Football

The Premier League leader Liverpool was knocked out of the FA Cup by second-tier struggler Plymouth after losing 1-0 in a stunning fourth-round upset on Sunday. This ended any hopes of a quadruple of major trophies for Liverpool, which leads the Premier League by six points with a game in hand, finished top of the revamped first stage of the Champions League and has reached the English League Cup final. Ryan Hardie’s 53rd-minute penalty proved to be the winner for Plymouth, a club from the southwest of England which is in last place in the second-tier Championship and recently fired Wayne Rooney as its manager.

Turkish club Adana Demirspor left the pitch 30 minutes into their Super Lig match against Galatasaray on Sunday, trailing 1-0 after conceding a penalty. Club president Murat Sancak stated, as reported by news outlet T24, that the decision was a protest against Turkey’s referees committee and football federation. He claimed smaller clubs were treated unfairly and their concerns remained unaddressed, though no specific details were provided. Adana Demirspor, who sit at the bottom of the table, were behind due to a 12th-minute penalty converted by Galatasaray’s Spanish forward, Álvaro Morata. Following the walk-off, Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk admitted in an interview that the penalty decision may have been incorrect.

Manchester United suffered a 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace, bringing them back to square one despite recent wins. Gary Neville believes the team has declined under Ruben Amorim and warns, "It can't keep going on like this." The loss was Amorim's fifth home defeat in seven league games, making him the fastest United manager to reach that unwanted record in Premier League history. Neville fears things will only get worse as the season progresses, especially with the club committed to sticking with Amorim. "I expected improvement with Amorim's arrival, but it's actually gotten worse," Neville said on his podcast. "If the losses continue, it'll be harder for him to convince players to believe in his approach."

Former England international, Gary Lineker has revealed his conversation with Mohamed Salah about his future with Liverpool. Salah has been hinted to quit from Liverpool to join the Saudi Pro League. The Egyptian international is yet to sign a new contract with the Reds. Salah current deal with Arne Slot’s side has been slated to expire at the end of the season. Speaking on podcast about Salah on the Rest of Football, Lineker said he had recently met the winger. 

The Confederation of African Football, CAF, has this afternoon unveiled the full match schedule for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. According to the report, nine venues will be used across six cities for the continent’s flagship soccer event.

Arsenal’s failed bid for Ollie Watkins puts Mikel Arteta at risk of entering the crucial phase of the 2024/25 season without attacking reinforcements. With Gabriel Jesus injured and Bukayo Saka sidelined with a hamstring issue, Arsenal urgently need a new striker. Watkins was open to joining in the final days of the January transfer window, but Aston Villa are unwilling to sell.