A brace from Nico O’Reilly helped Manchester City come from behind to secure a 3-1 win over Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday evening. Pep Guardiola made a complete overhaul to his starting XI, making all 11 changes from the midweek victory over Tottenham Hotspur, while Plymouth capitalized on the opportunity to face a much-changed City side, reminiscent of Brentford’s upset earlier in the competition. Despite a slow start, with Plymouth dominating early on, the hosts took the lead in the 38th minute through Maksym Talovierov’s header. This unexpected goal came from Plymouth’s first set piece…
Author: Oluwaseun samuel
Eric Chelle, coach of the Nigeria Super Eagles, has left out Kelechi Iheanacho, the latest signing for Middlesbrough, as he named a 23-player squad in preparation for Nigeria’s World Cup qualifier matches against Rwanda and Zimbabwe in March. As the former Malian coach begins his task of qualifying Nigeria for the 2026 World Cup, starting with the match against Rwanda on March 17, reports indicate that Chelle has submitted his preliminary list without Iheanacho, who recently transferred from Sevilla FC to Middlesbrough in the English Championship. Iheanacho’s career has been on a downward trajectory since his move from Leicester City…
Fenerbahçe have filed a lawsuit against their rivals Galatasaray over accusations of racism directed at manager José Mourinho. Galatasaray alleged that Mourinho made racist comments following the 0-0 draw between the two teams on Monday, claiming he used “unequivocally inhumane rhetoric” when he described the opposition bench as “jumping around like monkeys.” Fenerbahçe swiftly responded, asserting that the comments were “deliberately taken out of context and distorted misleadingly.” The club has now initiated legal action, seeking approximately $52,000 in damages. A statement from Fenerbahçe read: “We would like to announce to the public that a lawsuit for moral damages of…
Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has suggested that the key factor behind Antony’s improved performance during his loan spell at Real Betis is the less physically demanding nature of La Liga compared to the Premier League. Antony joined Manchester United in 2022 under Erik ten Hag for a hefty £82m, but the 25-year-old winger has struggled to make an impact since his move from Ajax. In 96 appearances for United, he managed just 12 goals and five assists, quickly becoming emblematic of the club’s underwhelming recruitment in recent years. The Brazil international featured only 14 times for United in…
Inter Miami captain, Lionel Messi, has shared two main reasons for his decision to join the Major League Soccer (MLS) club. The Argentina forward made the move to Inter Miami as a free agent after leaving Paris Saint-Germain in 2023. Since joining, the 37-year-old has been a standout performer, helping the club secure two major trophies. Discussing his decision to join Inter Miami, Messi explained that he was motivated to help the club “grow bigger” and to enhance MLS’s global presence. “I always had in mind to try a new chapter in MLS. I always wanted this move,” Messi said,…
UEFA has fined Real Madrid after their fans were heard singing homophobic chants aimed at Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. The incident occurred during Madrid’s 3-1 victory over City in the Champions League knockout tie in February. UEFA has confirmed that the Spanish side has been fined €30,000 (£24,800) and will also face a partial stadium closure, with at least 500 seats to be closed off during their next home match. However, this stadium closure is suspended for two years, pending no further incidents. A statement from UEFA read: “The UEFA Appeals Body has decided to fine Real Madrid CF…
Isco led Real Betis to a 2-1 victory over his former club, Real Madrid, in a dramatic and potentially pivotal win on Saturday evening. While much attention was focused on Vinicius Junior’s milestone 300th appearance for Madrid, it was Isco, with 353 matches for Los Blancos, who proved the decisive figure at the Benito Villamarin. Brahim Diaz gave Madrid the lead in the 10th minute. Kylian Mbappe skillfully maneuvered through Betis defenders on the edge of the box before setting up Ferland Mendy for a close-range shot. Betis goalkeeper Adrian blocked the effort, but Diaz was on hand to tap…
A new rule aimed at reducing time-wasting will be introduced across world football from the 2025/26 season, with referees awarding corners instead of free kicks for goalkeepers who hold the ball for more than eight seconds. The International Football Association Board (IFAB) made the change to Law 12.2 during their 139th annual meeting. Previously, goalkeepers who held onto the ball for more than six seconds were to be penalized with an indirect free kick inside their penalty area. However, this rule has not been consistently enforced in recent years, prompting IFAB to implement a more effective measure to combat time-wasting.…
Atalanta was held to a 0-0 draw by relegation-threatened Venezia at the Gewiss Stadium today. The home side dominated possession and created several chances but was unable to break the deadlock. The most notable miss came from Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman, who wasted a golden opportunity to give Atalanta the win. In the second half, Lookman was left unmarked in front of an open goal but shockingly missed the target, leaving both fans and teammates stunned. This disappointing performance was a stark contrast to Lookman’s recent form, where he impressed with a brace and an assist in Atalanta’s 5-0 thrashing…
Mikel Arteta has admitted that Arsenal are missing the “spark” needed to win games and challenge for the Premier League title. Injuries to Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, and Bukayo Saka have left the Gunners short of attacking options. Defensive midfielder Mikel Merino has been forced to lead the line in the last two matches, but Arsenal struggled in attack, failing to score in both games and managing just three shots on target over 180 minutes. Following a 1-0 defeat to West Ham United and a 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest, which left them 13 points behind Liverpool in…