Category: Sports News

FA Cup third and fourth round replays could be scrapped this season as clubs look to catch up on games postponed following the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth.

The replays were ditched in each of the last two seasons, and the PA news agency understands this is one solution under consideration to solve the fixture backlog.

Last weekend’s Premier League programme was called off as a mark of respect and two more high-profile fixtures, at Chelsea and Manchester United, have been cancelled this coming Sunday.

It leaves clubs facing a potential fixture pile-up later in the season, exacerbated by the pause in the campaign caused by the World Cup in Qatar.

Seven top-flight matches will take place over the weekend, with Brighton v Crystal Palace the other game off having already been postponed due to planned rail strikes.

“Following extensive consultation with clubs, police, local Safety Advisory Groups and other relevant authorities, there was no other option but to postpone the three fixtures,” a Premier League statement read.

“The Premier League would like to thank the UK Football Policing Unit and other police forces across the country, as well as our broadcast partners, for their support during this process, and will continue to liaise with them ahead of the weekend.

“For the matches being played during the period of national mourning, tributes will be paid to the Queen at Premier League stadiums.

“New dates for the postponed matches will be announced in due course.”

The kick-off times for two of Sunday’s games have also been altered, Brentford v Arsenal now starting at 12 noon rather than 2pm and Everton v West Ham starting at 2.15pm.

Thursday’s Europa League game between Arsenal and PSV has been postponed with police resources in London stretched in the build-up to the Queen’s funeral on Monday, September 19.

But Chelsea’s midweek Champions League game against Red Bull Salzburg will go ahead as planned, and the midweek EFL programme is unaffected.

In Scotland, Rangers’ Champions League tie with Napoli has been put back a day to Wednesday, September 14th, due to “severe limitations on police resources and organisational issues”.

However, professional domestic football in the country will resume this weekend, the Scottish Football Association said on Monday. The Football Association of Wales said all its competitions can resume from Tuesday.

All EFL matches scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday are set to go ahead.

Roberto De Zerbi has been appointed as Brighton’s new head coach.

The 43-year-old Italian was most recently in charge at Shakhtar Donetsk but left the club in July because of the ongoing war in Ukraine.

He has signed a four-year contract with the Seagulls, subject to a work permit, and was announced on Sunday evening as the successor to Graham Potter, who departed for Chelsea earlier this month.

De Zerbi earned rave reviews for his style of football during a three-year tenure at Sassuolo, leading them to two eighth-place finishes in Serie A, and he won last year’s Ukrainian Super Cup with Shakhtar.

Brighton owner Tony Bloom said: “I am absolutely thrilled. Roberto’s teams play an exciting and courageous brand of football, and I am confident his style and tactical approach will suit our existing squad superbly.”

De Zerbi met with Bloom, chief executive Paul Barber and technical director David Weir in London earlier this week and flew into Sussex on Friday night before watching a behind-closed-doors friendly at the Amex Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

As a mark of respect to the Queen, De Zerbi will not be formally introduced to the media until Tuesday afternoon.

Weir said: “Roberto has shown his undoubted ability with his work in Italy and Ukraine, and what he achieved at Sassuolo certainly stands out.

“In his short spell with Shakhtar he enjoyed further success, leading the club to cup success and topping the Ukrainian league before the war brought an abrupt halt to his time there.

“We are delighted to welcome Roberto and we look forward to introducing him to our squad as well as providing all the support he needs to introduce his coaching philosophy and help the players continue their brilliant start to the season.”

De Zerbi is set to bring his coaching staff with him after Brighton revealed contracts have been agreed although they will all require work permits, which the club hope will be granted ahead of their next fixture against Liverpool on October 1.

Barber, who is also deputy chairman, said: “We looked at a range of excellent candidates but Roberto was our number one choice from the start and the only person we spoke to.

“It’s no secret our chairman is constantly monitoring potential coaches, both here in our domestic leagues, throughout Europe and across the world as part of our succession planning work.

“We feel Roberto is the ideal cultural and technical fit for Brighton & Hove Albion, and the right person to continue the club’s progress and work with this outstanding group of players.”

Neal Maupay’s first goal since February saw Everton’s summer signing end the club’s winess start to the season with a 1-0 victory over fellow strugglers West Ham.

