Key events
Televised FA Cup third round ties revealed
And in a surprise move, Manchester United and Wrexham are among the teams featured:
Manchester City: Kolo Touré has stepped in for media duties at the Etihad while Pep Guardiola attends to a “personal matter” ahead of City’s visit to Palace on Sunday, though he’s confident the manager will be in the dugout at Selhurst/ Touré pours suitable praise on his gaffer as they try to increase pressure on the leaders, Arsenal. “For us we just focus on what we can do. I think we know the quality of Arsenal – a really strong squad with a fantastic manager but it’s down to us because we have the best manager in the world – he’s working every day, he loves the players and the staff and we know he will take us as far as we can to win that league but we can’t focus on what Arsenal is doing. Every game is like a final for us.”
Chelsea: Enzo Maresca confirms that Cole Palmer’s on track to start against Everton tomorrow, having got through yesterday’s training with “mixed feelings”. Wesley Fofana, who suffered a freak eye injury in midweek, is also available.
Having been cursed with November’s manager of the month award, the Chelsea manager addresses recent wobbles: “We are in December now and December didn’t start the way we’d like – even if it’s just over one week since we played Leeds, it’s completely normal not to always build on [momentum from games such as the win over Barcelona], it’s only eight or nine days ago – in eight or nine days were not going to change our season. I’m completely relaxed and it’s OK the reason we drop points – it’s football.
Tomorrow’s match sees Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall return to the Bridge with Everton: “I didn’t have any doubts about Kiernan, he was always working hard and playing well but we have also more players so he wasn’t able to play so many games.,” said Maresca
Scotland now and the Old Firm continue to soil themselves in public in Europe – and domestically, for that matter – with Danny Röhl endeavouring to put a brave face on things after defeat by Ferencvaros last night effectively eliminated them from the Europa League:
“We have to step up in the games ahead now. We know the schedule now, but we have also to learn from this game on Thursday,” said the Gers manager. “We cannot allow it, to bring opponents back in such a game. Controllers have a game management, be clinical, and then we can take more, more wins, and even on this (European) level.
“The last two games showed me that we are competitive, but to win games you have to do more and you have to be clinical. And if you do this, then you have a chance. If not, then you will not take so much in this competition.”
Things were just as bad for Celtic, comprehensively schooled by Roma and Aberdeen, beaten at home by Strasbourg in the Conference League. And as the Bhoys bounce between bringing back former managers and employing relative unknowns, the pressure is mounting for Sunday’s League Cup final against St Mirren, winners of the trophy in 2013 – shades of Raith Rovers in 1994, when the Hoops were a skint mess?
Liverpool: while we await revelations about that conversation between Arne Slot and Mo Salah this morning, here’s an array of Liverpool fan views on the standoff.
I can understand Salah’s frustration at not starting – players with elite mentality shouldn’t enjoy sitting on the bench. But the reality is he’s not been in form and Szoboszlai, who has replaced him at right wing for the past three Premier League games, has been Liverpool’s heart and soul. If any player has a problem with the club or the manager, it should be discussed and resolved internally and away from the public eye, especially now given how much attention and scrutiny has been on Merseyside recently.
Thanks John, and we continue with more on the great World Cup ticket scam: the Football Supporters Association in England has weighed in with more criticism of next summer’s prices, rebuking Fifa for its “beyond shameless” attitude to fans and calling for the FA to work with fellow associations to challenge the world governing body. Here’s its statement:
The prices set for the 2026 World Cup are scandalous, a step too far for many supporters who passionately and loyally follow their national sides at home and abroad.
Everything we feared about the direction in which Fifa wants to take the game was confirmed – Gianni Infantino only sees supporter loyalty as something to be exploited for profit.
Prices for England’s matches have been set as some of the highest, priced at $7020 if you want to follow the team from start through to the final.
If you are “lucky” enough to reserve the cheapest ticket for the final you’ll need to hand over $4185, approximately £3200 – that’s £35 per minute of the game.
