Author: Guardian sport

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Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action

Manchester United’s wing-backs are struggling, Foden is back to his best and Bournemouth are top-four contenders

Ruben Amorim is repeatedly learning that his team are worryingly susceptible out wide. Brighton’s first two goals came from players being given space on the flanks in the huge gaps between wing-backs and centre-backs. Kaoru Mitoma gifted Yankuba Minteh a tap in and the favour was repaid in the second half. Leny Yoro had terrible troubles against Southampton and there were similar struggles once again as Brighton tested him on the outside. Noussair Mazraoui had a forgettable afternoon, looking poor in possession, which helped Brighton for the opener and he failed to intervene before Mitoma steered the second home at the back post. Mazraoui was moved to the left and soon the third goal arrived as Yasin Ayari was given the freedom to cross the ball. The wing-back positions need specialists and those available to Amorim are unable to provide the defensive robustness and attacking support required, although he will be sticking with 3-4-3 whether they like it or not. Amorim needs to find a solution. Will Unwin

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Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend

Newcastle chase a perfect 10, Chelsea seek a reliable No 9 and Southampton just want to get beyond six

If Arsenal’s books for the January window look closed, a meeting with Aston Villa casts forward thoughts to summer business. During Wednesday’s north London derby it was not difficult to wonder how much greater the margin of victory might have been with either Ollie Watkins or Jhon Durán leading the Gunners frontline. If Martin Zubimendi is an expected summer arrival, adding to an already packed midfield, where does a forward come in? Gabriel Jesus’s knee injury delays his possible sale while increasing the need for reinforcements. Villa have been busy, with Donyell Malen coming in from Dortmund and Jaden Philogene sold to Ipswich. Monchi, Villa’s president of football operations, has never been shy of selling players to bring in further talent. Watkins, who is 29, was on the mark at Everton for his first goal of 2025. Duran, 21, unused at Goodison after suspension, may be Arsenal’s next-best option to the imperious, and probably far too expensive, Alexander Isak. John Brewin

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FA Cup: 10 talking points from the weekend’s third-round action

Tamworth’s heroes deserve better, Pep Guardiola tries to fire up Jack Grealish and Liverpool’s teenagers impress

Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-3 tactics have little place in English football, it was said. Recent Manchester United performances of the resurrected Harry Maguire in tandem with Lisandro Martínez and Matthijs de Ligt suggest it can work if with sufficient energy in midfield to protect the trio. Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo offer that, and the wing play of Alejandro Garnacho in setting up Bruno Fernandes’s goal, plus Amad Diallo’s raiding runs at the Emirates Stadium, suggest the framework of a team. Penalty hero Altay Bayindir revealed he is a capable goalkeeper, a possible cult hero. There are complications. The club’s finances, chickens of the Glazer ownership now coming home to roost, may trigger selling “pure profit” youth products like Garnacho and Mainoo to fund recruitment. There are significant miles to travel, but the previous weekend’s draw at Anfield, and this 10-man heist at Arsenal are signs of a motivated team playing for their manager, closely following instructions. About time, too. John Brewin

Match report: Arsenal 1-1 Manchester United (3-5 on pens)

Match report: Brentford 0-1 Plymouth

Match report: Bristol City 1-2 Wolves

Match report: Tamworth 0-3 Tottenham

Match report: Leeds 1-0 Harrogate

Match report: Manchester City 8-0 Salford City

Match report: Liverpool 4-0 Accrington

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FA Cup third round: 10 things to look out for this weekend

Accrington face the ultimate test, long throws await Spurs and there’s a potential blockbuster in north London

“We’re aware we were once mentioned in a milk advert,” reads the bio on Accrington Stanley’s X page. “We hear ‘Who are they?’ and ‘Exactly’ a lot.” Don’t be misled by the weary tone regarding their mention in the famous 1989 Milk Marketing Board advertisement, for which the club received £10,000. The connection has always been embraced and never more so than in the buildup to their third round visit to Liverpool, the Premier League leaders. As the Accrington captain Seamus Conneely said: “We’ve made it to third and fourth rounds before, we’ve had League Cup runs and played in some great stadiums, but we’ve finally got that big one. Liverpool is going to top it all.” Accrington have sold their entire 4,700-ticket allocation and the tie is of huge significance to the striker Josh Woods, a boyhood Liverpool fan whose reaction to the draw went viral and prompted a reply from Ibrahima Konaté. Liam Coyle is another Red who started out in Liverpool’s academy, while the management team of John Doolan and Ged Brannan are also from Liverpool. This is an FA Cup moment to cherish. Andy Hunter

Liverpool v Accrington Stanley, Saturday 12.15pm (all times GMT)

Brentford v Plymouth Argyle, Saturday 3pm

Bristol City v Wolverhampton Wanderers, Saturday 12pm

Chelsea v Morecambe, Saturday 3pm

Leeds v Harrogate Town, Saturday 5.45pm

Manchester City v Salford City, Saturday 5.45pm

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Rob Edwards leaves Luton with club 20th after four straight defeats

  • Edwards earned ‘legendary status’, says chief executive
  • Hatters currently in danger of relegation to League One

Rob Edwards has left his job as Luton’s manager by mutual consent with the club in danger of relegation to League One after four straight defeats.

