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Visitors are encouraged to visit the training ground and first club of the Manchester City No 9 and can stay in the ‘Haaland suite’ at a local hotel

“Farmers didn’t play football,” says the lifelong supporter Geir Magnus Sandve of the fact that his beloved Bryne FK were not founded until 1926. These are momentous times for the Norwegian football club in the agricultural south-western region of Jæren. Last season they were promoted back to the Eliteserien, the top division, for the first time in 22 years in front of a capacity crowd of 5,000 and excitement is building before the start of the season at the end of March. Fans hope they can return to heights not seen since they won the cup in Oslo in 1987 – which would have been considered the club’s crowning achievement were it not for the rise of Erling Haaland.

In the brittle, banter-fuelled world of English football, it might feel as if Haaland’s star is waning this season. It is easy to forget he is second only to Mohamed Salah in the Premier League Golden Boot after winning it in the previous two seasons. At the age of 24 he is the all-time Norwegian national team top scorer (38 in 39 matches), and a Champions League, Premier League and Austrian league winner. The school playground of my six-year-old son, Ernest, is no longer consumed by the great Messi-Ronaldo debate but instead is alive to the shouts of “HAAAAARRR-LAND”.

• Negotiations over extension have not led to agreement
• United open to sale of player valued at about £70m

Kobbie Mainoo is minded to reject the offer of a new contract at ­Manchester United and seek a move abroad. The midfielder has two years on his deal but the club would be open to ­selling the England international, who is valued at about £70m, to help their finances.

The Stockport-born academy ­graduate, 20 in April, joined United aged six and made his debut as a 17-year-old in 2023. Mainoo, who has 10 England caps, has played 60 times for the first team and has been in protracted negotiations over a new deal but no agreement has been found. He has been discussed as a potential Chelsea target but moving to another Premier League club is not currently part of his thinking.

Manager says team can be more prolific despite 1935 Sunderland scoring streak being under threat on Saturday

Luis Enrique described Liverpool’s front three as “fighter jets” before their visit to Paris Saint‑Germain on Wednesday. He may have succeeded in grounding them but Arne Slot’s side still found a way to soar.

The exhilarating, aggressive football of Jürgen Klopp has given way to quality control under his successor, but Liverpool are no less effective for that shift. The league leaders, who can go 16 points clear with victory over Southampton on Saturday, have scored more goals after 28 games of this Premier League campaign (66) than at the same stage of their last title-winning season, under Klopp in 2019-20 (64). Plymouth, Tottenham (in a Carabao Cup semi-final Spurs ultimately lost 4-1 on aggregate) and Nottingham Forest are the only teams to prevent Slot’s team scoring in 44 matches this season.

• City manager says players judged on pitch performance
• ‘I’m not going to control what they do in their private life’

Pep Guardiola is not concerned about images that emerged this week showing Jack Grealish socialising, with Manchester City’s manager stating he judges players on how they train and play.

Grealish had two days off after last Saturday’s 3-1 FA Cup fifth round win over Plymouth. On Sunday he was pictured in a pub in east Manchester and then at two different places, both of which also served alcohol, in the north-east later that day. Guardiola was asked if he is at ease regarding these pictures of Grealish, who was City’s record signing when he joined the club from Aston Villa for £100m in August 2021.

• US president signs executive order creating task force
• Trump to oversee government’s security and planning

US president Donald Trump created a task force Friday to prepare for the 2026 World Cup, which will bring the globe’s premier soccer tournament to North America at a time when his on-again, off-again tariffs have ratcheted up tensions across the continent.

“I think it’s going to make it more exciting,” Trump said of playing the World Cup amid sharp rhetoric between leaders of the host nations. “Tension’s a good thing.”

• Flight from US to Heathrow landed in Canada
• 62-year-old reportedly receiving hospital treatment

The former England captain Stuart Pearce is recovering in hospital after suffering a medical emergency on a transatlantic flight.

The former Nottingham Forest and Newcastle full-back, who is 62, was taken ill on a flight from Las Vegas to the UK on Monday. He had visited the US to watch the Super League match between Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves.

Arsenal’s teenager is making his mark on the pitch but after two red cards the Gunners boss has given him a serious talk

Mikel Arteta did not want to have the chat while the passions were still raging, which they were on Tuesday night and in a jubilant way after the 7-1 Champions League win at PSV Eindhoven. And so the Arsenal manager waited. Myles Lewis-Skelly, though, knew what was coming and it duly did on Friday, as Arsenal prepared for Sunday’s Premier League trip to Manchester United.

The 18-year-old left-back was a lucky boy against PSV. On a booking, he committed to a challenge on Richard Ledezma in the 26th minute and got none of the ball and all of the man. It looked to be a second yellow card and yet the referee, Jesús Gil Manzano, chose to spare him. Which was a surprise to everyone, Arteta included, and certainly those who have followed Gil Manzano in La Liga this season, where he has averaged nearly seven cards a game – more than any other official.

