As the crunch time of the English domestic season draws nearer, we look forward to the semi finals of the FA Cup. Four teams will battle it out in the hope that their team can clasp the famous FA Cup Trophy. Neutrals can be excited as well with the very high possibility of a Manchester Derby in a Wembley Cup Final!
Starting with the first of the Manchester clubs, Manchester City will face Sheffield United at Wembley in late April. After the 7-0 demolition of RB Leipzig last week and the 6-0 battering of Championship leaders Burnley on Saturday night, they are a force to be reckoned with at the moment, as they usually are. 8 of the 13 goals scored by The Citizens last week came from Norwegian superstar, Erling Haaland, and stopping him at the moment may be Sheffield United’s biggest challenge.
Sheffield United are not to be underestimated
With that said Sheffield United will not be a walkover. They currently sit second in the Championship with Middlesborough breathing down their necks. A 3-2 win over Blackburn in the last round, courtesy of a Thomas Doyle 91st minute screamer, will see them marching down Wembley Way in a month’s time. However, will The Blades be too engulfed in the battle for promotion to overcome this ruthless City team and find themselves in their first FA Cup final since 1936?
So what about the neighbours? Manchester United will entertain Brighton in an all Premier League clash at Wembley. Only 3 weeks after their triumph over Newcastle in the League Cup final, Manchester United are in the hunt for another trophy after a thrilling 3-1 win at home to Fulham. Although, it wasn’t all plain sailing for The Red Devils, finding themselves 1-0 down after an Aleksandar Mitrovic goal just after half-time. That was, until The Cottagers were reduced to nine men when Willian was dismissed for a handball and Mitrovic for dissent, the game was turned on its head. A Bruno Fernandes brace and a stylish Marcel Sabitzer finish ensured they would be progressing. With the Red Devils in the quarter finals of the Europa League after a comfortable win on aggregate over Real Betis last week, they will be tough to beat. However, will the amount of games be too much for them to carry on this strong run of form?
Erik Ten Haag’s side will have to be at the top of their game when they face an inform Brighton team in the capital next month. Roberto De Zerbi’s men are flying at the moment having lost one in 13 games while they eye up a Champions League Spot. They thumped League 2 opposition Grimsby Town 5-0 on Sunday afternoon at the Amex, showing no signs of letting up their incredible run of form. With Brighton aiming for only their second ever FA Cup final, they will be very difficult to beat.
So will we see a Manchester Derby at Wembley?
The two sides have only met once at Wembley in the FA Cup coming in 2011 when City knocked United out in the semi final on the way to their ninth finale of this trophy. This would be the City’s seventh FA cup trophy if they were to clinch it, but they have to get there first. It is looking increasingly likely they may face each other again at Wembley as the teams thin out, but as they will know, the teams that Pep Guardiola’s and Erik Ten Haag’s sides play, are not going to give up without a fight. A Manchester City win looks probable, however, United will have a much bigger task on their hands if they are to overcome fellow Premier League opposition. It’s safe to say a Manchester Derby at Wembley would be a thrilling encounter and could make for a classic FA Cup final if it were to happen.
As the transfer window closes and the league action is halted for a week as a result of cup football, let’s take a look at how some of the top teams spent their money in January.
Starting with the league leaders, Arsenal have been pretty quiet in terms of cementing their position at the top. With a 3-2 win at home to Manchester United last month, they put a big statement out to the rest of the league about their intentions. Although there has been no big money signings in January they have still been one of the busier Premier League clubs with the exciting signing of Leandro Trossard from Brighton for £27 million and Jakub Kiwio from Spezia for £20 million. Not to mention, the deadline day signing of midfielder Jorginho from struggling rivals Chelsea for £12 million. Their main target, Moises Caicedo was not to be in the end due to Brighton’s reluctance to sell the inform midfielder. So it was only three quality signings for the league leaders in January, two of which have previously proved their talent in the Premier League. These signings give Arsenal more strength in depth, however, have they made a mistake by not spending big or will these players be enough for them to get that overdue 4th Premier League title that is well within their grasp.
