FA Cup fifth round, Wrexham eye shock, Lionesses build up – matchday live, as it happened | Football
Key occasions
That’s all from me right this moment. Thank you for holding up with matchday stay and I hope you will have a stunning remainder of your day.
To recap, Mansfield play Arsenal at 12:15, then Wrexham face Chelsea at 17:45 earlier than Newcastle go up in opposition to Manchester City (once more) at 20:00. What are your predictions for right this moment’s FA Cup video games?
Fulham face Southampton within the FA Cup on Sunday. Tonda Eckert’s aspect are 4 factors behind fellow cup hopefuls Wrexham within the Championship and they are going to be relishing the possibility to check themselves in opposition to Premier League opposition. Read Ben Fisher’s interview with Eckert under.
The Lionesses are gearing up for his or her World Cup qualifier in opposition to Iceland in just below an hour. The group information is in:
England beginning XI: Hannah Hampton; Lucy Bronze, Leah Williamson, Esme Morgan, Taylor Hinds; Keira Walsh, Georgia Stanway; Jess Park, Lauren James, Lauren Hemp; Alessia Russo
Subs: Anna Moorhouse, Ellie Roebuck, Maya Le Tissier, Lucia Kendall, Lotte Wubben-Moy, Poppy Pattinson, Chloe Kelly, Grace Clinton, Aggie Beever-Jones, Laura Blindkilde Brown, Jess Carter, Freya Godfrey
Iceland beginning XI: Cecilía Rán Rúnarsdóttir; Guðrún Arnardóttir, Glódís Perla Viggósdóttir, Ingibjörg Sigurðardóttir, Sædís Rún Heiðarsdóttir; Ída Marín Hermannsdóttir, Hildur Antonsdóttir, Karólína Lea Vilhjálmsdóttir; Hlín Eiríksdóttir, Sveindís Jane Jónsdóttir, Sandra María Jessen
Subs: Telma Ívarsdóttir, Fanney Inga Birkisdóttir, Berglind Ágústsdóttir, Emilía Kiær Ásgeirsdóttir, Karitas Tómasdóttir, Alexandra Jóhannsdóttir, Diljá Ýr Zomers, Birta Georgsdóttir, María Catharína Ólafsdóttir Grós, Thelma Pálmadóttir, Hafrún Rakel Halldórsdóttir, Elín Helena Karlsdóttir
Mansfield Town triggered an upset with their 2-1 win over Burnley within the fourth spherical of the cup. That means League One Mansfield have crushed extra Premier League golf equipment in 2026 than Spurs. Can they beat a group 59 locations above them within the soccer pyramid right this moment?
Here’s an e-mail from Dave Esther:
It’s really the Arsenal followers I really feel sorry for. Three years of almost however not fairly is why they’re being served up this NFL model nonsense – ball in play for 50mins a recreation on common is a shame and if Arteta will get any pleasure out of profitable the title this manner he ought to contemplate a place up the highway with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Which brings me to …Tottenham followers saying they’re too good to down have completely misunderstood what goes on upstairs at The Hotspur; Relegation will price them £100m, profitable the Champions League (I do know) will earn them £150m. Work it out…
I can’t say I really feel sorry for Arsenal followers. Assuming they go all the way in which, I doubt followers will care about how they win after 22 years and not using a Premier League title.
It’s been an excellent week for Arsenal thus far. First, they beat Brighton 1-0 whereas Manchester City faltered in opposition to Nottingham Forest. Then, their north London rivals misplaced but once more with an embarrassing 3-1 defeat by the hands of Crystal Palace.
Across social media followers have been preemptively discussing a parade, however Mikel Arteta’s aspect gained’t be getting too far forward of themselves. Read David Hytner’s piece in regards to the significance of Arsenal sustaining their focus in opposition to Mansfield.
Thank you, Emillia. Stick with me for the subsequent hour or so as we countdown to the lunchtime kick offs.
Right, it’s time for me at hand over this weblog to Xaymaca Awoyungbo, who will proceed the countdown to the early kick-offs with you.
Liverpool administrators earned extra in pay than the mixed salaries of all of the Women’s Super League aspect’s 49 gamers and employees, newest accounts reveal.