• FA pushed for longer ban than standard three matches
• Challenge left Crystal Palace striker needing 25 stitches

The Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts is to serve an extended six-match ban for his challenge on Jean-Philippe Mateta after an appeal by the Football Association.

Roberts said he accepted unequivocally “the red card as awarded and accept my punishment” and reiterated his apologies to the Crystal Palace striker, describing himself as “devastated” by the incident.

• Leadership team to replace director of football model
• Leeds CEO Angus Kinnear will head to Everton in June

Everton have announced several changes to how the club will be run under The Friedkin Group, with Angus Kinnear arriving as CEO from Leeds and Kevin Thelwell leaving as director of football when his contract expires this summer.

Everton’s new owners intend to end the director of football model and transition to a wider “sporting leadership team”. Thelwell has been director of football since 2022 and helped steer the club through a turbulent period under Farhad Moshiri, including two points deductions and serious financial constraints, but will leave at the end of the season.

Manchester City visit top-four rivals Nottingham Forest on Saturday while Manchester United host Arsenal on Sunday

Saturday 12.30pm TNT Sports 1 Venue City Ground

Judge rules in favour of football supporters after Uefa’s attempt to block court claims being held in Liverpool

Liverpool fans affected by the chaos surrounding the 2022 Champions League final in Paris have the right to have their personal injury claims heard in the UK, a judge has ruled, after an attempt by European football’s governing body to block it.

A number of Liverpool supporters were hurt at the Stade de France in Paris during overcrowding when their club played against Real Madrid in the men’s final of the European competition on 28 May 2022.

Cunha’s ban could reignite relegation battle, Nketiah is full of confidence and Manchester United have lost fear factor

A clear contrast in styles will be visible in a game that could have major ramifications for the Champions League qualification hopes of both Nottingham Forest and Manchester City. No team in the Premier League has averaged less possession than Forest’s 40.1% this season and no team has more of the ball on average than Manchester City (60.4%). So the fact a 59-point chasm between the teams from last season has been completely eroded – Nuno Espírito Santo’s men are actually a point better off than the champions after 27 games – suggests possession is not the footballing essential it once was. City were routine winners at home to Forest in December but beating Nuno’s side at the City Ground is a far sterner challenge. Arsenal and Liverpool are among the sides who have failed to do so in recent months. Dominic Booth

Nottingham Forest v Manchester City, Saturday 12.30pm (all times GMT)

Brighton v Fulham, Saturday 3pm

Crystal Palace v Ipswich Town, Saturday 3pm

Liverpool v Southampton, Saturday 3pm

Academy of Light is a shining example for the game as Melanie Reay prepares for FA Cup test at Manchester United

Melanie Reay is leading the way through the maze of corridors inside the Academy of Light when a corner is turned and she almost collides with Régis Le Bris. The managers of Sunderland’s women’s and men’s teams stop for a brief, friendly chat. It is a commonplace occurrence at this fully integrated first-team training ground, where Jobe Bellingham, Enzo Le Fée, Wilson Isidor and the rest of Le Bris’s players share Premier League-standard facilities, the canteen included, with Reay’s squad.

Similar sorts of arrangements remain depressingly rare; too many men’s managers pay lip service to the importance of their club’s women’s side but would have palpitations at the idea of sharing a weekday HQ.

Experts warn that cooling breaks and later kickoff times may be needed to cope with scorching temperatures when North America hosts the tournament

Over the course of a playing career that wound through Spain, Mexico and the sunbaked fields of Major League Soccer’s summers, American midfielder Tab Ramos was never hotter than at the 1994 World Cup in the United States.

The day before the United States men’s national team opened its tournament against Switzerland in the Pontiac Silverdome, it had been 99F (37C) in Michigan. By the 11.30am kickoff on matchday, the temperature reached 90F (32C) again. Worse still, the Silverdome was an NFL stadium designed for winter – to keep heat in, rather than out. The first World Cup match played indoors was conducted in a dome without air conditioning. On the field, the temperature reached 106F (41C). The grass laid over the artificial turf had been watered so eagerly that, with the sun beating down on the stadium’s fabric roof, the air turned soupy with humidity.

After a history-making appointment at Brentford, the former Leicester City boss is hoping to build a new legacy

After spending a month at the 2024 Under-17 World Cup with England, Lydia Bedford returned to her home in early November, ready to settle back into routine. She wasn’t looking for a new job. She wasn’t thinking about leaving Premier League club Brentford, where she managed the U-18 squad. If anything, she was eager to focus on the season ahead.

Then, she got a text from her agent.

• NWSL to look into report of ‘toxic’ environment at Bay FC
• San Francisco Chronicle published investigation Friday

An independent investigation has been opened into the coaching staff at Bay FC following publication of a report that described a “toxic” work environment at the club, National Women’s Soccer League Commissioner Jessica Berman said.