So what about the reigning champions? Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side have been far from their best this season with numerous disappointing results, so surely they would have been busy in January? As a matter of fact, the Citizens’ activity in the window was very limited with their only signing being Argentine Maximo Perrone. The 20 year old midfielder has scored 3 goals in 33 appearances at Argentinian club Velez Sarsfield and has joined City for a fee of £8 million. The biggest news involving City in January this year was perhaps the departure of Portuguese international Joao Cancelo to German force Bayern Munich. The full back left on loan with the option to buy at the end of the season for £61 million. Cancelo has been a valuable asset to City over the last 4 years with 154 appearances in all competitions. He will certainly be a miss at Manchester City leaving you to wonder whether that is another blow for the Manchester side in the race for the title.
It’s safe to say everyone has been shocked by the inclusion of Newcastle United in this season’s title race. Eddie Howe continues to do a magnificent job up in the North East with the Magpies sat in 3rd position and due to play in their first major final since 1999 (Carabao Cup). It’s no secret that Newcastle have a bit of money at the moment as a result of the takeover of the club 14 months ago, but learning to spend it wisely is a different matter. However, that is exactly what Howe has done thus far and this January he has made two new additions to the squad, both of which seem to be exciting youngsters. The first signing is fiery young talent Anthony Gordon for £45 million. The winger has scored 3 goals for Everton this season and has also featured for the England side at youth level. Many Everton fans were happy to see him go, however, the way Howe has improved players such as Joelinton and Sean Longstaff, he seems a hopeful prospect who could be a key part of the project at Newcastle. Another youngster Newcastle have signed is Harrison Ashby from West Ham for £3 million. The full back didn’t feature much at the Hammers but fans are eager to see how he will prosper under Howe. Although people expected Newcastle to go big this January, they seem to have taken a much more measured approach and focused on strengthening rather than necessarily improving.
Currently level on points with Newcastle and also in preparation for a cup final against them, Manchester United have been particularly quiet in terms of money spent. With that said, they have made three loan signings with Jack Butland from Crystal Palace, Wout Weghorst from Burnley and the most notable of the trio Marcel Sabitzer from Bayern Munich. After the injury of Christian Eriksen last week, Ten Haag needed to act fast to bring in a replacement and he did just that with a deal on deadline day for the Bayern Munich midfielder. The Austrian has made 15 appearances for Munich in the league this season scoring 1 goal and assisting another. Could he help the Red Devils push on to challenge Arsenal? Failing that, will he help them to secure a Champions League spot for next season?
Trailing behind the top 4 are North Londoners Tottenham Hotspur. They have been similar in their methods to Manchester United with two loan signings but very exciting ones at that. The first of which is Pedro Porro. The right back has 13 assists and scored 9 goals in 67 league appearances for Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon since joining from Girona in 2019. He has been described as one of Europe’s most exciting talents. He will certainly be an asset to Conte’s right hand side, an area where Spurs have previously struggled. The second of the signings is former Bournemouth winger Arnaut Dajuma on loan from Villareal. With 12 goals in 33 appearances in LaLiga since joining Villareal in 2021, he could be a key player in Tottenham’s push for a Champions League place after a poor run of form.
Dropping down the table, a struggling Liverpool team sit in 9th place. Jurgen Klopp’s men are 10 points outside the top 4 and trail leaders Arsenal by an astonishing 21 points. This is a stark contrast to events over the past 5 years where Liverpool have been winning trophies including Premier League and Champions League honours. A surprising turn in form since the start of the season sees the former European Champions with all the work to do to make up positions, what with their recent departure out of the FA cup. The only signing made by Klopp in January was Dutch World Cup Star Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven for £45 million. The winger has been a valuable asset for his country scoring 3 goals in the 2022 World Cup alongside his excellent form in the Dutch league scoring 9 goals and bagging 12 assists in 14 matches. At only 23 years of age, it is no wonder that Klopp saw Gakpo’s talent as a potential solution to their poor season so far. With that said, will one signing be enough to turn the season around for the Reds or are they targeting a summer rebuild?
