Arsenal enjoyed a 4-0 rout of Wigan as five Premier League teams avoided upsets to reach the fifth round of the FA Cup on Sunday.
Third-tier struggler Wigan was overwhelmed against the Premier League leader in front of a 60,000 crowd at Emirates Stadium, with all the goals coming in the first half.
Forwards Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus were on the scoresheet along with Jack Hunt’s own-goal as he tried to cut out a cross from Bukayo Saka.
Big-money summer signing Eberechi Eze set up two goals for Arsenal, which won the last of its record 14 FA Cups in 2020. Wigan won the FA Cup for the first and only time in 2013, beating Manchester City 1-0 in the final, but was relegated from the Premier League in the same season.
Premier League teams Fulham, Leeds, Sunderland and Wolverhampton joined the Gunners in the last 16.
Fulham rallied to win 2-1 at second-tier Stoke, with Harrison Reed slotting in a late winner after intercepting Stoke goalkeeper Tommy Simkin’s misjudged pass. Brazilian winger Kevin equalized for Fulham early in the second half after South Korean midfielder Bae Jun-ho’s early goal for Stoke.
Midfielder Habib Diarra’s penalty earned Sunderland a 1-0 win at second-tier struggler Oxford, and midfielder Santiago Bueno’s goal gave Wolves a 1-0 victory at fourth-tier Grimsby at a soggy and rain-soaked Blundell Park.
Leeds needed penalty kicks to win at second-tier Birmingham after a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes and extra time.
German forward Lukas Nmecha put Leeds ahead early in the second half after being set up by Noah Okafor, but Patrick Roberts equalized in the 89th minute with a powerful shot. (JapanToday)
Arsenal saw a two-goal lead slip away in a dramatic 2‑2 draw at Molineux Stadium after dominating much of the match.
Bukayo Saka opened the scoring early — ending a personal 15‑game goal drought — and Piero Hincapié doubled Arsenal’s lead, but Wolves fought back through a superb Hugo Bueno strike and a late own goal resulting from a mix‑up in the Arsenal defence to level the score.
The result means Arsenal drop crucial points in the title race and hand Manchester City a possible lifeline for the Premier League lead.
The night also brought a worry for Arsenal fans, as Saka had to be substituted due to a hip injury after his early goal — adding to fitness concerns during this pivotal part of the season.
The end of the game saw heated moments, including post‑match tensions between players from both sides.
Wolves, bottom of the league, will be buoyed by the fightback and the draw against the league leaders.
PUNCH Online reports that the Gunners will play Tottenham on Sunday, February 22, 2026 in a North London derby.
As obtained in a post-match report on the Arsenal website, four players have scored their first-ever Premier League goal against us this season, three of whom have done so for Wolves: Tolu Arokodare in December, and both Hugo Bueno and Tom Edozie tonight (also Brian Brobbey for Sunderland in November).
Edozie was the seventh player to score on his Premier League debut against the side starting the day top of the table, and first since Antony for Manchester United against Arsenal in September 2022.
This was the first time in Premier League history that a side starting the day bottom of the table avoided defeat to the side starting the day top despite trailing by 2+ goals.
Wolves avoided defeat in a Premier League home game in which they trailed by 2+ goals for the first time since beating Manchester City 3-2 in December 2019, ending a 31-game losing run on home soil from two down.
Bukayo Saka scored his first goal in all competitions since December against Brentford – ending a run of 15 appearances for Arsenal without scoring, his longest goal drought for the club. (Punch)
England winger Bukayo Saka has signed a new five-year contract with Arsenal until 2031.
Sources have told BBC Sport that the agreement will make Saka the club’s best-paid player on wages in excess of £300,000 a week.
Talks over a new deal have been ongoing for nearly a year, with Saka verbally agreeing to commit his future to the club in January.
Saka signed his previous deal, which was due to expire in 2027, in 2023 but his renewal means the 24-year-old has committed his peak years to the Gunners.
The news comes as a major boost for the Gunners, as they battle on four fronts to win silverware for the first time since 2020.
The agreement is the latest example of Arsenal tying down their key players to long-term contracts as they look to keep their title-chasing squad together.
William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly all signed new long-term contracts in the summer.
Saka has scored seven goals in 33 appearances for the Gunners this term.
He made his first-team debut as a 17-year-old in 2018 after coming through Arsenal’s academy and has gone on to make 217 Premier League appearances, scoring 57 goals.