The San Francisco Chronicle published an investigation Friday that said at least two formal complaints had been made about the team under coach Albertin Montoya.

• New Uefa figures show extent of Premier League power
• Report says Chelsea 2024 squad was most expensive ever

The Premier League’s financial power continues to blow its European rivals out of the water, with combined revenues almost double those in Germany and Spain according to newly released figures from Uefa.

In the latest evidence of England’s sizeable competitive advantage, Uefa’s annual European club finance and investment landscape report showed Premier League clubs reporting revenue of just over €7.1bn (£5.9bn) in the 2023 financial year. The top flight’s nearest competitors, La Liga and the Bundesliga, brought in €3.7bn and €3.6bn respectively. It forms part of a wider picture in which revenues in the continent’s top divisions totalled €26.8bn, 17% more than before the Covid-19 pandemic.

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The Battle of the Buffet. Ferguson v Wenger, Keane v Vieira. Martin Keown whoopin’ and hollerin’ right in Ruud van Nistelrooy’s grill. Thierry Henry’s volley, David Platt’s header; Cristiano Ronaldo’s Big Cup double. Title-winning goals from Marc Overmars and Sylvain Wiltord; the 8-2. Ryan Giggs’s remarkable chest hair. The 21-man Highbury brawl. Mark Hughes v Tony Adams; Ian Wright v Peter Schmeichel. Louis van Gaal taking a dive. Arsène in the Old Trafford stands, arms outstretched. “Squeaky bum time,” isn’t it? Forgive your misty-eyed Daily from channelling Ron Manager once again, but at its height, Manchester United v Arsenal was the Premier League’s greatest rivalry. Fuelled by a mutual enmity between Alex Ferguson and Arsène Wenger, the former delaying his retirement to fend off Arsenal’s arriviste – “He’s come from Japan and he’s telling us how to run English football,” Ferg said in 1997 – the bitter rivals traded titles and served up box-office battles until José Mourinho (and Roman Abramovich) pulled up at the Bridge.

Maybe you laugh, but for me it was a good result because the way we performed the [defeat] could have been bigger” – José Mourinho, there, seemingly relieved to have only lost 3-1 at home to, erm, Rangers, who have been turned over by such powerhouses as St Mirren and Queen’s Park in recent weeks.

When I read Barney Ronay’s description of Alisson’s phenomenal performance in Paris as “cinematic” (yesterday’s Still Want More, full email edition), I suddenly realised something. Witnessing the Liverpool goalkeeper dive, roll, parry, smother, snaffle, jump and fling himself all over the place had indeed felt like watching an action film. In fact, with the yellow suit and hordes of stealthy opponents closing in in wave after wave, the performance felt like an ode to Bruce Lee in Game of Death, Uma Thurman in Kill Bill: Volume 1 and Danny Chan Kwok-kwan in Shaolin Soccer. I’m looking forward to Volume 2 next week! Pass the popcorn!” – Peter Oh.

Following Fenerbahce’s humiliating home defeat by Rangers, it would be fascinating to hear what the Specious One would have called PSV’s 7-1 home capitulation against Arsenal? Presumably ‘a great result’ followed by ‘it’s not over’?” – Adrian Irving.

While agreeing with Gordon MacLeod’s praise of Ally McCoist (yesterday’s Football Daily letters), I feel he is ill-served being part of Darren Fletcher’s and Rio Ferdinand’s attempts to fill every second of games with obscure historical facts and football cliches. While my Liverpool proclivities are probably a factor, exposure to this trio for both the Bigger Cup Madrid derby and cunning plan against PSG left me trying to manipulate the volume control to retain some element of the atmosphere while muting the commentary. I don’t know who decides which commentators are an asset, but there are times when Discovery+ feels exceedingly expensive” – Alan Gellion.

Football management moves pretty fast. Last Saturday Barry Ferguson was being beaten at home by Motherwell. Five days later the interim head coach was leading Rangers to a famous victory in Istanbul, responding to being patronised by José Mourinho by ending Fenerbahce’s 18-match unbeaten run.

Perhaps the scoreline was not as eye-catching as the 4-2 win away to Borussia Dortmund three years ago, but given the circumstances this was arguably more remarkable. Where there had been shambles, there was rigour. Where there had been diffidence, there was conviction. Where there had been incoherence, there was incisiveness. This was a result beyond Rangers’ realistic expectations, and yet it could have been even better. It was not just that Cyriel Dessers had two efforts ruled out for tight offsides, it was that he squandered two other counters as Fenerbahce’s structure disintegrated in the second half.