Level on points with Liverpool, in 10th place sit Chelsea. Now it’s certainly no secret that Chelsea have struggled to pick up results this season and many fans blame this on the arrival of new manager Graham Potter from Brighton. That being said, many of the players have a lot to answer for as they simply have not been good enough. Less than two years ago they were European Champions but the Blues seem a million miles off that now. On the one hand, they seem to have realised their poor form and have made an incredible 8 new signings in January spending an absurd £323 million. The most notable signings included Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for a British record fee of £106.8 million and Arsenal target Mykhailo Mudryk for £88.5 million. The ridiculous amount of money spent by Chelsea has led many opposition fans and pundits to question the fairness around the lack of spending restrictions in the Premier League with many clubs simply unable to keep up. In terms of how this will improve the Chelsea team, it is now up to Potter to decide how these players will assist him to turn an extremely disappointing season around.
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The turn around at Arsenal this season has been, to put it simply, astonishing. The Gunners are believing again, as they sit 8 points clear at the top of the Premier League after victory away at North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
If you were to tell Arsenal fans a few years ago that they would comfortably be league leaders in 2023, many would have laughed in your face. As a matter of fact, some fans cried for Arteta to be replaced at this stage last season. But here we are into the New Year and they are still flying high. With only one defeat in the league this season, Mikel Arteta’s men are taking the league by storm as we approach the halfway mark.
However, with the two Manchester clubs and Newcastle in hot pursuit, football fans across the globe are asking the question, will Arsenal hang on?
As mentioned earlier, some Arsenal fans will agree that over the past 10 years, they have been the laughing stock of the so called ‘big six’, what with their constant runs of poor form and consistently having to settle for Europa League football, much different to the Arsenal we saw back in the late 90s and early 2000s winning the premier league 3 times in 6 years. Not to mention the incredible feat of going a full Premier League season unbeaten, the only team to have done so in the Premier League era. They became known as ‘The Invincibles’.
This invincible season has seemed so far away in the last decade with the relatively frequent managerial changes after Arsene Wenger left and the lack of league success, having not appeared in the Champions League since the 2016/17 season. This is a stark contrast from the years prior where Arsenal last missed qualification for Europe’s most prestigious competition in the 1995/96 Premier League Season, an impressive stat beginning and ending within Wenger’s reign. Since then it has been doom and gloom for the North London club with many fans projecting their disappointment.
The Avenall Hospitality at The Emirates
However, this season they seem to be turning their fortunes around. The Gunners are believing again and they owe much of that to former player turned manager, Mikel Arteta. Arsenal are Arteta’s first experience of being head coach, however, he has learnt from the best when he was Pep Guardiola’s right hand man from 2016-2019 at Manchester City. With only one defeat this season and unbeaten in their last 13 they sit 8 points clear at the top of the table, looking very unlikely to slip up.
Nevertheless, they are yet to play Guardiola’s City side this season and I’m sure they’ll not be planning on giving up without a fight. With a team of their quality, you can never write them off. One thing is for sure, it will be a thrilling title race that could go right down to the wire.
Don’t forget Arsenal are not out of the FA Cup either. A comfortable 3-0 win away at Oxford United in the 3rd round has resulted in a tough fourth round draw away at Manchester City. It will certainly not be an easy tie, in fact probably the hardest they could have asked for, however, Arsenal’s impressive FA Cup form over the years, may make them the favourites for this one. They have been FA Cup winners 4 times in the last 10 years with the most recent title in 2020. If they were to travel to the North West and win, they will certainly fancy their chances of adding another FA Cup trophy to their long list.
In fact the only cup that Arsenal are no longer competing for is the League Cup after being knocked out by a strong Brighton side. Despite this, they are still going strong in the Europa League and are set to play in the round of 16 in March. After topping their group, Arsenal will certainly be keen to avenge their defeat from neighbours Chelsea back in the 2019 final by winning the competition this year. They will definitely need to improve on their dismal display from Baku four years ago when they were thumped 4-1 by the West London side if they are to stand any chance of progressing through the knockout stages. With that said, the way Arsenal are playing in the league, it is hard to not see them as favourites.
