single-mindedness.

“I wake up every morning, and if the sun's shining I put a pair of trainers, shorts and a t-shirt on. But if it's raining… you put your coat on!”


It really is – or ought to be – that straightforward. Postecoglou’s refusal to adapt will be his downfall.

Ange Postecoglou and Russell Martin
The same can be said of his opponent this weekend, Russell Martin.

Martin never puts his coat on, either, hence the frankly ridiculous number of times Southampton have given away possession while attempting to pass the ball out from the back.

They’ve made 26 errors leading to an opposition shot this season, 10 more than anyone else and already more than any Premier League team made in the whole of 2023/24.

Errors leading to shots
Postecoglou and Martin have a lot in common.

They are the only two managers who stubbornly refuse to adapt to the game state or the strength of the opposition and fans at both clubs are starting to become restless; in an era of constant tinkering at Premier League level supporters who once craved a strong tactical identity are now savvy to the benefits of a more flexible approach.

It isn’t coincidence that Pep Guardiola is also on the ropes. The Manchester City manager has never been dogmatic, but he too is struggling because his overarching philosophy has become predictable in this new age of hyper-adaptable coaches, from Enzo Maresca to Unai Emery.

Maresca leant into the transitions to beat wide-open Spurs; Emery pressed hard onto the Saints centre-backs to force Jhon Duran’s winner.

In short, the teams meetings at St. Mary’s on Sunday are just too predictable. In that, the two managers in the dugout have become anomalies.

One is rock bottom on five points, a tally only three teams in Premier League history have ever had this late into a season. All three finished 20th.

The other has collected 60 points from the 43 league games since the 4-1 defeat to Chelsea, the ninth most in the Premier League in that time.

Ange Postecoglou
Pressure is building on Ange Postecoglou
It gives Spurs a points-per-game average of 1.4, enough to win 53 points over a 38-game season; enough to finish somewhere between eighth and 12th in the last five years.

For more than a calendar year Tottenham have been mid-table. That suggests Postecoglou is underachieving at least to the same degree as Martin, if not more so.

The crux of the issue for both Southampton and Spurs is simple enough: the rest of us can see what needs changing, but the two managers, looking oddly powerless on the touchline, are unable - or more likely unwilling - to compromise.

Postecoglou and Martin expect fans, and their clubs’ owners, to hold their nerve through difficult times.

There is no particular reason why they should, because refusing to yield is not a sign of self-assuredness but of an absence of new ideas.

It is a sign of weakness, not of strength.

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Sack race odds: Pep Guardiola second favourite as slump continues
By Jake Osgathorpe
Football
Mon December 16, 2024 · 9h ago
Pep Guardiola is into second favourite to be the next Premier League manager to leave following a dramatic late defeat in the Manchester derby, and a double sacking on Sunday.

The departures of both Gary O'Neil and Russell Martin - sacked by Wolves and Southampton respectively - on the same day is not uncommon at this stage of a campaign, with clubs about to enter the busy, often season-defining Christmas period.

This season's sackings: Erik ten Hag (Man Utd), Steve Cooper (Leicester), Gary O'Neil (Wolves), Russell Martin (Southampton)
A staggering 20% of Premier League clubs have already sacked their managers this season, and City's miserable run - which continued with a 2-1 home loss to United - has seen Guardiola become one of the leading candidates to be the fifth departure of 2024/25.

points per game man city
His side have won just one of their last 11 matches in all competitions, losing eight, and are nine points behind leaders Liverpool having played a game more.

City's points per game total of 0.57 since the start of November is the joint-fewest in the division along with Southampton.

Some firms are offering even money about Guardiola leaving The Etihad before the end of the season.



West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui
West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui remains the outstanding, heavily odds-on favourite to be the next man to go.

The former Spain, Real Madrid and Sevilla boss has been under increasing pressure with his side in the bottom half of the table, with some of that eased by a home win over Wolves last week.

However the Hammers travel to seventh-placed Bournemouth on Monday night.