Edwards led Luton to the Premier League in 2023 but they came down after one season and are only two points above the bottom three in their battle to avoid a second straight relegation.

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Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action

Guardiola warns Grealish over Savinho, Southampton hit new low and is Arsenal’s negativity holding them back?

So much about Trent Alexander-Arnold’s display on Sunday was puzzling. Real Madrid’s now-public courtship may have had something to do with it, but at times it felt he was being hung out to dry. Poorly as he played, he was deliberately exposed by his own team, left to deal with whatever threats Manchester United could conjure down their left flank while the only players likely to drop back and help him out, Mohamed Salah and Ryan Gravenberch, rarely did so. When it became obvious that he was having an off day, nothing was done to cover for it and nurse him back into the game. When his own poor clearance was returned in the buildup to United’s opening goal it found him briefly with four opponents to deal with by himself, demonstrating that Liverpool’s problems down the right were not just an individual but a systemic issue. He is (usually) an astonishingly good player, but miracles will sometimes be beyond him. Simon Burnton

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Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend

Antonee Robinson is running rampant while Eberechi Eze and Erling Haaland hope to build on goals from last time out

The contrast is significant. Newcastle arrive on the back of four league wins and four clean sheets. Tottenham have one victory in their last seven league games, four goals conceded against Chelsea before being hit for six by a rampaging Liverpool side. Spurs have had little trouble going forward but there remains a concern with the returns from their captain, Son Heung-min. The South Korean has had a quiet season by his excellent standards, seven goals in all competitions thus far, an eighth denied by a miss from the penalty spot against Wolves. Hamstring troubles hampered him earlier in the season and, amid Spurs’ wider difficulties, there is the subplot of a change in status within their attack. Dejan Kulusevski has become the central figure; Brennan Johnson, out on the right, is Spurs’ leading goalscorer across all competitions; Dominic Solanke is steadily finding his way. With Son approaching a decade in north London, the future is taking shape. Taha Hashim

Tottenham v Newcastle, Saturday 12.30pm (all times GMT)

Aston Villa v Leicester, Saturday 3pm

Bournemouth v Everton, Saturday 3pm

Crystal Palace v Chelsea, Saturday 3pm

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Manchester United, Ryder Cup and Lions tour: 12 sport storylines for 2025

Everton’s new stadium, Women’s Rugby World Cup and potentially close Ashes series – new year has much to offer

Next season one narrative will surely dominate F1 when Lewis Hamilton dons his new scarlet race suit and climbs into a Ferrari for the first competitive session at the opening race in Australia. His move from Mercedes after 12 seasons and six titles was a huge shock and this new start could not be more gripping. How will he fare in a new team at the age of 40, a new culture at Maranello, a team that has a history of making and breaking drivers? Better still the prospect of him ending Ferrari’s drivers’ title drought that now stretches back to 2007 and in so doing claiming a record-breaking eighth world championship across three different teams. Or will it be a testing and turbulent opening year, far from his comfort zone? One way or another Hamilton and Ferrari will be impossible to ignore and it’s mouth-watering stuff. Giles Richards

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Stoke appoint Mark Robins as third manager of season on contract to 2028

  • Robins was sacked by Coventry in November
  • He takes over from Narcís Pelach with club 18th

Mark Robins has been appointed as Stoke’s manager on a three-and-a-half-year contract. The 55-year-old was sacked in November by Coventry and will watch Stoke’s game at Burnley on Wednesday from the stands before being in the dugout for the first time at home to Plymouth on Saturday.

Robins spent just over seven and a half years at Coventry and oversaw two promotions to reach the Championship. His team lost the 2022-23 Championship playoff final on penalties to Luton and were beaten in a shootout by Manchester United in last season’s FA Cup semi-finals.

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Matheus Cunha banned for two games and fined after Ipswich melee

  • Brazilian pushed Ipswich security guard in the face
  • Wolves forward to miss Forest and Bristol City games

The Wolves forward Matheus Cunha has been suspended for two games and fined £80,000 following a melee after the Premier League game against Ipswich this month.

The hugely influential Cunha will now miss games against Nottingham Forest in the league and the FA Cup tie against Bristol City.

The forward was charged with misconduct and it was alleged that he acted in an improper manner after the final whistle. He admitted the charge and the sanctions were subsequently imposed by an independent regulatory commission.

Full written reasons for this case will be published in due course.

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