Any jeopardy experienced by ­Chelsea in the Uefa Conference League is largely of their own making. The standard is low enough for Enzo Maresca’s side to play in bursts and still emerge victorious in a testing away game. Unlike Maresca, no other manager hoping to win this competition can afford to watch their side drift through a dismal first half and then sort themselves out by ­introducing an England international, a France forward and an Argentinian world champion during the break.

That show of strength was enough for Chelsea to find their poise at Parken, take control of this last-16 tie and beat FC Copenhagen with goals from Reece James and Enzo Fernández. Those flashes of ­quality aside, though, this was far from perfect. Chelsea rarely flowed and their inability to stay focused for 90 minutes flared again when they kept next week’s return at Stamford Bridge interesting by allowing Copenhagen to pull it back to 2-1 during the closing stages.

WPLL needs to invest and expand but sealing off top tier risks encouraging mediocrity and too many meaningless games

The Guardian broke the news last week that Women’s Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL) is in discussions with its 24 member clubs in the top two tiers of the English women’s pyramid to make significant changes in the size and structure of both divisions.

The proposal includes expanding the divisions from 12 to 16 teams over a four-year period, starting from 2026-27, by continuing to promote one team into the Women’s Super League but freezing relegation for at least four seasons to enable the expansion.

The last 16 started with a host of intriguing fixtures. We hand out honours and dishonours from the latest round of action

Arsenal

An anti-gay slur’s at San Diego FC’s home debut prompted a strong response from the club. They’re not the first ones forced to address a tired trope

It all started as a bit of a joke, just not a funny one. Now infamous enough to be known as ‘the chant’ or ‘the p-word’ even in English, historical accounts say the homophobic chant that has remained persistent in Mexican soccer began in Guadalajara. Atlas fans were infuriated by goalkeeper Oswaldo Sánchez’s departure from their team and his eventual return to their rivals Guadalajara. That’s when they tweaked a traditional gridiron football ritual, building up noise before belting out an anti-gay slur whenever Sánchez took a goal kick.

The chant appeared again – this time with more venom – at a game between USA and Mexico in a 2004 pre-Olympic tournament in Guadalajara. Mexico fans were still smarting from El Tri’s loss to the US at the 2002 World Cup. That led to 60,000 Tapatios directing the slur at US goalkeeper DJ Countess during Mexico’s 4-0 win. The ugly trend has continued, and grown, despite campaigns from the Mexican football federation, Fifa fines, and efforts from Liga MX, who named a full season after an alternative chant in 2021.

Plus: more tables as works of art, record numbers of away wins in league matches and 1-11 shirt numbers

• Mail us with your questions and answers

“The recent Merseyside derby showed that it’s no longer unusual for a referee to book and send off players and managers after they’ve blown the final whistle,” notes Jason Janduy. “Are there any instances where they’ve shown their cards before the match?”

Mykola Kozlenko has this one covered. “The most famous case is probably Patrice Evra, playing for Marseille against Vitória de Guimarães in the Europa League in 2017-18, when he kicked a Marseille fan before the game.”

After the final whistle the referee went into both teams’ changing-rooms and retrospectively booked every player who hadn’t already been booked, for dissent. One player was in hospital at that stage, having sustained a nasty cut to his head, but he got booked as well. Another player couldn’t go to the game at all, so found someone else to play instead of him using his name. He was booked too, despite being at a wedding at the time.

Teenager showcased his talent again with performance and goal at PSV and has put his name in England conversation

“Again? Come on,” Mikel Merino says, with a look that gets across the “seriously guys” sense of it. But there is laughter, too, from the Arsenal midfielder-cum-emergency-centre-forward because he knows this is how it goes, how it has been for some time, pretty much every time he stops to speak to the media after a match.

People want to talk about Ethan Nwaneri; inside the club, outside the club. The buzz around the attacking midfielder as he tore his way through the youth ranks, having joined at nine, was palpable. During the 6-0 win at West Ham last season, the Arsenal substitutes wanted Mikel Arteta to get him on, which he did for the final 13 minutes.

Keeper suffered an ACL tear in 2022. Now she is first-choice for club and country and a World Cup winner

“Confident, risk-taker and big character,” Catalina “Cata” Coll says without hesitation when asked to describe herself as a player. The much-heralded promise of Barcelona and Spain has now become the present and the future and all it took was one summer.

A dreadful ACL tear in February 2022 ended Coll’s season and, with that, her hope to become second-choice keeper, much less first. With Sandra Paños the undisputed choice in goal, Gemma Font had no competition in the second position she had already won.

The two French clubs still in the Champions League met in Paris at the weekend. It went a lot better for PSG than Lille

By Get French Football News

Football fans will associate André Villas-Boas with racing, the former Porto, Chelsea, Tottenham and Marseille manager having made waves as a driver at the Dakar Rally, but if any manager is shifting through the gears at present, it must surely be Luis Enrique. PSG squared off against Lille on Saturday, a game that was circled on the calendars of French football fans for two reasons: not only could it be a real test for both sides before their last-16 ties in the Champions League but it was also a game where PSG could lose in the league for the first time this season.