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Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz each score twice as Liverpool hit six at Tottenham
By Sporting Life
Football
Sun December 22, 2024 · 3h ago
Rampant Liverpool hit Tottenham for six to ensure they hold a four-point advantage at the Premier League summit come Christmas.

The Reds produced a masterful attacking display in north London with Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah on target twice in a 6-3 victory.

It was a thoroughly-deserved success for Arne Slot’s men and made it 21 wins in 25 matches since the Dutch coach replaced Jurgen Klopp this summer in further evidence Liverpool are the best team in the country right now.

Spurs – who had eight players missing – could never reach the energy levels of a midweek Carabao Cup quarter-final triumph over Manchester United and were 5-1 down at one point before they rallied, but Ange Postecoglou’s side remain 11th after an eight league loss of the season.

This was a dress rehearsal ahead of the League Cup semi-finals, but Liverpool were already assured of top spot at Christmas after Chelsea’s goalless draw at Everton earlier in the day.

Spurs exerted a big physical effort on Thursday, which was not helped by two errors from Fraser Forster, who would have hoped for a serene start but chipped straight to Salah after three minutes only for the Liverpool forward to hit the side-netting.

It was a warning sign not heeded as the visitors continued to dictate and Forster had to save from Salah before Pape Sarr slid in to thwart Dominik Szoboszlai.

Slot’s men continued to probe as Cody Gakpo blazed an effort over and Djed Spence denied Salah with two blocks in quick succession.

Another twist and turn inside the area by Salah fashioned a chance, but he fired against the crossbar under pressure from Archie Gray.

It still felt only a matter of time before Liverpool scored and the breakthrough arrived in the 23rd minute.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was given too much space and his cross from deep picked out the unmarked Diaz to head home for his 10th goal of the season.

One quickly became two as Alexis Mac Allister nodded in after 36 minutes to put the away side in cruise control.

An Andrew Robertson cross caused problems this time and after Szoboszlai made a nuisance inside the Spurs penalty area, Mac Allister beat the onrushing Forster to make it 2-0.

Tottenham did rally, with Son Heung-min sending a left-footed strike over before Liverpool gifted the hosts a goal back.

Mac Allister was too slack in possession and robbed by Dejan Kulusevski, which allowed James Maddison to carry the ball forward and curl home for his eighth goal of the season.

Maddison urged the crowd to believe, but Liverpool showed their ruthless streak with a third in the second minute of first-half stoppage-time.

Radu Dragusin was beaten in the air by Szoboszlai, who received the ball back from Salah and slid under Forster for a brilliant breakaway effort.

It was 4-1 nine minutes into the second half when Tottenham were caught out in transition and Liverpool scored a classic breakaway effort.

Diaz combined with Gakpo, whose cross was half-cleared by Gray, who then blocked Szoboszlai’s follow-up effort but Salah was on hand to tap home.

Not long after Szoboszlai fired into the side-netting, he brilliantly teed up Salah for Liverpool’s fifth.

Spurs were again cut open by a counter-attack as Szoboszlai was played through and selflessly passed to Salah, who grabbed his 18th goal of the season in simple fashion.

Only a flying save by Forster to deny Alexander-Arnold’s piledriver prevented another before Tottenham did rally.

Kulusevski led the charge and reduced the deficit – with 18 minutes left – with a fine volley from Dominic Solanke’s chipped pass to score for a fifth-consecutive match.

The Spurs supporters stayed with their team and were rewarded with another goal in the 83rd minute as Solanke fired home on the turn from Brennan Johnson’s header.

Tottenham’s fun quickly ended when Diaz expertly rifled into the bottom corner two minutes later after another Salah assist to secure another statement result for leaders Liverpool.

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Football accumulator tips for Boxing Day: This Week's Acca from Sporting Life
By Sporting Life
Football
Thu December 26, 2024 · 1h ago
This Week's Acca
CLICK HERE for our 14/1 acca!
Price cut from 16/1 to 14/1 on Boxing Day morning
BOURNEMOUTH sit fifth in the Premier League after a 3-0 win at Manchester United continued their astonishing progress under Andoni Iraola.