Liverpool Women’s whole working finances climbed by 36% for the yr ending 31 May 2025, once they completed seventh within the WSL and reached the Women’s FA Cup semi-finals.
Sarina Wiegman is anticipating a “very tough” recreation for England in opposition to Iceland right this moment. Ahead of the match, she stated: “They are a very strong team. They are very disciplined, very physical and very direct with a lot of pace. We have seen some of their earlier performances, specifically against Spain, so we know they are very tough to beat. We think we will have the ball a lot, but it will also be very hard to break down their defence.
“We know it is going to be a very tough game. They have some very dangerous attacks. They are tough to beat and we will have to be at our top level.”
Also right this moment, the Lionesses are again in motion in simply over two hours. They face Iceland on the City Ground in World Cup qualifying. England opened their qualifying marketing campaign with a 6-1 win over Ukraine on Tuesday.
Recap the motion with Tom Garry’s match report under…
The method I see it, for the final three seasons Arsenal have been instructed they need to ‘find a way’ to win the Premier League after falling brief within the title race. Now, they appear to have discovered a strategy to win video games with the assistance of set items. Teams counter the free-flowing soccer they had been allowed to play lately by sitting deep. With these sides tough to interrupt down in open play, it’s straightforward to see why Mikel Arteta – and Nicolas Jover – have turned to corners, throw-ins and free kicks.
The Premier League’s sporting administrators have held talks in regards to the ubiquity of set-piece targets and holding within the penalty space, amid issues these tendencies are damaging the spectacle.
There have been loads of discussions round using set items over the past week. What are your ideas?
I believe Arsenal followers might need a differing view to those that don’t help the Gunners…
Spurs followers, should you may have any out there supervisor take over from now till the top of the season, who would you need in cost?
Spurs are in a state of affairs the place the penny nonetheless hasn’t dropped. Pragmatic coach replaces pragmatic coach to work with a group whose predominant attribute is proactive attacking soccer. Even the signings in the summertime (Kudus/Simons/Tel) had been primarily for a entrance foot strategy and magnificence. As I’ve talked about earlier than – Romero/Vdv will not be field defenders, Porro/Udogie/Spence are inverting/ excessive touchline WBs. That’s a defence utterly unsuited to how Frank/Tudor need their groups to defend. Basics.
Frank knew earlier than the summer time window closed he would not have Kulusevski/Maddison for the majority of the season – the one actual progressive passers on this group. But he and the genius DOF did not tackle this as a result of they weren’t keen on having a participant to ship progressive passes. Frank was keen on second balls and transitions and set items – not a possession heavy recreation which this present Spurs squad was constructed for. I imply Frank ignored Tel and performed Bergvall on the wings (massive crimson flag that one). Tudor appears to concentrate on enjoying gamers out of place. What a time to experiment.
This is only a pattern measurement of the mis-profiling of coaches the chuckle brothers Vinai and Lange have managed to inflict on Spurs. Spurs solely likelihood of survival this season is to let the handbrake off. It’s the one time this assortment of gamers have appeared remotely convincing this season – these stirring 2nd halves in opposition to Bournemouth, City, Villa and so on. any of the profitable CL shows. That’s why Dyche is a no, Tudor is flawed, Big Sam a joke suggestion and Frank was all the time flawed. Spurs have repeatedly bought away with mis-profiling coaches to the must the squad. They spent two years constructing a entrance foot group for Ange and threw that every one that planning away with the pragmatic Frank.
This cluelessness is why the membership shall be relegated. Waited too lengthy to sack Frank – a coach who was too small minded and located the Spurs job too massive for him. Frank was changed by Tudor – a suggestion by the previous director of soccer Paratici – who left the membership in January as he was annoyed at being ignored by Vinai and Lange. Vinai and Lange are absolutely the villains of this relegation – a parting kiss-off from Levy. As research in bringing down a really massive soccer membership – the Spurs 25/26 season shall be studied for years to come back.
There is an out there coach that might flip this round – that this group of gamers would run by way of brick partitions for. But Vinai and Lange won’t ever strategy that coach as it can be an admittance that they bought it flawed to fireplace him within the first place. Absolute cowards.
