Alex Connor

It came as no surprise that Chelsea waltzed past the challenge of a side sitting 62 league places below them and into the FA Cup semi-finals, yet their 7-0 victory over Port Vale brought welcome positive sensations back to Stamford Bridge.Too many recent Premier League defeats, a crushing Champions League exit and the niggling acrimony caused by the recent comments of Enzo Fernández and other senior players have sapped the enthusiasm in this corner of west London in recent weeks.Manager Liam Ros...

There was half an hour of this torturous afternoon still remaining for Arne Slot when the “oles” started and not too long after that the Manchester City supporters had trained their sights on Liverpool’s beleaguered manager.Chants of “You’re getting sacked in the morning” reverberated around the Etihad Stadium as the locals revelled in taunting Slot as City cruised into an eighth successive FA Cup semi-final and, in doing so, subjected Liverpool to their 15th defeat of the season. It was the hea...

Newcastle United’s European adventure ended in humiliation at the hands of Barcelona and there is no guarantee they will be back in the Champions League any time soon.This was a catastrophic defensive display; an embarrassment. Newcastle’s blunders gifted Barcelona five of their seven goals. Kieran Trippier’s foul on Raphinha, with less than 30 seconds to play until half-time, turned the tide after Anthony Elanga’s double had twice pegged Barcelona back.Lamine Yamal converted the penalty and New...

Pep Guardiola’s eyes bulged and his jaw tensed. He was furious, teetering on the brink as he squared up to the fourth official, barely able to contain his rage. He had just been shown a yellow card for dissent but the anger still fizzed inside him. He stood there and glared, fists clenched, chewing gum manically.For a few seconds it looked like Guardiola would explode and do something really stupid. His designer jacket had already been thrown to the floor as he held his head in his hands and scr...

Liverpool spent more than £450m last summer to rebuild their team, but this was an evening for the elder statesmen and home-grown talent of the club. Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah, with their Premier League titles and Champions League winners’ medals, booked a place in the FA Cup quarter-finals. Curtis Jones, from the club’s academy, also scored.All three have attracted interest from other clubs, and their position as regular starters was not guaranteed after the signings made before the camp...

Anthony Gordon smashed records like Usain Bolt as Newcastle United demolished Qarabag in the Champions League.There has been some debate on Tyneside about Gordon’s value as a centre-forward given he has always been a winger, but as with most things Eddie Howe has done as Newcastle manager, the shift in role looks like a masterstroke.Gordon has had to grow into the role, but he now looks comfortable in the position and Newcastle are much better with and without the ball.









What a s...