They've beaten Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester City at home already, conceding just once in the process, and should have too much for a Crystal Palace team who lost 5-1 at home to the Gunners on Saturday.

WREXHAM are the best home team in the Sky Bet EFL, winning just shy of 90% of league games at the Racecourse since Phil Parkinson took charge in 2021.

Blackpool have improved lately, but this remains a fixture between League One promotion-chaser and a mid-table team; the price about a home win is too big.

https://m.skybet.com/lp/acq-bet-10-g...SL_ED_FOOTBALL
Only leaders Walsall have taken more points at home in Sky Bet League Two than sixth-placed WIMBLEDON.

Consistent against poorer opposition, five of the Dons' seven defeats have come against teams currently in the top nine. Swindon may have picked up at home recently, but they still sit 21st and in a battle for EFL survival.

SALFORD are a team to watch in League Two, with a strong run of form (W5 D2 L2) firing them up the table.

It's the opposite for Barrow, whose win over out-of-form Fleetwood - a result that cost Charlie Adam his job - was their first since 5 October.

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Arsenal were architects of their own downfall once again at Brighton
By Alex Keble
Football
Mon January 06, 2025 · 2h ago
So gradual was the slide from grouchy to righteous anger that it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly when Mikel Arteta and Arsenal went over the edge, but after another uncontroversial refereeing decision was rebranded as controversial on Saturday we can safely say the transition is complete.

Not that they will care, but Arsenal have become the club that most irritates Premier League fans, which is quite the achievement for an historic club and a team built without billions of investment, petrostate or otherwise.

Their natural place, as young challengers to Pep Guardiola, should have been as a neutrals’ favourite, and it was - up until some foggy time over the last 12 months when the mannerisms and petulance of the manager began to grate.

That might sound irrelevan
The football industry’s soap opera begins with pundits and fans but eventually seeps inwards, affecting the players, shaping results, and nagging at the minds of boardroom bosses.

There is no need to actively court positivity from anyone outside the club, but there are fringe benefits to not getting under everyone’s skin.

That’s a side point, anyway.

Of far greater significance is what the whinging signifies about how Arteta and Arsenal view themselves: under siege, unfairly targeted, and, therefore, vulnerable to the slings and arrows of fortune.

Brighton’s penalty was a penalty.

William Saliba lightly grazing the ball does not negate thwacking Joao Pedro in the head, just as a minor glance with the boot would not stop the award of a penalty should the foot thump straight into the opponent.


But even if the call was wrong, and even if the red cards earlier in the season for Saliba, Leandro Trossard, and Declan Rice were wrong (they weren’t), Brighton’s penalty is not the reason Arsenal didn’t win the match, as Gary Neville put it succinctly on his podcast.

“At the end of the game, [there was] this feeling that what cost them was the penalty decision. No, what cost you was you’ve not gone grabbing the name by the scruff of the neck and seen it out.”

This is where Arteta’s fury becomes an issue, increasing anxiety and infecting his players with the sense there is a curse upon them.

Some teams might have put the game to bed long before the penalty call. Others would have shaken the moment off and risen again to score a winner.

Arsenal gave in to the feeling that the world is against them, a process that started with Arteta saying he has “never seen something like this in my life” and ended with supporter conspiracy theories re-emerging.

Anthony Taylor waves away the Arsenal protests
Anthony Taylor waved away the Arsenal protests
To win Premier League titles you cannot let things happen to you. You have to take control of your destiny.

If that sounds corny it’s because it is; it’s because to win a soap opera requires the psychological beliefs to match.

At Brighton, Arsenal were architects of their own downfall once again, yet by refusing to take responsibility for the dropped points they are, once again, unable to stand tall and seize the day.

It is a viscous cycle and one they will not break unless Arteta resets the narrative.

Until then, Arsenal will keep believing referees are tying their hands, will continue making mistakes, and will find themselves perpetually cursing the gods for their certain fate.

Nobody has ever won a Premier League title thinking that way.