Time for some Spurs discuss now… and it appears a good few folks imagine relegation may very well be on the playing cards.
Just wanting on the fixtures of a few of these on the backside. (I’m assuming Wolves and Burnley have an excessive amount of to do.)
West Ham: v City (H), Villa (A), Wolves (H) – subsequent 3
Forest:Fulham (H), Spurs (A), Villa (H)
Spurs:Liverpool (A), Forest (H), Sunderland (A)
Leeds:Palace (A), Brentford (H), Man Utd (A)
Spurs are going to seek out it robust going at Anfield in opposition to a Champions League-hungry Liverpool, so then that recreation v Forest is beginning to tackle epic proportions.
It’s virtually unimaginable to foretell factors tallies actually, but when West Ham maintain their up their present resurgence and Forest play like they did for lots of the sport v Liverpool and at City, and if Spurs as they did v Palace (I by no means noticed Fulham however the reviews weren’t constructive), Spurs may nicely be sitting within the backside 3 very quickly.
If I used to be a Spurs fan, all of the fixtures would concern me however the way in which they have been enjoying would concern me extra from what I’ve seen just lately.
Spanish soccer group Celta Vigo is desperately in search of Madonna as it goes in quest of a 36-year-old shirt the pop star wore throughout a 1990 live performance at its Balaidos stadium.
Madonna appeared on stage sporting the membership’s blue colors throughout her Blonde Ambition tour in July 1990. She delighted locals who claimed the ‘Material Girl’ as one among their very own and introduced sudden consideration to defender Jose Manuel Espinosa, whose No.5 shirt she wore.
However, the whereabouts of the cherished garment are unknown and, after looking fruitlessly for many years, Celta is asking the 67-year-old Madonna to assist discover it for the membership’s archive. “Although ours was not the only football shirt you ever wore on stage, this iconic image has grown to shine differently as years have passed,” Celta president Marián Mouriño Terrazo wrote in an open letter to the American icon.
“Over time we came to better understand what you stood for back then: questioning established norms and standing up to those who try to tell you what you can or cannot do. At our club we recognise ourselves in this line of thought. That is why we hold on to the hope of finding the garment you once wore.
“Do you have it? If you know where it may be, or if you would like to join us in the search to retrieve it, please contact us via private message.”
The attraction triggered a commotion on social media after it was printed on Wednesday and the membership doubled down earlier than Friday’s 2-1 house league defeat by Real Madrid, enjoying Madonna’s songs earlier than kickoff and placing her image on the sphere and on social media.
Mouriño Terrazo instructed native media he was hopeful the repercussions would attain the pop star. “I imagine that the letter reached Madonna and that she will reply,” he stated. AP
European roundup
Monaco opened up the Ligue 1 title race by inflicting a primary house defeat of the season on the defending champions, Paris Saint-Germain on Friday night time. Maghnes Akliouche had Monaco forward at half-time, with Aleksandr Golovin and Folarin Balogun scoring after the break for the guests, whereas Bradley Barcola grabbed a comfort for PSG, who’re nonetheless 4 factors away from second-placed Lens within the standings. Lens, nevertheless, have an opportunity to chop into that lead once they host bottom-placed Metz on Sunday.
In Spain, Federico Valverde’s closely deflected Ninety fifth-minute drive snatched injury-hit Real Madrid a 2-1 win at Celta Vigo in La Liga. The Uruguay midfielder wanted a stroke of fortune on the demise to tug his group to inside one level of the leaders, Barcelona, who go to Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.
Napoli recorded their first house win in Serie A since late January with a 2-1 defeat of Torino to tighten their grip on third place and a Champions League spot. The reigning champions gained because of targets from Alisson Santos after seven minutes and a 68th-minute strike from Eljif Elmas earlier than Cesare Casadei scored a late comfort for Torino.
And in Germany, Bayern Munich cruised previous 10-man Borussia Mönchengladbach 4-1 to widen their lead on the high of the Bundesliga to 14 factors. Even with out the injured striker Harry Kane, it was one-way site visitors from the beginning as 4 totally different scorers had been on course for Bayern.