The Frenchman, who has scored in all three of his Premier League starts against the Hammers, struck with a well-taken goal which was a rare highlight in a match between two teams who have endured difficult starts.

His goal made light of the continued absence of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has not featured this season because of a knee injury on the eve of the campaign, after Lampard erred on the side of caution by giving him until after the international break to regain full fitness.

Initially that was at the expense of any attacking threat with Maupay relatively anonymous, Demarai Gray off his game and even Anthony Gordon, their one bright spark so far, struggling to make his mark.

In fact, only Idrissa Gana Gueye, on his first start since returning to the club from Paris St Germain in the summer, provided any real class with his reading of the game in a poor first half.

But when your defensive midfielder, a week away from his 33rd birthday, is the best player in a team which had scored only four league goals against opponents who had managed three, it highlights the issues Lampard has going forward.

West Ham, who started the match one place below their hosts in 18th, were hardly any better even after back-to-back Europa Conference League wins as they had the only two shots on target of six in the first half.

Jarrod Bowen’s early cross was somehow diverted around the near post by Conor Coady, captaining the side in the absence of the injured Jordan Pickford, as the former Wolves centre-back continues to add a sense of control and calmness to what was a chaotic defence last season.

Even a booking for hauling down Michail Antonio on halfway line failed to ruffle the England international as he completed the remaining hour with little concern.

Neither side looked capable of scoring until Maupay struck in the 53rd minute with a goal out of nowhere.

Alex Iwobi threaded a pass through the tightest of gaps between Declan Rice and Kurt Zouma and the ex-Brighton forward’s first touch teed up the ball for a low volley past Lukasz Fabianski.

Former Everton boss David Moyes immediately sent on on Maxwel Cornet and Said Benrahma and from there it was a test of the Toffees’ resilience, which had been a major weakness in their battle against relegation last season.

Tomas Soucek flashed a header across goal but Coady and fellow new arrival James Tarkowski are made for such situations, not only for their defensive capabilities but their leadership qualities.

However, even they needed help from a post to keep out Benrahma’s curling shot which left Pickford’s deputy Asmir Begovic rooted to the spot.

But the goalkeeper was more active in saving from Cornet late on, with the Hammers forward also squeezing a shot wide as the visitors pressed but failed to find the equaliser.

Arsenal climbed back to the top of the Premier League and avenged last year’s humbling at Brentford with a clinical 3-0 victory.

The Gunners were back at the scene of their dismal opening-day defeat last season which pre-empted their worst start to a campaign for 67 years.

But they are a different animal this term and proved it with an organised, inventive display and three well-taken goals from William Saliba, Gabriel Jesus and Fabio Vieira.

Such was Arsenal’s dominance that Mikel Arteta could even afford to give 15-year-old midfielder Ethan Nwaneri a late run-out as a substitute, making him the Premier League’s youngest player.

Brentford have put four past Manchester United and five past Leeds at the Gtech Community Stadium in recent weeks, but they could not lay a glove on Arsenal with England new boy Ivan Toney an isolated presence in attack.

Gabriel Martinelli had already passed up a good chance when the Gunners took the lead in the 18th minute, Saliba’s glancing header from Bukayo Saka’s corner bouncing off the inside of the far post.

Bees keeper David Raya tried to scoop it out but the ball was well over the line and referee David Coote’s watch buzzed to indicate a goal.

Ten minutes later Jesus doubled the lead with another header, this time from a neat chip into the box from Granit Xhaka.

Saka should have made it three moments later after a defensive mix-up but the England winger blazed his shot over.

The second half began in a similar vein and when Saka laid the ball off to Vieira 25 yards out, the Portugal midfielder – on his first Premier League start since his £34million switch from Porto – took aim and curled a superb finish in off the post.

Toney’s only real chance came with a free-kick, from around the range in which he fired home the second goal of his hat-trick against Leeds.

This time the 26-year-old flicked the ball up before taking aim and sent his shot narrowly over the crossbar.

Having set two goals up, Saka fancied one himself but he was denied from the edge of the box by a flying save from Raya.

Toney had tweeted “nice kickabout with the boys” in the aftermath of last season’s win, a message which infuriated Arteta.

The Arsenal fans were quick to remind the striker, ending the match with a rendition of “Ivan Toney, a stroll in the park” while celebrating heading into the international break on top of the league.