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FA Cup review: Plymouth stun Brentford in third-round shock; Liverpool beat Accrington 4-0
By Sporting Life
Football
Sat January 11, 2025 · 5 min ago
Plymouth provided the first big upset of the FA Cup third round as Morgan Whittaker's late goal earned them a 1-0 win at Brentford.

Currently bottom of the Championship and less than a fortnight on from having sacked boss Wayne Rooney, the Pilgrims secured their first win of any kind since November 5 to stun Thomas Frank's side.

Frank had made several changes to his line-up and paid the price in a game of few chances which was decided by Whittaker's 20-yard strike, having been allowed to dribble his way across the edge of the Brentford area.

Sporting Life's Jimmy 'The Punt' Cantrill sided with Plymouth at 4/1 in the double-chance market, having also correctly predicted a 90-minute draw between Reading and Burnley, which went to extra-time after ending 1-1 before Burnley progressed thanks to a brace from substitute Zian Flemming.


There was another shock further down the pyramid as Demetri Mitchell celebrated his 28th birthday with a deadly double to help send Exeter into the fourth round for the first time in 44 years with a 3-1 win over Oxford.

It was no more than the Grecians deserved against the much-changed Championship outfit, with Vincent Harper also on target for the League One side after Oxford had taken an early lead through Matt Phillips.

Click here for full FA Cup third-round results, scorers and xG data
City hit eight past Salford
James McAtee grabbed a second-half hat-trick as Manchester City powered into the fourth round of the FA Cup with a ruthless 8-0 demolition of League Two neighbours Salford.

Jeremy Doku weighed in with two goals while Jack Grealish ended his long scoring drought and youngsters Divin Mubama and Nico O’Reilly also struck in a one-sided encounter at the Etihad Stadium.

It was a brutal exhibition by a much-changed City, whose fans revelled in the beating dished out to their ‘Class of 92’-owned visitors.

Gary Neville, one of that group of famous former Manchester United players, was taunted mercilessly as the goals flew in.

The England full-back turned pundit and businessman was not actually present to witness the rout, but colleagues Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes were on hand to see it unfold in agonising detail from the stands.

Ryan Giggs, the sporting director who also has a backroom role, was also at close hand in the technical area as the biggest game in Salford’s history quickly turned sour.

In the other teatime local derby, Leeds edged out Harrogate 1-0 thanks to a goal from Largie Ramazani, while last year's semi-finalists Coventry beat Sheffield Wednesday on penalties.

Five for Chelsea and Cherries
Elsewhere things went with the form book although Chelsea were made to wait for the floodgates to open as League Two Morecambe put up dogged resistance before going down 5-0 at Stamford Bridge.

There were periods in the first half when the 87 places separating these sides in the pyramid could easily be forgotten, the team currently 23rd in League Two leaving Enzo Maresca’s Champions League chasers puzzling over how they would pick their way through to round four.

That two of the five goals were blasted in from outside the penalty area by reserve defender Tosin Adarabioyo gave a sense of how short on inspiration Chelsea were for much of this match, though the 27-year-old deserved credit for showing initiative to break the deadlock late in the first half as the crowd grew nervous.

The natural order soon took over. Christopher Nkunku scored to make it 2-0 having earlier missed a penalty, and there were two goals also for Joao Felix in a rare start, but Morecambe departed knowing they had made Chelsea sweat.

Brighton got back to winning ways in emphatic fashion as they beat Norwich 4-0.

The Seagulls had failed to win any of their previous eight games, with six ending in draws, but it was a different story at Carrow Road as they hit the goal trail against their Championship hosts.

Two goals towards the end of the first half from Georginio Rutter set the Premier League outfit on their way to a comfortable victory before Julio Enciso and substitute Solly March struck after the break to emphasise the gulf between the two sides.

Nottingham Forest made it seven wins in a row in all competitions for the first time in 19 years after beating managerless Luton 2-0.

Forest added to their six successive Premier League victories with a comfortable success over the Sky Bet Championship side thanks to goals from Ryan Yates and Ramon Sosa.

Dango Ouattara scored twice as Bournemouth made light of their striker crisis with a thumping 5-1 win over West Brom, while Stoke beat Sunderland 2-1 after extra-time.

