Football/Soccer 24-Hour Briefing
×Premier League Crisis
Tottenham's crisis skysports.com intensified with a 3-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace, their fifth straight loss in all competitions. The result leaves the club fighting for Premier League survival. Palace hand skysports.com Spurs that fifth consecutive defeat, a result that saw defender Cristian Romero sent off.
Manager Igor Tudor faces growing pressure after the collapse. Jamie O’Hara calls skysports.com for Tudor to be sacked, claiming the evidence shows Spurs are going down. The defensive disarray was on full display, compounding a nightmare season.
FA Cup Focus
The FA Cup fifth round begins with Wolves host Liverpool bbc.com at Molineux. Liverpool defender Andy Robertson admitted Liverpool weren't good enough bbc.com in their recent league loss to Wolves and must improve. Wolves manager Rob Edwards sees the cup as a bright spark bbc.com in a difficult season.
Mansfield Town's remarkable run continues as they prepare to face Leeds United. Manager Nigel Clough called their potential tie against his former club a 'once-in-a-lifetime' Arsenal tie skysports.com that epitomises the competition's magic, referencing a previous giant-killing.
Transfer Intrigue
Jesse Lingard joins bbc.com Corinthians on a free transfer, leaving Manchester United behind. The former England midfielder now embarks on a new chapter in Brazil. Meanwhile, Tottenham are targeting Dougie Freedman as their new sporting director bbc.com in a bid to overhaul their recruitment structure.
Arsenal face financial pressures that will force them to offload a first-team player this summer. Transfer rumors espn.com suggest one key player must be sold to balance the books. Carlos Vela is also making moves, stepping into LAFC ownership espn.com as a new minority investor.
International & Women's Football
England manager Sarina Wiegman names a squad featuring eight uncapped players for an intra-squad series in Pretoria. She stresses patience is key bbc.com against Iceland in a Women's World Cup qualifier. Wales head coach Rhian Wilkinson praises the impact of her World Cup bid 'finishers' bbc.com as they plot a path to 2027.
Scotland's Erin Cuthbert speaks of the great honour bbc.com of being vice-captain ahead of a qualifier against Luxembourg. Kris Lindsay, Northern Ireland's interim boss, is hoping for home comforts bbc.com against Turkey at Mourneview Park. Ireland's Denise O'Sullivan will miss the World Cup qualifier bbc.com against the Netherlands.
Club Management & Issues
West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo is demanding clarity on set-piece fouls, warning current levels of grappling are "almost crazy." He reiterates, We don't know what is a foul' bbc.com, calling for a review. Chelsea's Liam Rosenior confirmed Robert Sanchez was disappointed bbc.com to be left out against Aston Villa.
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick took responsibility for a spate of injuries, having lost Frenkie de Jong, Jules Koundé, and Alejandro Balde. Barcelona injury woes espn.com are now his "responsibility."
Continental & Global News
PSG star Vitinha calls it "foolish" to consider leaving amid Madrid link espn.com speculation. Ousmane Dembélé returned to the PSG squad for their match against Monaco. Morocco coach Walid Regragui quit the team espn.com just months before the World Cup.
The Saudi Pro League is playing on amid conflict espn.com, proceeding with matches despite regional security concerns. In the US, Inter Miami's Javier Mascherano hailed Lionel Messi as "one of a kind" as he nears 900 career goals espn.com.