Although a lot of credit has been given to Arteta for the tactics he has instilled in his side, there is a lot of credit due for his deals in the transfer market. Many of the signings made by Arteta, such as Ben White, were questioned when they weren’t performing immediately. However, players such as White, Odegaard and Gabriel have all proved key players and have been vital to their success this season. Not to mention, the incredible young talent on show at the moment, with Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli crafted into some of the most talked about names in world football. But who will Arsenal sign next?
There have been a lot of questions raised about whether or not Arsenal have enough squad depth to challenge for the title. After being snubbed by Chelsea for 89 million pound Shakhtar Donetsk winger, Mykhaylo Mudryk, they must regroup and rethink who they target this January. Another option for Arteta may be former Leeds star Raphinha. The winger has made 22 appearances for Spanish giants Barcelona scoring 5 and assisting 3 times in all competitions. He was previously on Arsenal’s radar in July 2022 before his move from Leeds but their bid was rejected. Despite this, there are no new faces at the Emirates in 2023 just yet.
So with three trophies up for grabs, will Arsenal win all three of them? Or will they focus on winning their first league title in almost 20 years? Injuries may be the downfall of Arsenal this season with a lack of squad depth perhaps being their only weakness, unless they plan to be busy in January. As good as they have been, there is still a long way to go. It’s safe to say it is going to be an exciting end to the season whether you’re an Arsenal fan or not.
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With the World Cup in Qatar ending in the most dramatic of fashions, resulting in Messi and Argentina symbolically lifting the trophy, the attention of English, top flight football fans is drawn back to their clubs.
The first concern for some Premier League clubs will be the League Cup Round of 16 and with that some more knockout football. However, which teams are going to be edging closer to a League Cup final at Wembley on Sunday 26 February. Which sides will be crashing out this week?
Over the last 10 years the League Cup has been dominated by the famous ‘Top 6’ with Swansea City being the only team outside of the established group to win it in 2013. Since then, Manchester City have won it an incredible 6 times while Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United have lifted the trophy once each, with Liverpool being the current holders of the competition.
However, with Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs all leaving the cup in the Third Round as well as one of either Manchester City or Liverpool due to bow out as a result of their fixture, could there be a new name on the EFL Cup? And if so, who?
It will be interesting to see, following the break, which sides have continued their form from November or who has declined.
Here are five teams who have a chance of lifting the trophy at the end of February.
The Seagulls are high flying in the Premier League this season and they have carried this form into the League Cup as well. Currently 7th in the league and above Chelsea, Roberto De Zerbi has so far seemed a fitting replacement for former Brighton manager Graham Potter.
After defeating league leaders Arsenal on their home turf in the last round, De Zerbi’s men must fancy themselves to go all the way especially considering they travel to The Valley to play struggling league one side, Charlton Athletic, in the round of 16. With that said, The Addicks will be up for it and Brighton must not be complacent although they are the better side on paper.
Newcastle United
St James’ Park is bouncing again since the takeover of the club and it’s not just the money that has people talking. ‘Eddie Howe’s Black and White Army’ as the natives call it, are playing eye-catching football once again and it’s paying off with their astonishing league form.
The Magpies are sat in 3rd place having only lost one game all season as opposed to last season where they found themselves in the relegation zone at this point. They may have only just scraped past Crystal Palace in the third round on penalties but it is no doubt that the Geordie faithful are believing again and have a keen eye on the League Cup as Eddie Howe’s first piece of domestic silverware.
Manchester United
There always seems to be some sort of controversy clouding over Old Trafford what with the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo and the possibility of a much awaited takeover. However, as club football returns, the attention of the Red Devils turns to the events on the pitch as they are back in action on Wednesday night.