Trent stunner as Liverpool ease through
Trent Alexander-Arnold demonstrated his attacking qualities as Liverpool beat Accrington Stanley 4-0 in the third round of the FA Cup.

Six days after his defending came in for fierce criticism in the 2-2 draw with Manchester United, Alexander-Arnold showed what he could do at the other end of the pitch with a brilliant goal at Anfield.

Trent Alexander-Arnold scored in a straightforward Liverpool win
Trent Alexander-Arnold scored in a straightforward Liverpool win
Diogo Jota had finished off a swift counter-attack to give Liverpool the lead on 29 minutes before Alexander-Arnold curled in a sumptuous second on the stroke of half-time.

Jayden Danns made it 3-0 just a few minutes after coming off the bench and fellow substitute Federico Chiesa completed the scoring with his first goal for the club in the 90th minute.

James Justin scored his second brace of the season to help Leicester progress through to the fourth round with a crushing 6-2 victory over QPR.

Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side produced a professional display after the interval to give the Dutchman his second victory as boss, which could also inject some momentum into the Foxes’ Premier League survival bid.

League One leaders Birmingham scored their fastest FA Cup goal on the way to a 2-1 win over Lincoln.

Winger Ayumu Yokoyama converted Scott Wright’s cross after just 35 seconds and Lyndon Dykes made sure of the win with a superb volley on 77 minutes before Jovon Makama pulled one back from the penalty spot in stoppage time.

Wolves survived a late scare to take their place in the next round thanks to a 2-1 win at Bristol City.

Rayan Ait-Nouri stooped to head the visitors in front early on and Rodrigo Gomes soon doubled the lead, only for Scott Twine to score a superb free-kick with the last kick of the first half.

Wolves hit the post twice in the second period but also saw the woodwork come to their rescue when Ross McCrorie headed against the underside of the bar.

Andreas Weimann scored the only goal to give Blackburn a 1-0 win at Championship rivals Middlesbrough.

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Arsenal 1-1 Manchester United (3-5 pens): Altay Bayindir stars as United progress
By Sporting Life
Football
Mon January 13, 2025 · 28 min ago
Ten-man Manchester United saw off Arsenal in a penalty shootout at the Emirates to book their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Bruno Fernandes fired United ahead after 52 minutes before Diogo Dalot was sent off on the hour mark following a wild challenge on Mikel Merino.

Gabriel Magalhães equalised for Arsenal two minutes after Dalot’s dismissal, with Martin Odegaard denied by United goalkeeper Altay Bayindir from the penalty spot.

Bayindir, in just his fifth appearance for United, then pulled off a number of saves to keep his side in the tie, before he denied Kai Havertz in the shootout as United recorded a 5-3 win to send Arsenal crashing out at the first hurdle.

https://m.skybet.com/lp/acq-bet-x-ge...p=SL_ED_RACING
The two clubs have won 27 FA Cups between them and they served up a classic here that came alive following a tepid first half – where Gabriel Jesus added to Arsenal’s injury woes when he was taken off on a stretcher with a knee problem.

The second period was just seven minutes old when Gabriel’s abject header allowed Alejandro Garnacho a clear run at the backtracking Arsenal defence.

His pass found Fernandes and, on the run, the United captain’s wonderful curling effort flew beyond David Raya.


Arsenal needed a quick response, and Havertz should have fired the Gunners level. But, just as in his side’s midweek defeat here by Newcastle in the Carabao Cup, he fluffed his lines.

Merino found the German unmarked in the six-yard box. Havertz’s first touch was fine but he scuffed his shot wide.

Then, out of nowhere, a lifeline for the Gunners. Ruben Amorim’s men were in control of the fixture but Dalot, already on a booking, flew in recklessly on Merino, and when he missed the ball and took out the man, there was only going to be one outcome – a second yellow. United were down to 10 men on the hour mark.


And less than two minutes later, Arsenal had their equaliser. Bayindir punched Gabriel Martinelli’s cross clear, but the ball fell to Gabriel and, on the half-turn, the defender thrashed a shot on goal, deflecting off Matthijs de Ligt’s toes and into the net.

