English Clubs

Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino love playing against Arsenal. In a back-and-forth match between the two teams on Wednesday, it was those two men who once again who scored as the Reds moved to within a point of league-leading Manchester City.

Jota scored with his final touch of the game and Firmino tallied eight minutes later as Liverpool won 2-0 at Emirates Stadium. Jota has seven goals in seven games against Arsenal with Liverpool; Roberto Firmino’s nine league goals against the Gunners are the most of any Reds player. 

They're not finished. They're still two of the planet's best footballers and will battle for the game's biggest prizes over the next few years, but it's clear now that the 2021-22 season marks a personal decline for both Lionel Messi and Cristiano that's indicative of life as a professional athlete in your mid to late thirties. 

For Messi, it'll be the first time in 14 years that he doesn't surpass 30 goals across all competitions. He's at seven with just 10 matches remaining. 

LONDON — Chelsea has asked for Saturday's FA Cup quarterfinal game at Middlesbrough to be played behind closed doors for "sporting integrity" because they are unable to sell tickets due to restrictions imposed by a British government licence.

Chelsea, who have made the request to the FA board, are dealing with government restrictions on their operations after sanctions were imposed on their Russian owner Roman Abramovich.

Middlesbrough ticket update.

The Women's FA Cup prize fund will increase to three million pounds ($3.92 million) from next season, England's Football Association said on Monday.

The FA did not specify how the new amount will be allocated but said a disproportionate part of it will be invested in the early rounds of the competition.

We can today announce a new landmark investment into the Vitality Women’s FA Cup that will see the competition’s prize fund receive a significant uplift to £3m per year.

More info:

Sam Kerr struck in stoppage time to keep alive Chelsea's Women's Super League title hopes as they snatched a 1-0 win on Sunday over a dogged Aston Villa side, but Arsenal remain top after a 3-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion.

Kerr latched on to a long ball from keeper Zećira Mušović and fired home in the second minute of added time before wheeling away and taking off her shirt in celebration as second-placed Chelsea kept up the pressure on Arsenal.

LONDON - Ukrainian winger Andriy Yarmolenko and Spanish midfielder Pablo Fornals scored a goal each as West Ham defeated Aston Villa 2-1 at home on Sunday, ending Steven Gerrard's side's run of three consecutive wins in the Premier League.

Yarmolenko had been granted compassionate leave after Russia's invasion of Ukraine last month and then fell ill, missing West Ham's 1-0 Europa League loss in Seville on Thursday.