With Lille playing a rotated lineup at the Parc des Princes, it was barely a contest. Ethan Mbappé’s impressive cameo was the only bright spot for the visitors as PSG ran out easy 4-1 winners. They scored all four of their goals in a first half that Enrique called “our best of the year”. Critics of Ligue 1 will point out that PSG are 13 points clear at the top of the table, but Lille’s performances in the Champions League – they finished seventh in the group stage to set up a last-16 tie against Borussia Dortmund – suggest that PSG are capable of competing with any opponent on their day.

Houston made a generous offer to its own fans, while a DC United youngster stunned Chicago

When the Houston Dynamo learned that Lionel Messi did not travel with Inter Miami ahead of the teams’ game on Sunday, they proceeded with a now-familiar playbook. Just like Chicago Fire and Vancouver Whitecaps did in similar Messi-less situations, the team apologized to their ticketholders, then bargained with them.

Challengers for Champions League come from Saudi Arabia as AFC officials privately admit rules need examining

Cristiano Ronaldo has yet to win a major trophy – the Arab Club Champions Cup does not count – since signing for Al-Nassr in December 2022 and the 40-year-old’s best chance this season is the AFC Champions League Elite. The Riyadh club are nine points off the top of the Saudi Pro League but should get past Esteghlal of Iran in the last-16 of the continental competition next week. With the games from the quarter-final stage onwards taking place in Saudi Arabia, this could be the year.

Head coach Stefano Pioli has not quite brought the fluency required to a team that still rely too much on individual talent in individual moments but in a cup competition perhaps that will be enough, especially when you add Jhon Durán. The Colombian has already shown his goalscoring prowess and could make the difference for the club and Ronaldo, who scored six goals in the group stage.

• Argentinian not listed as injured but did not make trip
• Match was set to be sellout with expensive resales

MLS club Houston Dynamo have issued an apology to fans after Lionel Messi was revealed by various outlets to not be in the Inter Miami traveling party for Sunday night’s game between the sides. The Texas club also promised free tickets to a future match to all in attendance due to Messi’s absence.

In their statement, the Dynamo indicated that they believed Messi would be fit to play the match based on his name not being listed on Inter Miami’s player status report. The player status report, released before matches, is traditionally where teams will list players that are carrying injuries or who are otherwise out of action.

• Atlético 1-0 Athletic Bilbao | Real Betis 2-1 Real Madrid
• Napoli 1-1 Inter | Mourinho’s Turkish suspension halved

Real Madrid stumbled in the three-way race for the La Liga title as Isco guided Real Betis to a 2-1 comeback win over the defending champions on Saturday, enabling Atlético Madrid to overtake their neighbours by winning the late kick-off against Athletic Bilbao.

Atlético won thanks to a second-half strike from the substitute Julián Álvarez. Atletico came close to taking the lead in the first half through Alexander Sørloth, who missed a header from Antoine Griezmann’s pass. Álvarez, who came on for Sørloth just before the hour mark, gave Atlético the winner in the 66th minute with a precise left-foot shot after being played through by Marcos Llorente.

The USA manager probably wasn’t thrilled with the Americans losing the SheBelieves Cup, but there were significantly more positives than negatives

The United States women’s national team did not win the 2025 SheBelieves Cup, but this was the first time that failure to lift the trophy didn’t make for a disappointing tournament. While Emma Hayes probably wasn’t thrilled with her team’s performance in a 2-1 defeat to Japan, there were significantly more positives to take away from the competition than negatives.

Central midfield was the area of the pitch where Hayes likely learned the most about her players, and came away with the most optimism for the future. That’s where 17-year-old Lily Yohannes and 19-year-old Claire Hutton both turned in excellent performances. And just as important as their individual level, they looked as if they could form a perfect partnership in the future.

[Yui] Hasegawa in the middle of the park is probably the best pivot in the world at both the domestic and international level, and our pivot is 17 years of age and has played in three caps. So we have to be patient too, in our expectations.

A terrific performance capped a trophy-worthy display from Japan in the tournament, handing the US their first loss in a year

The US women’s national team missed out on the SheBelieves Cup title for the first time since 2019 after a 2-1 loss to Japan in the final game of the round-robin tournament. Japan, who claimed the title for the first time, struck early with a second-minute goal by Yuka Momiki, then regained the advantage through Toko Koga in the 50th minute.

The win is the first time the SheBelieves Cup has been won by a nation outside the US or Europe, and just the third time in the tournament’s 10 editions that it has been won by any team other than the United States. It also marks Emma Hayes’ first loss in charge of the national team since taking over in May 2024, and the team’s first loss of any type in almost exactly a year.