Fifa call this the “Supporter Value” category – that’s a laughable insult to your average fan.
Supporters are expected to hand over all of this money in February to Fifa, who will keep it in their bank account to accrue interest. If England are knocked out before the final they’ll then return it, minus an admin fee of course. They are beyond shameless.
This is a tournament that is supposed to be celebrated by the world, where fans of all nations come together for the love of football. FIFA have decided to make it all about the money and the elite who can afford it.
For Fifa, loyalty is not the hard-working fan travelling thousands of miles in support of their team at qualifiers around the continent. A game that should be for all is now only for those who can afford it.
We back Football Supporters Europe in calling for a halt in ticket sales and we are calling on the Football Association to work with fellow FAs to directly challenge these disgraceful prices.
And with that, I shall pass over to the estimable Tom Davies.
Big Ben Fisher interview with Christian Fuchs, Premier League-winning player who is now manager of Newport County.
It helped change my mindset a little bit … it showed that the impossible can be possible.
Eddie Howe has been speaking ahead of his first Wear-Tyne derby in the Premier League: “I was aware of it before, but I think it’s very different when you’re seeing it from afar to actually living it and experiencing it yourself. I’d seen many derbies on the TV and you can sense there’s an intense rivalry there. That’s a great thing for the game, I love that and I think it’s one of the things that makes football so special. But then when you’re here, you realise it’s even much more than you thought from the outside. It’ll be great to experience it in a league game.”
The two clubs met in the FA Cup in January 2024, an easy 3-0 win for Newcastle. It’s the first time in the Premier League since 2016.
Bournemouth have hit something of a sticky patch, with a couple of leading players in Antoine Semenyo and Evanilson short of scoring form. The Brazilian hasn’t scored since August. Andoni Iraola is staying positive about both. Semenyo has been linked with filling a Salah-shaped hole in Liverpool’s attack.
On Semenyo: “We cannot only analyse the numbers. He’s not our number nine. He’s a winger that gives us a lot of goals and a lot of assists, and he gives us chances normally. He was the biggest threat against Chelsea the other day. I don’t feel [transfer speculation] is affecting him a lot. When you hear your name every day in the news you have to deal with the situation, but I think he’s committed, and I haven’t seen a lot of changes in him.”
On Evanilson: ““He’s the first one who wants to score, because he knows he’s a number nine, but we trust him, and we have to encourage him to do the same things he’s doing. I don’t want him to have any doubts. We also have other options but we trust him 100%.”
Dan Christmas gets in touch on Slot/Salah: “I mean, Slot isn’t in charge at Liverpool just as a manager or head coach in any other club isn’t top of the hierarchy. We can be pretty sure it was him who made the decision to drop Salah as well. If Salah gets his big money move to a softer league then everybody wins.”
Louise Devries gets in touch from the Netherlands: “Its not only England fans that are outraged. Many European countries have a club for fans who follow their team and get easier access to tournamenttickets. So are we, but for a 3rd time in a row, we will not order any WC tickets because of the country. Too expensive, the cities Oranje play are beyond boring, a high 1936 feeling and we probably would be refused entrance anyway after they read our comments. Maybe its time to organize a Euros every two years instead. Those tournaments are real fun for the fans and the teams.”
And better news on William Saliba’s injury for Arsenal fans.
Mikel Arteta: “It was something quite small – he came from an ankle injury he had then it started to modify the way he was running and then he started to overload an area. It’s common, but he became uncomfortable continuing to train and play so we had to stop it. He looks better but we have to wait and see if it’s enough for him to be able to train with the team.”
Mikel Arteta has been talking about Gabriel Jesus.
“Yes – we know his quality, he has given us so much. If he comes with the quality he did the other day then he is certainly a player that has to be pushing and aiming for that [to start up front].”
The reason for Ferguson’s possible return to Brighton is losing Stefanos Tzimas for the rest of the season with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.