Saka is 116 Premier League appearances behind Ray Parlour’s record 333 for the Gunners and will have been a professional at the club for 13 years when his new deal expires in 2031.
Saka has scored 14 goals in 48 appearances for England and is expected to be part of Thomas Tuchel’s squad for the World Cup which begins in June.
Arsenal are four points clear at the top of the Premier League and they will face Manchester City in the EFL Cup final in March.
The Gunners are also through to the the knockout stages of the Champions League, as well as the fifth round of the FA Cup. (BBC)
Pedro Neto scored a hat-trick, including directly from a corner kick, as Chelsea beat Hull City 4-0 in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Friday.
Also, Wrexham reached the fifth round for the first time in 29 years after beating Ipswich 1-0 in an all-Championship matchup.
Hull and Chelsea had met eight times before in the FA Cup and Chelsea progressed every time. Host Hull never looked like halting that arresting run as the Premier League side took control from the off.
Pedro Neto’s drilled shot from just outside the box gave Chelsea the lead going into halftime, and his low corner squeaked through a throng of bodies straight into the goal six minutes into the second period.
Young Brazilian Estêvão made it 3-0 minutes later when he side-footed home from 12 meters out, and Pedro Neto finished a nicely worked fourth.
“Pedro Neto is an incredible player,” Liam Delap, who recorded three assists, told TNT Sports. “He is playing in a position he is not even used to but he showed his quality.
Wrexham will discover in Monday’s draw who it meets next for a place in the quarterfinals.
A first-half goal from Josh Windass separated Wrexham from Ipswich, which didn’t get a shot on target.
Both teams are in contention for promotion to the Premier League; Ipswich was in third place and hoping for an immediate return to the league it left last summer. Wrexham was seven points behind in sixth and bidding for a fourth consecutive promotion that would take it into the top tier for the first time in its 158-year history.
“We started both halves well but we weren’t able to get the goal,” Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna told BBC Wales. “Second half we tried everything … but we just couldn’t get back into the game. (JapanToday)
Tottenham did fierce rival Arsenal a huge favor in the Premier League title race on Sunday.
Dominik Solanke scored a second-half double — including one from an outrageous scorpion kick — as Spurs came from two goals down to salvage a 2-2 draw with second-place Manchester City, leaving Arsenal with a six-point lead with 14 games left.
It was almost the perfect day for the leaders, with Aston Villa — the other title contender — losing 1-0 at home to 10-man Brentford.
Villa stayed seven points adrift of Arsenal and was in danger of being reeled in by fourth-place Manchester United, which scored a stoppage-time winner through Benjamin Sesko to beat Fulham 3-2 for a third straight league win under new manager Michael Carrick.
Having already overseen victories over City and Arsenal in his short tenure, Carrick appears to have the magic touch at revitalized United.
The same cannot be said of Pep Guardiola at the moment.
This was a huge wasted opportunity for Guardiola’s City, which was up against a heavily depleted Tottenham team and was cruising 2-0 ahead at halftime thanks to goals by Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo. At times, it was almost too easy for City in front of an apathetic home crowd at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
City then collapsed as a revitalized Tottenham fought back. Solanke bundled in Spurs’ first goal — appearing to kick the back of Marc Guehi’s leg, resulting in the ball dribbling over the line — and then grabbed the equalizer with a deft, flying back-flick that looped over City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and into the corner.
“The first half was difficult — we couldn’t get near them at times,” Solanke said. “The second half was a different story. In the second half, we were great and grew with confidence and belief.”
In the last five games, City has looked vulnerable in losing twice — to United and tiny Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League — and now spluttering against an injury-hit Tottenham.
“It is a setback but we are still there,” Guardiola said. “There are 14 games to go and a lot of points. We will see.”
Arsenal, a 4-0 winner at Leeds on Saturday, might not have a better chance to end its league title drought stretching back to 2004.
Villa played for more than half the match with an extra man after Brentford winger Kevin Schade’s straight red card for kicking out at Matty Cash in the 42nd minute after they had challenged for the ball.
In the first minute of first-half stoppage time, Dango Ouattara escaped down the right and scored at the second attempt for what proved to be only goal as Brentford weathered a second-half onslaught.
United squandered a two-goal lead earned by goals from Casemiro and Matheus Cunha, with Raul Jimenez — via a penalty — and Kevin scoring to bring Fulham briefly level at Old Trafford.