The allure of the Club World Cup, which will be held in the US this year, is convincing Mexican teams to push for a wider audience

In just his second month in Liga MX, James Rodríguez will match the number of games he played with Rayo Vallecano, the La Liga club he signed for last summer after being named the best player at the 2024 Copa América.

Maybe he just needed to be back in the Americas.

• Inter Miami star was booked for dissent
• Messi provided two assists in the match

Lionel Messi has been fined an undisclosed amount by Major League Soccer after grabbing the neck of a New York City assistant coach at the end of Saturday’s game between the sides.

The World Cup winner was caught on camera in a confrontation with NYC FC assistant coach Mehdi Ballouchy after the final whistle. Messi twice put his hands on the back of Ballouchy’s neck during the arguments. MLS said in a statement that their disciplinary committee had ruled that the Argentinian had violated the league’s “Hands to the face/head/neck of an opponent policy.”

Sam Merson, son of the former footballer Paul Merson, scored an 'outrageous' goal for Hanworth Villa against Farnham Town. Merson's goal opened the scoring in the game which ultimately ended 1-1

Jeering fans from Internacional de Limeira provoked Neymar to score the first olimpico of his career, the Brazil international said on Sunday, after guiding Santos to a 3-0 win in the Paulista Championship. The former Barcelona and PSG player returned to his boyhood club at the end of January and helped Santos to another victory with a hand in all three goals. Neymar assisted the first and the third from corners, both scored by Tiquinho with his head, and he scored the second straight from a corner.

• Neymar responds to jeering fans by scoring for Santos directly from corner

A jury found the Chelsea footballer not guilty of racially aggravated harassment after she called a police officer 'stupid and white'. Police bodyworn camera footage, released during the trial, showed PC Stephen Lovell dismissing her claims and calling her 'little missy' as she and her partner Kristie Mewis were giving their version of events to him. Kerr explained that she had felt they were 'taken hostage' by a taxi driver as he locked the doors and drove them to a police station after she vomited out the vehicle window.

• Sam Kerr found not guilty of racially aggravated harassment of police officer

• Sam Kerr trial: how a drunken night out revealed questions of race, power and privilege

A Watford Women's player was sent off after she, about to take a corner, removed the flag due to a puddle and was told by the referee to return it. Annie Rossiter did so before taking it out again and receiving a red card following an exchange with the official. Watford ultimately lost 3-2 to Lewes in their National League Southern Division game. 'I feel like the game was probably spoiled by some officiating decisions,' said Watford head coach Renée Hector

Great strides have been made in the past few years, but Marty Sheargold’s Triple M radio rant shows the battle for equality is far from over

“It was just a joke.”

How many times have those words been uttered over the years after self-proclaimed “good blokes” slip up and make comments that appear to reveal their real views. By now, many thousands of words have been written about Triple M presenter Marty Sheargold and his “joke that missed the mark” about the Matildas. However, it is the attitudes that this “joke” represent that are most interesting to examine.

Of course this problem isn’t new, but the recent levels of vitriol towards refs in Europe could drive more of them out of football

It was so refreshing to hear one of the world’s best players defend referees last week. Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde reminded us that officials are people too – just like us. If you prick Darren Cann, does he not bleed?

“I’m not one to judge the referee,” Valverde said in the press conference before Madrid’s victory over Manchester City. “We are all human and we can make mistakes. Referees are also criticised a lot and when they do things well, they are not flattered either.”

There is more work to be done to help South Asian footballers feel included, and the game is missing out

Sai Sachdev is one of 22 players from a South Asian background to have played professional men’s football in the 2022‑23 season among an overall playing list of about 4,000. His story is remarkable because he was recruited by Sheffield United from grassroots football at 15, having been let go by Leicester when he was younger.

Sachdev has made two appearances for the club this season, although unfortunately he is now out with a broken leg sustained in September. But the 19-year-old right-back has shown enough promise to represent England at age-group level and earn rave reviews from United’s manager, Chris Wilder.

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Not since Danny Ocean assembled a crack outfit of specialist rogues to rob three Vegas casinos in one evening has an 11-strong gang attempted a heist more audacious than that successfully pulled off by the footballers of Liverpool at Parc des Princes on Wednesday night. Not just beaten, but soundly hammered in every available metric apart from the only one that matters, Arne Slot’s hapless side were outrun, outfought, outpassed and quite obviously outclassed by a Paris Saint-Germain side that didn’t so much huff and puff in their attempts to blow their visitors’ house down, as harness the power of 10,000 hurricanes only to meet a lanky wall of heroically stubborn, luminous yellow resistance in the form of Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson. In recording nine saves, at least three of them absolute worldies, the Brazilian denied Ousmane Dembélé, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (twice) and Désiré Doué, among others, before deciding to Get It Launched and set up the only goal of a wild game in which Harvey Elliott scored with Liverpool’s solitary shot on target.