As one of the biggest clubs in Europe, they will be gunning for yet another League Cup to add to their collection. Currently sat in 5th, the Reds play host to Burnley and will be hoping for another victory against the Championship side. Nevertheless, Burnley should not be underestimated. They sit 6 points clear at the top of the Championship in very good form and could even be underdog contenders for the cup itself.
Leicester City
After a poor start to the season, and positioned rock bottom for much of it, Leicester seem to have found their form again. An unusually poor season for Leicester still only sees them in 13th, however, 4 wins in the last 6 league games may have saved manager Brendan Rodgers’ job. As Leicester hit form, they have to be considered as challengers for the League Cup. Winners of the FA Cup in 2021 and famously winning the Premier League in the 2015/16 season, they know how to cause an upset and will be looking to make another addition to the trophy cabinet. Similarly to Brighton, they travel to another struggling League
One side in the round of 16, Milton Keynes Dons. The Foxes will be looking for a comfortable win in order to advance to the quarter finals. Now for the big one, the game that stands out in this round of fixtures.
Manchester City vs Liverpool
So will Liverpool defend their crown? Defending the League Cup is always a tough ask and it’s not going to be made any easier for Jurgen Klopp’s men when they travel to Premier League Champions, Manchester City, on Thursday evening.
Liverpool’s league form this season has been uncharacteristic to say the least, compared to what we’re used to seeing from the Reds. After 14 games they find themselves in 6th place, 10 points behind opponents Manchester City.
With that said, the two sides have met once already this season at Anfield with Liverpool coming out on top. Unfortunately for Liverpool, the Citizens will be out for revenge and hoping to prove themselves after defeat against Brentford in the last league fixture before the break.
It is anyone’s guess how Thursday’s fixture will end; it won’t be easy for either side, however, Pep Guardiola’s team may just have the edge. There is little doubt that the winner of this game will be tipped as one of the favourites to win the competition, especially with the Blues’ incredible success in recent years.
So there you have it. An exciting round of fixtures beginning on Tuesday evening to get you in the ‘Festive Spirit’. All in all, it is anyone’s trophy for the taking this season and it is looking increasingly likely, as more teams are knocked out, that we could see a new name engraved on the cup.
In an intense and high-class encounter, England crashed out of the World Cup against France, 2-1 in the Quarter-Finals on Saturday, having beaten a dangerous Senegal side 3-0 in the previous round. Captain Harry Kane’s second penalty miss ultimately cost the plucky English side who went toe-to-toe with France and may have progressed if the luck was on their side in Qatar.
England topped Group B after securing comfortable victories against Wales and Iran, alongside a 0-0 draw against USA ensuring 7 points in the group stage. It is clear that this England team are head and shoulders above where they were when they were embarrassed by Iceland back at Euro 2016.
However, as we watch the scenes unfold in Qatar, you can’t help but think: how will England look in 2026?
Will Gareth still be in charge?
It is no secret that there has been a lot of speculation surrounding the England team in the buildup to the Qatar World Cup, particularly criticism directed at head coach, Gareth Southgate, following no wins in six games including a 4-0 home drubbing to Hungary. Many questions around the future of Southgate’s role as England manager were raised.
Fans had differing opinions on when he should be sacked, some saying he should go before the trip to Qatar, some saying he should be sacked if he doesn’t win and some even claiming he should be sent on his way no matter the result in the Middle East.
Regardless of who is in charge, another question raised by England fans is which players will be making the trip to North America in 2026?
Is this a new ‘Golden Generation’?
The excitement surrounding this England team in the last 4 years has been refreshing to say the least, what with the lack of hope and a run of disappointing results in major tournaments before 2018. Not to mention the solidarity that the success of the team deemed the ‘Golden Generation’ has brought the nation.
To see Wembley in full voice singing to Neil Diamond’s ‘Sweet Caroline’ after a 2-0 victory against the Germans, was pretty special. The term ‘Golden Generation’ has been thrown about regularly in the last few years to describe this England team. However, it is difficult to say which players will still be regulars in 2026.
There is no doubt that the team will be very different with the likes of Jordan Henderson, Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier all aged 32, expected to retire from international football within the next four years.