There was still time for Bruno Fernandes to send over a cross that was controlled by Sesko before he swiveled to curl home a finish in front of the Stretford End.
“It’s the best feeling, I have to say,” Carrick said about the kind of late winners United scored so often under his old manager, Alex Ferguson. “People leave here with more than just, ‘United won today.’ It’s layers on top of that, the emotion and the feeling, and it’s why we all love it so much.”
The match took place after a protest by around 500-600 United fans unhappy at the ownership of the 20-time champions, but the team is finally in a decent league position — fourth place — in its bid to return to the Champions League.
United is five points behind Villa with 14 rounds remaining.
Also Sunday, Crystal Palace — without star striker Jean-Philippe Mateta ahead of his possible move to AC Milan — drew 1-1 at 10-man Nottingham Forest, which had Neco Williams sent off in the 45th minute for a handball on the line. (JapanToday)
Arsenal settled fears of a collapse in their pursuit of a first Premier League title in 22 years by thrashing Leeds 4-0 on Saturday as Chelsea came from two goals down to beat West Ham 3-2.
Liverpool were also forced to come from behind to secure their first league win of the year as Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz shone in a 4-1 win over Newcastle.
The Gunners’ advantage over Manchester City and Aston Villa at the top of the table stretches to seven points as Mikel Arteta’s men took another step towards the title at Elland Road.
A first home defeat of the season last weekend to Manchester United capped a run of just two points from a possible nine in Arsenal’s previous three league games.
After finishing runners-up for the past three seasons, questions were raised over the mentality of Arteta’s men and their ability to get over the line in a title race.
The visitors were dealt another blow before kick-off as Bukayo Saka was injured in the warm-up.
But his replacement Noni Madueke played a major part in inflicting just a second defeat in 12 games on Leeds.
“A very impressive performance, a very impressive result, especially in the context that we’ve done it,” said Arteta.
Madueke’s cross was headed in by Martin Zubimendi to open the scoring.
Leeds goalkeeper Karl Darlow could then only parry another dangerous delivery from the England winger into his own goal before half-time.
Despite a fine run of form, Leeds remain only six points above the relegation zone.
Their first defeat at home since November was confirmed when the much-criticised Viktor Gyokeres latched onto Gabriel Martinelli’s cross to blast in his 11th goal since joining Arsenal from Sporting Lisbon.
Gabriel Jesus came off the bench to round off the scoring with a blistering strike four minutes from time.
Arsenal will be hoping local rivals Tottenham can do them a favour when City visit north London, while Villa host Brentford on Sunday.
Chelsea’s fine start under Liam Rosenior continued but they climbed into the top four the hard way after being outplayed by relegation-threatened West Ham for 45 minutes at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues were booed off at half-time by their own fans after goals from Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville gave the visitors a deserved lead.
A third consecutive league win would have taken Nuno Espirito Santo’s side to within two points of safety.
But they wilted under the weight of Chelsea pressure after Rosenior’s triple half-time substitution inspired a transformed second-half performance.
“The reaction in the second half tells me that we’ve got something really, really special here if I can utilise the squad in the correct way,” said Rosenior.
Two of those introduced at the break, Joao Pedro and Marc Cucurella, brought Chelsea level before Enzo Fernandez fired in the winner in stoppage time.
Liverpool climbed into fifth thanks to two of their big money summer signings beginning to return on that investment.
Newcastle deservedly led at Anfield when Anthony Gordon fired the Magpies in front.
But two goals in two minutes from Ekitike, the first of which was brilliantly set up by Wirtz, transformed the mood around Anfield and eased the rising pressure on Arne Slot.
The Reds rolled over a jaded Newcastle after the break as Mohamed Salah teed up Wirtz for his sixth goal in 10 games.
Ibrahima Konate then broke into tears after scoring Liverpool’s fourth in his first match since the death of his father.
Everton snatched a 1-1 draw at Brighton thanks to Beto’s 97th-minute equaliser in a result that does little for either side’s aspirations of European football next season.
Bournemouth ended any remaining worries of being dragged into a relegation fight as goals from Eli Kroupi and Alex Scott earned a 2-0 win at bottom-of-the-table Wolves. (JapanToday)
Manchester United’s latest reboot is off to a flying start.