Can I be the first of what I hope is at least 1,057 to show some appreciation for Ally McCoist on Wednesday night’s PSG v Liverpool commentary? In an age where it’s trendy to be cynical and critical, the man’s unbridled joy and infectious enthusiasm at what he was getting the privilege to witness, reminding us all of the reasons we fell in love with the game as children, is definite cause for celebration. It should be mandated that he’s on co-comms for all major games on all channels henceforth” – Gordon MacLeod (and no others).

Will Coldplay’s half-time show plans at the 2026 World Cup final (yesterday’s Quote of the Day) be funded by the Premier League’s ‘parachutes’ payments? Or is Gianni Infantino aiming to save money by giving Bristol Rovers’ veteran striker Chris Martin an unexpected late career boost?” – Alan Giles.

Given how long they sometimes take, Coldplay might be better off providing entertainment during VAR checks. ‘I was lost, I was lost, crossed lines I shouldn’t have crossed’ would really help sell the disappointment of a tight offside call. And if it goes on long enough the ‘how loooong must you wait for it?’ chorus is ready to go” – Guy Stephenson.

Fifa overlord Gianni Infantino taking a key part in the STOP FOOTBALL campaign … who knew?” — JJ Zucal.

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Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Mark Langdon and Lars Sivertsen as Liverpool pull off a miraculous win against PSG

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On the podcast today: Alisson is in sensational form as Liverpool succeed in the ultimate smash-and-grab win at PSG in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.

Our cartoonist on the wild scenes, unlikely heroes and football royalty that breathed life into the old competition

• You can buy a copy of a cartoon in our Print Shop
• David’s new book, Chaos in the Box: buy it now

Faye Carruthers is joined by Suzy Wrack and Sophie Downey to break down major developments in the WSL and Championship, managerial departures, and a weekend packed with goals.

On the podcast today: The future of the WSL and Championship is in the spotlight as proposals emerge to expand the leagues and temporarily suspend relegation. What would this mean for the women’s game, and is it the right move for long-term growth?

Elsewhere, Liverpool and Crystal Palace make managerial changes, Chelsea drops points against Brighton, and Arsenal produce a stunning comeback to stay in the Champions League race. Plus, we reflect on England’s crucial victory over Spain in the Nations League and preview the upcoming international break.

What Ruben Amorim should do now, Danny Welbeck and an unlikely England call, and why Michael Oliver was right

“Pick the kids!” is a frequent cry when a team are playing poorly, and generally speaking it’s an incorrect one: the last thing a young player needs is to be hurled into a mess of the sort Manchester United are in. But sometimes it works – Mikel Arteta, for example, struggling at Arsenal, eventually promoted Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe because he had no other choice, and hasn’t looked back since. Now Ruben Amorim must make a similar call. A lack of alternatives forced him to persevere with Rasmus Højlund, but over the past week Chido Obi-Martin has earned a chance, contributing at Everton before asserting properly against Fulham, on both occasions more dangerous than Højlund, in less time. And, given United’s league season is over – and, given also, their lack of pace in defence – it might be worth seeing what Ayden Heaven can do, seeking to inject momentum and good feeling into a two-month stretch that threatens to be enervating in the extreme. Daniel Harris

Match report: Manchester United 1-1 Fulham (aet, 3-4 pens)

Match report: Newcastle 1-2 Brighton

Match report: Crystal Palace 3-1 Millwall

Match report: Manchester City 3-1 Plymouth Argyle

Match report: Preston 3-0 Burnley

Match report: Bournemouth 1-1 Wolves (aet, B’mouth win 5-4 on pens)

Match report: Aston Villa 2-0 Cardiff City

Our cartoonist gazes into his crystal ball and sees an unlikely winner at a glitzy Fifa ceremony later this year

This week’s newsletter wonders if we can still find the balance between access to players as well as providing them with the protection that ensures their safety?

When did we stop seeing those in the limelight – be it athletes, musicians, film stars or anyone else – as human? At what point did it become acceptable for some to feel that they have ownership over aspects of their lives or that they have the right to hurl abuse behind the protection of a screen? And how, in women’s football in particular and women’s sport more generally, can we find the balance between access and providing players with the protection that ensures their safety?

These have been just some of the questions I have been mulling over in the last few weeks, sparked by a litany of events within the women’s game and beyond. Most recently, the stalking incident that Emma Raducanu had to endure at the Dubai Tennis Championships was an eye-opener into some of the things that are going on overtly and in the shadows.

Potential merger of Bedford Town and Real Bedford, led by an ambitious owner, causes rancour among fans who fear for the future

In the shadow of one of the UK’s largest abattoirs, a heady concoction of anger and apprehension hangs uneasily as a warning is delivered to those who fear their football club’s fate echoing that of the animals over the road.