Peter Lansley spoke to Mansfield Town supervisor Nigel Clough this week forward of right this moment’s match. Give the interview a learn under…
Arsenal tackle Mansfield Town at Field Mill within the first recreation of the day. Mikel Arteta recommended yesterday that the pitch may influence his group choice.
He stated: “It can do, especially if there is a player that is carrying some injuries that the pitch can affect him in the wrong way, especially certain muscles, but hopefully we’re going to have the ones that we need fit and available.”
“It’s normal. It’s the beauty of this competition as well,” he additionally defined. “You have to go there, you have to adapt. Since I was little, we’ve all been playing in those stadiums or worse, so you need to adapt to that context and make the most out of it.”
Wrexham’s final 5 outcomes:
Given their latest kind, Wrexham will imagine they will trigger an enormous upset right this moment.
Wrexham host Chelsea within the FA Cup fifth spherical this night. Co-owner Ryan Reynolds and his Hollywood pal Hugh Jackman had been over the moon when the 2 golf equipment had been drawn in opposition to one another final month. It is about to be an enormous day for the Welsh aspect and the local people.
Despite Tottenham’s efficiency in opposition to Crystal Palace earlier this week, interim head coach Igor Tudor was optimistic in regards to the future and stated: “It might sound strange, I believe more after this game than I believed before. I saw something. I need to choose the right guys because the boat is going in the direction that I need to go, and who is in the boat can stay, otherwise, [they] can leave the boat.
“When the other players come back, I’m sure we’ll have a good team and come back. It’s not easy to accept the moment we are in now.”
David Hytner
“Igor Tudor’s messaging was always going to be key. All eyes and ears were on the interim Tottenham head coach on Thursday night and how he would react; the tone he would look to set. Would there be another blast for the players? Goodness knows, the material was there.
“It had been another impossibly awful occasion at the club’s home stadium, another defeat – this one by Crystal Palace. Spurs cannot buy a Premier League win at the Temple of Gloom; they have two all season, the basis for the worst home record in the division. As relegation fears sharpen to an incredibly uncomfortable point, the emotions in the stands ranged from apathy to anger. A lot of anger…”
Let’s take a step away from the FA Cup for a second as a result of I’ve a query for you…
Could Tottenham really be relegated on the finish of the season?
It appears to be the query just about each English soccer fan is asking in the meanwhile – and for good motive. Spurs are only one level above the relegation zone following their 3-1 loss to Crystal Palace on Thursday.
While they appear to be heading on a downward spiral, West Ham and Nottingham Forest are each exhibiting indicators of enchancment.
Let me know what you suppose! Email in at matchday.live@theguardian.com or depart a remark under the road.
From fixture fatigue to a take a look at of priorities, listed below are eight issues to look out for within the FA Cup this weekend…
Speaking after his group’s 3-1 win at Wolves, Liverpool head coach Arne Slot stated: “Every three days I have a different feeling. Three days ago my feeling was completely different to now. Good to be in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. In three-four days away, another big game in Istanbul.”
The Reds subsequent face Galatasaray within the Champions League on Tuesday.
In the primary Cup recreation of the weekend, Liverpool bought their revenge on Wolves with a 3-1 win at Molineux. The Reds suffered a shock 2-1 loss on the identical stadium on Tuesday within the Premier League however bounced again final night time to progress to the FA Cup quarter-finals. Andy Robertson, Mohamed Salah and Curtis Jones scored the targets to see Arne Slot’s aspect by way of.
Today’s FA Cup fixtures
Preamble
Hello, good morning and welcome to a different Matchday stay! It’s one other FA Cup weekend and there are three video games occurring right this moment, beginning with Arsenal’s journey to Mansfield Town. Chelsea then journey to Wales to face Championship promotion hopefuls Wrexham, and within the late match Newcastle host Manchester City.
We’ll even be previewing tomorrow’s fifth-round video games and looking forward to different fixtures occurring throughout the EFL and Championship.
And lastly, England are in motion at lunchtime as they host Iceland of their second Women’s World Cup qualifier on the City Ground.
We’ll be throughout it all this morning, so be part of us!