In Michael Carrick’s first game as coach, United pulled off a stunning 2-0 win against Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday and lifted the gloom hanging over Old Trafford.
“It’s a great start,” Carrick said.
Goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu sealed victory in the 198th Manchester derby.
“It was a very special day but I’m not getting carried away,” said Carrick, four days after his appointment. “It needs to be a regular feeling, that level of performance needs to be consistently what we’re getting.”
The former United midfielder is contracted only to the end of the season and has 17 games to convince the club hierarchy to give him the job permanently after Ruben Amorim became the sixth permanent manager to be dismissed since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
He could not have made a better first impression as United dominated all-conquering City. Manager Pep Guardiola acknowledged it.
“The better team won,” Guardiola said. “When a team is better you have to accept it. They had an energy we didn’t have. Congratulations.”
League leader Arsenal could not take full advantage of defeat for second-place City, drawing 0-0 at Nottingham Forest.
United was fifth in the standings, one point behind defending champion Liverpool, which extended its winless run to four games after drawing with relegation-fighting Burnley 1-1 at Anfield.
Chelsea was sixth after beating Brentford 2-0.
Watching over Carrick’s first game with a beaming smile was Ferguson. Winning had United fans singing in full voice inside Old Trafford and drowning out City’s.
“The supporters were incredible. This could be a magical place,” Carrick said. “To get that feeling is exactly what we want. Hopefully it’s just the start.”
The result could have been more emphatic as United twice hit the goal frame and had three goals ruled out for offside.
United claimed city bragging rights, boosted its chances of Champions League qualification, and dealt another blow to City’s title challenge. City’s recent winless run was extended to four games. Arsenal’s draw left City seven points behind the leader.
Mbeumo fired low into the far corner at the end of a swift United break to open the scoring in the 65th minute. It was the least Carrick’s team deserved in a performance full of attacking intent.
Dorgu doubled the lead in the 76th, converting from close range after beating Rico Lewis to substitute Matheus Cunha’s cross.
Harry Maguire and Amad Diallo saw chances fly off the woodwork and further celebrations were cut short in the 89th when VAR ruled Mason Mount’s goal offside. It mattered little by that stage. (JapanToday)
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said on Wednesday that he was “sad” to see rival boss Ruben Amorim sacked by Manchester United as he reflected on the brutal nature of their trade.
Amorim was dismissed by the Premier League giants on Monday after just 14 months in charge.
The Portuguese coach’s exit followed growing tensions with senior Old Trafford officials, including director of football Jason Wilcox, over recent days.
United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe had previously suggested that Amorim would be given at least three years in charge, comparing his position with that of Arteta.
The Spaniard, appointed in 2019. endured a rocky start to his time in charge of Arsenal, but they now head into Thursday’s match at home to reigning champions Liverpool six points clear at the top of the Premier League table as they chase a first English title in over 20 years.
United, by contrast, are sixth — a huge 17 points adrift of the Gunners.
Amorim won just 25 of his 63 games at United in all competitions during the shortest reign for a permanent manager since David Moyes was sacked just eight months into his tenure in 2014.
“I can only talk about what I have experienced, and it’s always sad to see a colleague losing his job, obviously,” Arteta told reporters in a pre-match press conference.
“We know where we are, and I think you need support from the ownership, from your staff, from players.
“At the end of the day, you need to win a lot of football matches if you want to stay in the job, and that’s the reality and the nature of our job.” (Punch)
New Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior has been convicted of speeding after fog delayed his flight back to the UK, where he was due to complete a speed awareness course.
Rosenior admitted being behind the wheel of the vehicle, which had been travelling at 36mph in a 30mph zone in Rykneld Road, Littleover, Derbyshire, at 11.41am on 7 July.
He was offered the chance to avoid a criminal prosecution by completing a speed awareness course, but did not turn up to the session, which had been arranged.
Rosenior explained, in a note to Derby Magistrates’ Court he “had to stay another night and be on a plane the next day during the time of the course”.
He added: “Unfortunately, the course could not be fulfilled due to unforeseen circumstances. Understandably, due to circumstances, I have to accept the situation as is.”
Rosenior was convicted at a single justice procedure hearing on 2 January, with a magistrate ordering him to pay out a total of £1,052 in fines, costs, and court fees.
The former Strasbourg boss was appointed as head coach on Tuesday following Enzo Maresca’s exit.