Instead we look ahead to the players that will be in their prime and those making North America their debut tournament. I’ve picked out five players who I think will be vital for England’s success across the pond.
Phil Foden
The 22 year old Mancunian has been a key player in Manchester City’s dominance in the Premier League over the last few seasons. With 8 goals and 3 assists in all competitions this season for the Manchester club, he has been excellent and made himself very hard for Pep Guardiola to drop.
Many criticised Southgate for Foden’s absence against the USA in Qatar, however, he proved himself with a goal in the victory against Wales and two assists against Senegal on Sunday evening.
Bukayo Saka
The Arsenal man’s performance against Iran in the first group game sent out a message of intent to the rest of the world after the agony of the Euro final where he missed the deciding penalty, not to mention the subsequent abuse he received.
The way the 21 year old has conducted himself after this disappointment is something to be applauded alongside his performances. With three goals already in this year’s tournament, Saka will be pivotal if England are to be successful in North America.
Jude Bellingham
This young man has all of world football talking. At just 19 years of age he has 9 goals and 3 assists in all competitions for German giants Borussia Dortmund this season and is at the top of many European Clubs’ wish list.
Bellingham also scored England’s first goal of the tournament and assisted the opening goal against Senegal; he will most certainly be one of the first name’s on the team sheet in 2026.
Declan Rice
Declan Rice is someone who sometimes does not get enough credit in this England team. His work rate is second to none, he is sharp when you need him to burst forward or back and has the ability to make strong defensive tackles.
He can be described as the backbone in this England midfield and will be a very important player come 2026 giving the likelihood that Jordan Henderson is unlikely to be around.
Ben White
Another Arsenal man who has been an asset in their excellent league form this season. With 4 clean sheets and only conceding 10 goals in 14 appearances, White has been a rock in the Arsenal back line so far this season.
Although he hasn’t had a chance to prove himself fully under Southgate just yet due to his enforced absence, his time will come in 2026 with much of the England defensive contingent ageing.
That’s five of the current England team that are out in Qatar at the moment. However, what about the players who will be coming through? Here are three players who may break into the England team in the next 4 years.
Fikayo Tomori
The former Chelsea man, currently at AC Milan was unlucky to miss out on mselection for Qatar having played previously under Southgate in the Nations League. He has proved a key player in the AC Milan side this season with 5 clean sheets and 18 goals conceded in 20 appearances (all competitions) for the Serie A team.
As mentioned, with the England defensive contingent ageing, he could certainly prove a fitting replacement for the likes of Maguire and Stones alongside Ben White in 2026.
Liam Delap
Currently on loan at Stoke City from Manchester City, the son of Rory Delap, Liam is yet to make an impact in the Championship having only scored one goal. However, at only 19 years old he has already proved himself as a striker at youth level breaking the Premier League 2 scoring record with 24 goals in 20 games in the 2020/21 season.
Delap has also made a mark in front of Pep Guardiola scoring in a 2-1 win over Bournemouth on his first team debut in the Carabao Cup back in 2020. Delap will certainly be on the England team radar in 2026, having already scored once for the under 20 team this season.
Charlie Patino
Also 19 years of age, Patino is currently on loan at Blackpool from Arsenal. He has 2 goals and 2 assists in all competitions for The Tangerines so far this season in 15 league appearances. He has also made an impact in the Arsenal first team coming off the bench to score on his debut in a 5-1 win over Sunderland last season in the Carabao Cup. Similarly to Delap, Patino has also scored for England’s under 20 team this season so it is likely he will be a regular in the first team in the years to come.
England v Germany at Wembley
So it is no doubt that the future of the England team is bright as the current crop of players continue to set a high standard to be exceeded by the younger players coming through. It still remains to be seen how much further England will progress in Qatar, whether Southgate will still be in charge in North America or even whether any of the players mentioned will still stand in good stead to be picked in 2026.
But one thing that is clear is the fact that there is a huge showcase of talent coming through academies across England and we should all be excited.