“I fully appreciate there is a lot of passion running around the room tonight,” announces the evening’s master of ceremonies. “If there is any personal abuse, anything that is not tolerated, you will be warned, and we do have Tony and the team here to remove you if necessary.” Standing by the entrance door, two burly men in black overalls and security armbands give a nod. “Please remember to keep yourself dignified,” reiterates the host.

Three years after Russia’s invasion, UPL teams dream of a seat at Uefa’s top table to avoid an uncertain financial future

Last Friday, Kolos Kovalivka opened the second half of this Ukrainian Premier League season with a home match against a struggling Chornomorets Odesa. The match was kicked off by Dmytro Orel, a soldier who has fought for his country on the frontlines in the war-ravaged east. Orel took in the appreciation of a sparse crowd and saw Kolos score within two minutes. The cheers ended there: a fightback from the visitors brought a 2-1 win and dragged Kolos towards the relegation fight.

The previous day, an infinitely worse piece of news had broken. It was reported that Mykyta Kalin, a former Kolos youth-team player, had been killed during a combat mission in the Kharkiv region. Three years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, life must continue where possible and football is back on its feet. But its proximity to unimaginable violence, grief and destruction has not really shifted: the effects continue to be felt severely.

Former Manchester United goalkeeper on Cantona, Keane, his double-agent dad and the hurt of Old Trafford misery

“There’s no doubt that I was born with a special talent,” Peter Schmeichel says as he avoids wasting time with false modesty. After a remarkable career in which he won the Champions League, five Premier League titles and three FA Cups with Manchester United, as well as the European Championship with Denmark in 1992, Schmeichel speaks with the conviction that characterised his performances in goal.

Yet during our revealing and surprisingly moving hour together, Schmeichel also explores the complex layers of his family history and tangled character as one of the world’s great keepers and now, at 61, a much more reflective man.

Spaniard on the ‘pain and anger’ of his sacking at West Ham and rejecting an immediate return to management

“And then suddenly they sacked me.” Julen Lopetegui is running through the reasons to be cheerful – safety secure, 17 shots at the Etihad and the physical stats, an identity emerging, a winter window and a kinder calendar coming – when he uses one of only two English lines in as many hours, delivered as if the final page of a story. The other, not entirely incidentally, is “no comment”, and a smile accompanies both. Five weeks from his sacking at West Ham, the anger and hurt has subsided, on the surface at least. The period of mourning, as he puts it, is over.

“My father died and, although you can’t compare them, personal and professional mourning came together,” Lopetegui says. Offers arrived, but it was too soon. Instead he headed to Mexico, where he is building a hotel with his brother Joxean, a former pelota player, and as he arrives at another hotel, this time in Madrid, it is clear getting away from it all was good for him. Heading in, he bumps into Rafa Benítez and conversation begins, back to football again. “Slowly, you start to feel that enthusiasm,” Lopetegui says. “You step back, see things clearly, get closer to reality.”

Rodri has beaten Vinícius Júnior and Erling Haaland to top our ranking of the most talented players in the world this calendar year

• How all the judges voted | Rodri heads 2024 list | Our methodology | The top 100 female players in the world
• 2023 edition | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012

The Manchester City midfielder becomes the sixth player to top our ranking of the world’s best 100 male footballers

• The 100 best male footballers in the world 2024

One of the worst things about seeing Rodri in agony on the pitch against Arsenal in September – and the subsequent news that he had ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament – was that in the buildup to the injury he had criticised the workload being put on players. It was as if he knew something bad was about to happen.

In April, after an epic 3-3 draw at Real Madrid the Manchester City and Spain midfielder said: “I do need a rest.” He added: “Let’s see how we speak, how we live the situation. Sometimes it is what it is. I need to adjust. It [rest] is something we are planning, yes.”

Aitana Bonmatí finishes top of our rankings for a second consecutive year, with Caroline Graham Hansen second and Sophia Smith third

• Bonmatí on top of world again | How every judge voted | Video top ten | 2023 list | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018
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The Spanish midfielder wins for a second consecutive year on a fast-moving list that sees 15 players appearing for the first time

• The top 100: check out the full list for 2024

Aitana Bonmatí emulates her Barcelona and Spain teammate Alexia Putellas and takes back-to-back wins in the Guardian’s 100 best female footballers in the world list.

The double Ballon d’Or winner received votes from all 99 of this year’s judges, finishing 667 points clear of her club teammate Caroline Graham Hansen, the Norwegian climbing to her highest ranking after a superb individual year for both club and country.

From Franco Mastantuono to Estêvão, we select some of the most talented players born in 2007. Check the progress of our classes of 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 … and look at the editions from further back

We pick the best youngsters at each club born between 1 September 2007 and 31 August 2008, an age band known as first-year scholars. Check the progress of our classes of 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 … and look at the editions from further back

From Warren Zaïre-Emery to Endrick, we select some of the best players born in 2006. Check the progress of our classes of 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018

• Next Generation 2023: 20 of the best Premier League talents