London-born Rosenior, 41, has admitted his new position at the Premier Leagueclub represents a significant step up from his previous job in France.
“The reality is Strasbourg is not on the level as Chelsea,” he said at press conference at the French club – also owned by Chelsea’s parent company BlueCo.
“There are certain clubs you just cannot just turn down. I hope the [Strasbourg] fans can see that.”
Rosenior, who played in England for 16 years, began his managerial career at Derby County – where he got the top job on an interim basis.
His first permanent position was at Hull City, where he lasted for 18 months and took the Championship to the brink of the play-offs before being sacked by the owner who said the pair had a difference in footballing philosophy.
Rosenior, who has been given a six-and-a-half year contract at Chelsea, said on Tuesday that managing a “world-class” club was “something I have always dreamed of”.
“I am looking forward to the challenge,” he said. “If I didn’t think I was ready, I wouldn’t have accepted it.
Chelsea said that the club’s new head coach had “signed a contract with the club that will take him through to 2032”.
Rosenior becomes Chelsea’s fourth permanent boss since owners BlueCo took control in 2022.
Maresca was dismissed on New Year’s Day, leaving abruptly following a deterioration in his relationship with bosses.
It also followed a disappointing run of results – one win from the last seven Premier League games – that left the club 15 points adrift of leaders Arsenal.
Maresca is understood to have stepped down because he felt his position was untenable, while Chelsea were already considering sacking the head coach due to poor results, his comments in the media, disagreements with the medical team and reports linking him with other clubs. (SkyNews)
Manchester United have sacked boss Ruben Amorim, the club has confirmed.
The announcement was made on Monday morning less than 24 hours after Amorim held a stunning news conference following the 1-1 draw with Leeds United in which he urged United bosses to “do your jobs.”
Under-18s coach Darrren Fletcher is set to take charge of United’s trip to Burnley on Wednesday.
Sources have told ESPN that the club are still mapping out a succession plan, but are leaning towards naming an interim boss until the end of the season before making a permanent appointment in the summer.
Amorim was informed in person at Carrington on Monday by director of football Jason Wilcox and CEO Omar Berrada.
Club sources have denied that the decision was prompted by a breakdown in Amorim’s relationship with Wilcox, but rather because the hierarchy “have not seen enough signs of evolution of progress.”
But sources said Amorim was sacked in the aftermath of an explosive meeting with Wilcox on Friday.
Amorim, according to sources, did not take kindly to the conversation moving on to the subject of his preferred 3-4-3 system and the potential evolution of the team’s style of play.
Following the meeting, Amorim took part in a tense news conference with reporters before quickly leaving the club’s Carrington training ground.
He pulled out of a scheduled broadcast interview citing “personal reasons” and defender Lisandro Martínez had to take his place.
Sources have told ESPN that Wilcox intended the meeting to focus on feedback following the 1-1 draw with Wolves three days earlier.
Amorim’s volatile response to the advice was seen by club bosses as “too emotional” and signalled that his relationship with Wilcox had broken down.
It was followed by a fraught news conference after the 1-1 draw with Leeds on Monday during which the Portuguese coach demanded to be “manager, not the coach” and called on Wilcox to “do his job.”
United sources are insisting that the decision to dismiss Amorim was not made purely because of tensions behind the scenes and was taken because the club “had not seen enough signs of evolution or progress” on the pitch.
However, it’s hard to escape the sense that the timing of the move has much to do with Amorim’s news conference at Elland Road and particularly the barbs aimed at the club and Wilcox.
Speaking at a news conference on Friday ahead of the trip to Leeds, the Portuguese coach revealed his frustration at a lack of movement in the January transfer window.
And after the game on Sunday, he went one step further by telling club bosses he wants to be “manager, not the coach” while also pointedly aiming a dig at Wilcox to “do his job.”
Club sources have told ESPN that, as far as they were concerned, Amorim was “fully aligned” with their transfer plan.
They insist the decision has been made to “give a capable and committed squad the best chance of being successful.”
Amorim has overseen a turbulent 14 months at United after succeeding Erik ten Hag as boss in November 2024.
He won 24 of his 63 matches in charge and oversaw just 15 victories in the Premier League.
He leaves United sixth in the Premier League table after eight wins from 20 games this season.
Current under-18s boss Darren Fletcher is set to take over ahead of the trip to Burnley on Wednesday. (ESPN)
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