The dynamic of the game had changed in the blink of an eye, and a rampant Arsenal went in search of a winner. Raheem Sterling drove into the box and found Havertz, who was apparently blocked off by Harry Maguire. Havertz went down and referee Andrew Madley crouched over and pointed to the spot.

It was a soft penalty, but there was no VAR to intervene. A wild melee ensued with Maguire and Havertz involved in a heated exchange of words before the German went down clutching his head after a face-off with Manuel Ugarte.

Maguire needed to be restrained by his team-mates before he, Havertz and Gabriel were all booked after the rough and tumble.


Over to Odegaard from a dozen yards but Bayindir, at full stretch to his left, denied the Arsenal captain. The Emirates crowd could not believe it, and neither could Odegaard.

But moments later substitute Declan Rice should have spared his skipper’s blushes by converting Odegaard’s cross only for Bayindir to tip his free header over with an acrobatic save.

Havertz blew another chance to land the winner when he poked over from a handful of yards with two minutes to go. Rice then thought he had won it in the fourth minute of stoppage time before Bayindir turned his shot behind.

It was all hands to the pump for United in extra time and De Ligt stopped Leandro Trossard converting from close range with a fine interception.

Thirty seconds after the restart, Raya produced an impressive reflex save to prevent Joshua Zirkzee’s effort, which had deflected off Thomas Partey, from creeping in.

United had not given up hope of snatching the win and Amad Diallo headed just wide before Partey’s shot looped out for a corner. On to penalties.

Arsenal Man United penalties
United won the toss and headed to the end occupied by their 8,000-strong travelling support.

Fernandes sent Raya the wrong way with Odegaard bouncing back from his spot-kick miss to haul Arsenal level in the shootout.

Amad scored to put United back ahead but Bayindir then thwarted Havertz.

Zirkzee was handed the chance to win the tie and he made no mistake as the holders secured their passage through to the next stage with Bayindir the hero.

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Midweek round of fixtures a crucial one in deciding Premier League title race
By Alex Keble
Football
Tue January 14, 2025 · 11h ago
The January schedule is an absolute mess.

For whatever reason the first month of the year has become the epicentre of football’s ever-expanding calendar, a situation that has crept up on us until, out of nowhere, January has become just as difficult to follow as December.

An FA Cup third round with no replays, two Champions League matches, a midweek Premier League round, and no winter break: January looks completely different compared to last year, and with that shake-up comes the possibility of missing key narratives, partly through sheer exhaustion.

The greatest loss is the chance for warm-weather training and a weekend off, something Premier League managers demanded for decades, only to lose within a couple of years of getting it.


Another big loss is a lucrative replay for Tamworth and the travesty of non-league clubs losing the chance of a well-earned replay.

Further down the list, but a loss all the same, is another full round of Premier League games crammed into the middle of the week.

And it just so happens that the round buried on Tuesday and Wednesday is probably the most enticing we’ve had this season.

Arsenal face Tottenham in the north London derby and first versus third sees Nottingham Forest attempt to do the double over Liverpool.

The Premier League title race could be pretty much decided by Thursday – or it could be blown wide open.

Nobody yet believes in Forest doing a Leicester, but the disbelief cannot hold if Nuno Espirito Santo’s side beat Liverpool. There’s every reason to believe they will.

Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo greets goalkeeper Matz Sels following the Premier League match at Goodison Park
Nottingham Forest sit third in the Premier League table
Arne Slot’s side have slowed down considerably over the last few weeks, winning only six of their last ten in all competitions and looking particularly leggy in the draw against Manchester United and defeat to Tottenham.

It’s inevitable that Liverpool would slow at some point and Forest couldn’t have asked for a better time to play them; to sit deep and frustrate for 90 minutes, potentially sucking the life out of the Liverpool attack and counter-attacking a defence that’s been slightly disrupted by injuries.

Arsenal need a big win to set their season back on course and Tottenham’s injury-ravaged defence is surely vulnerable to Kai Havertz getting back to his best, and to Mikel Arteta resetting the narrative after a tough first half of the season.