Tzimas, 19, a £20million summer signing from Nuremburg, is not expecting to return until pre-season. “He will have surgery and we have big trust in the doctors and we have big trust in the medical department,” Hurzeler said. “We are quite convinced that he will be back as quick as possible and even in better shape.”
Brighton signed another Greek teenager in Charalampos Kostoulas, who has featured in recent matches, and scored at Manchester United.
Andy Hunter
Here’s Andy Hunter reporting from that Arne Slot press conference.
The Liverpool head coach was reluctant to discuss the Salah situation in detail but claimed there were talks with the player’s agent, Ramy Abbas Issa, before the striker was named as a substitute for the third game in succession at Leeds last Saturday.
More on Arsenal from 10 things, via Ed Aarons. On a player now available to Arteta.
Gabriel Jesus is confident he can recapture his best form after recovering from the anterior cruciate ligament injury that sidelined him for almost a year. The Brazil striker came on as a substitute in Arsenal’s 3-0 win at Club Brugge on Wednesday night and will be hoping for more minutes when Mikel Arteta’s side face rock-bottom Wolves on Saturday. “One hundred per cent,” said the 28-year-old when asked whether the best is still to come from him. “I’m a different guy when I have a smile on my face. I’m 100% sure, and then obviously now I’m more experienced, now I had 11 months of doubting, of stepping back and watching everything around me, that has helped me a lot. I know if I have the chance I am going to go there and do my best to help the team, like everyone else here.”
Arsenal look to recover from last week’s defeat by Aston Villa, though have a considerable injury list. Mikel Arteta has run a roll call of sorts on the players who might be available to face Wolves in Saturday’s 8pm kick-off.
William Saliba “hasn’t trained with us yet. Let’s see if he can be available.” Jurrien Timber “depends how he feels today. It’s a matter of days.” Declan Rice: “Let’s see how he is today. He was ill, normally in a few days it gets resolved.” And Leandro Trossard is “another one that is a matter of days. Sounds boring but that is the reality.”
Arteta stayed positive at Villa Park, and tried to strike a positive note again: “Hopefully tomorrow we will win, and then in the last one, two or three [games] we will have been the best team [in the form table]. We try to win every game, that’s the only thing we can do in terms of being as consistent as possible.”
Dave Estherby gets in touch: “Ok so I think we can all ascertain from that presser that whoever’s in charge at Liverpool it sure as hell ain’t Arne Slot. One week, the public outburst, the turning-up-at-training-as-if-nothing’s-happened, the selfie in the gym alone, and still nothing. He should be made to train with the reserves for the rest of the season and yet it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he starts tomorrow.
“Slot visibly flinched and asked for the question to be repeated when asked if he wants Salah to stay, we all know what’s gonna happen; gone in January to Saudi on a ludicrous contract for a fortune. Everyone’s happy; the club get rid for nice windfall and the money-grabber grabs his money, all’s fair in love and war. Except Slot, that is, who ends up looking like a idiot. Nice.”
Jamie Jackson
There has been talk of a distance between the Class of 92 and Manchester United, so this is a development. Via Jamie Jackson:
The Class of 92 is launching a University Academy 92 campus at Manchester United’s stadium in January, with Gary Neville stating it is a “full circle moment” for him.
The campus will use suites in the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand and Old Trafford’s media facilities. Courses include business of football, sports management, digital marketing and football broadcast and journalism at degree and Cert HE level. Enrolment fees range from £9,790 to £11,750 for UK pupils and £16,197 to £27,000 for the courses available to overseas students.
Neville, a former United captain, said: “This is a full circle moment for me – Manchester United is where my dreams started and now we have the privilege of helping the next generation achieve theirs.
“Old Trafford has always been a place where young people dream big, and now it will also be a place where our students can learn, grow and build their futures. The Class of ’92’s experiences at Manchester United shaped who we are. The teamwork, commitment and belief we learned here are part of UA92’s DNA. Bringing our students into this environment connects everything we stand for – education, opportunity and the power of sport to change lives.”
