After 52 minutes, joy for Antoine Semenyo on his Manchester City debut. Rayan Cherki’s pirouette presaged him threading the ball in behind Exeter’s defence for the wideman to run in and beat Joe Whitworth to cap a memorable display. A little later Semenyo was replaced to an ovation and, from...
Macclesfield realise impossible dream in rise from ashes to a day of historic glory
Rob Smethurst’s resurrection of a troubled but proud club is timely reminder that football can still be the people’s game From extinction to the impossible dream of becoming the greatest FA Cup giantkillers of all, Macclesfield’s story reminds that community will forever be football’s greatest asset. As fans celebrated victory...
Chelsea thrash Charlton to get Liam Rosenior era off to winning start
It sums up the uneasy state of affairs at Chelsea that the new head coach winning his first match in charge was not enough to stop the mutiny. This was a controlled, clinical performance from Liam Rosenior’s second string, who strolled into the fourth round of the FA Cup after...
Premier League rights may end up at Netflix despite reluctant football romance
As Netflix and Paramount Skydance clash over WBD, football rights once considered peripheral could become central to the future of UK streaming Netflix has spent years politely rebuffing Premier League and Uefa entreaties to bid for their TV rights, so it would be ironic if it picked them up by...
Bukayo Saka agrees new five-year Arsenal contract with big wage increase
Deal understood to lift pay to about £300,000 a week Arsenal keen to reward Declan Rice with new deal Bukayo Saka has agreed a new five-year contract at Arsenal that will make him one of the highest-paid players in the club’s history. The England forward’s deal that he signed in...
Ronnie O’Sullivan pulls out of snooker’s Masters on medical grounds
Eight-time champion withdraws two days before event O’Sullivan also pulled out 12 months ago Ronnie O’Sullivan has pulled out of the Masters two days before the tournament starts on medical grounds. O’Sullivan claimed a record-extending eighth win at the tournament in 2024 but opted against defending his crown 12 months...
NFL playoff predictions: who will seize a wide-open Super Bowl race?
The postseason kicks off on Saturday. Our writers pick the dark horses, players to watch and make their tips for the NFL’s championship game Melissa is right about the Lions (see below), but how about the Dallas Cowboys? Their defense was nauseating, and nobody wants a playoff weekend spoiled watching...
Morocco sail into Afcon semi-finals as DÃaz sparks fine win over Cameroon
At last, Morocco have arrived at the tournament they are hosting. For four games they had played scratchy, crabbed football. Finally, in a spiky, ill-tempered quarter-final, there was something more like the Morocco that reached the semi-finals of the World Cup two years ago. If the game wasn’t fluent, that...
‘I’ll make the decisions’: Liam Rosenior confident he will be in control at Chelsea
Manager takes charge of first game on Saturday in FA Cup ‘It’s not possible to be in this job and not be your own man’ Liam Rosenior is confident he will make the decisions at Chelsea, insisting he would not have agreed to take over as head coach if he...
Ole Gunnar Solskjær set for face-to-face talks with Manchester United this weekend
Coach is vying with Michael Carrick to be interim manager Solskjær due at Carrington training base on Saturday Ole Gunnar Solskjær will have face-to-face talks with Manchester United on Saturday regarding becoming the interim manager until the end of the season. The Norwegian is vying with Michael Carrick for the...