Bukayo Saka’s injury complicates things, but it’s important to recall that Arsenal are on exactly the same points tally as at this stage last season, when they accelerated to win 49 points from the final 18 games and finish on 89.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal host Tottenham on Wednesday
Defeat for Liverpool at Forest would put Slot’s team back towards the 89-point mark for the season, and if accompanied by a morale-boosting win for Arsenal in the derby would close the gap between the clubs to just three points.

Liverpool would still have a game in hand, but that is away at a David Moyes Everton team, by no means a banker.

If results go the other way it will be just as significant.

Liverpool beating Forest emphatically ends their remote title hopes and reinvigorates Liverpool, while if Spurs are able to continue Arsenal’s bleak winter then Slot would go eight or nine points clear at the top.

There really isn’t a version of events that doesn’t have enormous ramifications on this year’s title race. It’s the kind of double header that should get the full week’s preview and the weekend headline slots.

Instead, at the strange time of 10pm on Wednesday, we will know whether Liverpool are going to win the league - or if Arsenal will challenge them all the way.

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Nottingham Forest 1-1 Liverpool: Nuno's side show they are here to stay
By Joe Townsend
Football
Wed January 15, 2025 · 3h ago
When Nottingham Forest were held to a draw at home by Bournemouth and Liverpool secured a hard-fought win at Ipswich on the opening Saturday of the Premier League season, who'd have thought we'd be in for such a treat four months later.

For much of the night at a packed, boisterous City Ground it looked as though Forest, relegation candidates before a ball was kicked, were about to move within three points of the campaign's standout team, and announce themselves as genuine title contenders.

But such a night perhaps deserved its moment of drama, with the 66th-minute introduction of Kostas Tsimikas and Diogo Jota seeing the former deliver a corner 22 seconds after entering the pitch, and the latter head it home.

Liverpool were then only denied victory by heroic defending, but Forest's dejected reaction to the full-time whistle spoke to an opportunity missed, rather than a point gained.


Evidence of Nuno Espirito Santo's players' growing ambition; whatever they may say publicly.

“You know what I think about the table, for now it is not important, it is how we prepare for Southampton," said the Portuguese coach after the 1-1 draw.

“We are competing very well. This is the mentality of the squad, it’s about playing, competing and improving. We have to give credit to our players when we face such talented opponents and we raise the bar and challenge ourselves. It’s huge for us.

“I think it was a lesson for all of us. This is how we want to compete at the limit of our efforts and we saw that. We're very, very proud of the work of the players.”


Nobody appears to be adapting to what they're doing either.

Very much to script, Forest absorbed early pressure, then broke away through the pace of Anthony Elanga who played in Chris Wood to score his 13th league goal of the season just eight minutes into the match.

Content to sit deep and pick their next moment to counter, they frustrated the division's leading scorers to great effect, with numerous petulant challenges and poor final-third decisions either side of half-time proof of how rattled they'd become.

Only a combination of Slot's brave substitution - replacing a centre-back with a striker - superb delivery and lax defending at a set-piece turned the match.

From then on the flow of the game shifted, with goalkeeper Matz Sels and centre-backs Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic in particular forced to defend manfully, but prior Forest really did have a Liverpool team that has looked so serene for so long looking panicked.

They're far from the first team to be flustered by Forest. It's part of the game.

Comfortable in allowing the opposition to have the ball - on this occasion Liverpool had 70% possession - Nuno's side are such an outlier that their opponents appear dumfounded, without a coherent strategy to counteract such an unusual, perfectly executed approach for a one-off match.


Only Forest have found a way to beat the best team in the league.

Only Liverpool have had a second chance to face them, and adapt. If they couldn't, what chance has everyone else got?

“I don’t think they’re [in second] because of luck," said Slot.

“It’s so hard for everyone to play against, they have already had some difficult away games and it shows you they are a team that can compete with the top end of the league table.

“I see no reason for them to drop a lot of points."

Nuno might not want to talk about the table, but everyone else is.

Forest are going nowhere.