The Class of ‘92 consists of Neville, his brother Phil, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and David Beckham. UA92 was founded in 2019 in conjunction with Lancaster University and later expanded with a business school in the centre of Manchester. Beckham was not part of UA92’s founding.
Marc Armstrong, United’s chief business officer of, said: “We are really looking forward to opening the doors of Old Trafford to students from UA92. Manchester United has always been synonymous with youth, drive and determination, epitomised by the Class of ’92.
“In the longer term, as we plan for the regeneration of the Old Trafford area, including the development of a new stadium, this agreement with UA92 demonstrates our desire to work together with local stakeholders in driving social and economic progress across Greater Manchester and beyond.”
Evan Ferguson scored twice last night for Roma at Celtic, the best performance yet of his loan. There’s talk he will return to Brighton. Fabian Hurzeler has been speaking ahead of Brighton’s visit to face Liverpool.
“Evan is a player for us, that is why he will always be an option. At the moment he is on loan but we follow it, we are pleased how he performed yesterday. Of course we all follow it so definitely he might be an option.”
Hurz (not) on Salah: “We always want to face the best players, the best teams. We try to go for this challenge, to be honest we don’t have any idea how Liverpool have played with which players that will face us, which formation.
“It’s about us, focusing on our principles, our style of play. We go there, we know no matter which situation Liverpool is it will be a big challenge so we try to face it and we try to win this game.”
Paul MacInnes
Bournemouth have announced Vitality as their new front of shirt sponsor from next season, replacing the gambling company bj88.
The move comes as the Premier League prepares to start a voluntary ban on gambling companies acting as front of shirt sponsors, which is due to come in from next season.
Research by the company GlobalData estimated the overall value of shirt sponsorship deals by gambling companies to be worth a combined £104million in 2024-25.
Last May, the gambling commission wrote to Bournemouth and four other Premier League sides warning them over their relationships with their front of shirt sponsors, as the gambling brands did not have a licence to operate in the UK.
The Cherries have agreed a ‘multi-year’ deal with Vitality, who are already the title sponsors of their stadium. AFC Bournemouth’s president of business operations, Jim Frevola, said: “I’m thrilled to welcome Vitality as the club’s front-of-shirt sponsor and further our relationship, which is already built around our shared principles of energy, resilience and community.”
Another fans story, via the BBC in Essex.
Southend United fans have called for a refund after their 250-mile away day to Rochdale was rained off for the second time.
The National League tie was being won by the hosts 2-1 before it was abandoned in the 77th minute on Saturday.
It followed many fans making their way to the Crown Oil Arena in September, only for the game to be postponed due to heavy rainfall less than two and half hours before kick-off. Hoping their next meeting would be third time lucky, supporters group Shrimpers Trust said: “At this or any level, this is unacceptable.”
Lancashire clubs – Rochdale is Greater Manchester but formerly Lancs – have had it wet this season. See Blackburn’s problems against Sheffield Wednesday last week. Their second abandonment of the season.
Yet more Slot: “Alex [Isak] got a knock in the first half, so let’s see how he recovers from that today and if he is able to start tomorrow.
It’s helpful in the upcoming weeks that we won’t play as many games as we did until now. I wonder if there are more teams that have played three games in seven days this season. We had to do it three times already this season.
“I am almost happy we are out of the League Cup, because if we had to play with 13 outfield players available with any Premier League experience, and we had to go to Arsenal away on Tuesday after already so many games played, then maybe people can understand a bit better why I made that line-up against Crystal Palace.
“It wasn’t good for me but I made that decision for the team. Losing a game of football is never a good idea, but sometimes players need rest as well.”
The Women’s Super League will review its broadcast slots at the end of the season amid disappointment at some viewing figures during the first half of the campaign.
An average audience of 59,000 watched live Sky Sports coverage of Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Liverpool last Saturday lunchtime, even fewer than the 71,000 people who watched Arsenal v Chelsea on Sky in the same noon kick-off slot last month, leading to criticism from fans about the scheduling of such flagship games.
A bit more Slot on Salah: “Who made the call? I think we decided as a club and I was part of that not to take him to Inter. I am always in contact with them with lineup and squads, that is always left to me. I talk to Richard Hughes more than Michael Edwards, we speak about many things.
“Do I want him to stay? Another way of asking but the next time I speak about Mo will be with him. I see no reason why I don’t want him to stay.”
England fans outrage at ‘laughable’ World Cup ticket prices
England fans say they have been “slapped in the face” by Fifa after it was revealed a run to the World Cup final would cost supporters over £5,000 for tickets. The pricing policy was described as “laughable” by the Football Supporters’ Association’s England Fans’ Embassy, while Football Supporters Europe (FSE) called the prices a “monumental betrayal” of match-going fans and urged Fifa to call a halt to the sale process.
Fans hoping to access tickets through their national associations’ travel programmes and loyalty schemes discovered on Thursday that the cheapest final ticket would cost 4,185 US dollars (£3,120). The Football Association shared pricing information with the England Supporters Travel Club (ESTC) on Thursday evening, which showed that if a fan bought the cheapest ticket for every game through to the final it would cost 7,020 US dollars (£5,228).
In a post on X, the England Fans’ Embassy said: “These prices are a slap in the face to supporters who support their team outside of the flagship tournament that appears every four years.
“To call the Category 3 tickets, the cheapest available to ESTC members, ‘Supporter Value Category 3’ that comes at a cost of 7,020 US dollars if you want to follow England from start to finish, is laughable. A game for supporters, loyalty has been thrown out of the window and supporters of the participating nations have been completely let down.”
FSE said, from the ticket price information it had available, supporting your team from the first game to the final at the 2026 tournament would cost five times as much as at the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
Will Unwin
Kolo Toure will be doing the Manchester City press conference today because Pep Guardiola has a personal matter to attend but the head coach will be in the dugout at Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Slot has been talking about Liverpool’s injuries, too: “Endo and Gakpo? Going to be weeks. Cody is a muscle injury and Wata is ankle.
And his new strike pairing of Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak: “What we all saw, which is normal, the more they play, the more they will adapt and the better they will cooperate. The other two No 9s on the pitch for Inter were more used to playing with each. It’s the second time they have played together and I think we will see more of this in the future. Alex got a knock in the first half, so let’s see if he is able to start tomorrow.
“I don’t think height tells you a player is perfectly equipped for that direct style. Some are tall and struggle, others aren’t and dominate. Alex and Hugo, you can better use them in behind than long balls into their body. I see Hugo trying to do this better and better but there’s room for improvement as there is with so many parts of our games.”
More Slot on Salah: “I have no reasons to not want him to stay.”
Slot set for Salah talks today
Seems it’s undecided whether he plays a part against Brighton.
“I will have a conversation with Mo this morning and the outcome determines how.
“What I need is a conversation with him and the next time I speak about Mo should be with him and not in here. There’s not much more I can say. I speak to him today and the outcome determines how things will look tomorrow.
“You can try in multiple ways but I just said the next time I speak about him should be with him. I think there’s been a lot of conversations since the last week between his reps and ours. An apology? Normally I’d say you’ve had your three questions…”
The week’s big story has been the Mohamed Salah affair. Liverpool play Brighton this weekend, a game Salah pinpointed might be his last. There’s also talk of a midweek meeting with Jordan Henderson; does that mean Saudi Arabia or Brentford? Arne Slot is due to speak this morning.
Preamble
Good morning, football. We’re back back back for another Friday buildup to the day’s action, reporting on all the big stories, and previewing another big weekend of Premier League action.
Join us.
