Football news, match reports and fixtures | theguardian.com

Burnley's former Saint Danny Ings shines despite defeat at Southampton
Fluent Arsenal revel in Theo Walcott's sign language against Tottenham
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's subs catch Newcastle out to give Cardiff win
Juventus 3-0 Roma | Serie A match report
Caution before romance as Macclesfield earn Sheffield Wednesday replay
Paul Lambert's FA Cup remarks distract from Aston Villa's real problems
John Stones impresses for Everton against lifeless QPR
Walcott could be out for four weeks
Karl Robinson praises 'magnificent' MK Dons after fightback at Wigan
Blackburn look to lucrative replay at Man City
Tony Pulis's changes at odds with FA Cup plea but Crystal Palace go on
Adam Johnson's FA Cup magic helps Sunderland see off Carlisle
Derby County 0-2 Chelsea
Juventus 3-0 Roma
Liverpool 2-0 Oldham Athletic
Barcelona 4-0 Elche | La Liga match report
Italy's Giuseppe Rossi injures right knee again in Fiorentina win
FA Cup fourth-round draw hands Stevenage chance to shock Everton
Portugal leads tributes to trailblazing football legend Eusébio
Port Vale 2-2 Plymouth Argyle | FA Cup third-round match report
The day Eusébio applauded me for saving one of his shots | Alex Stepney
Manchester United 1-2 Swansea
Bizarre news stories to ease you back into work
Manchester United v Swansea City – as it happened | Jacob Steinberg
Derby County v Chelsea - as it happened | Niall McVeigh

Burnley's former Saint Danny Ings shines despite defeat at Southampton

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 03:02 PM PST

• Championship contenders impress in FA Cup defeat
• Danny Ings catches eye for Burnley at Southampton

Could it be that Southampton's vaunted academy is so good that even its outcasts are of Premier League quality? Or do the performances of the Burnley striker Danny Ings, who was released by Saints as a youngster, simply prove that one of England's most celebrated footballing nurseries sometimes gets it wrong?

Both interpretations are possible but one thing is certain: Burnley are getting a lot of things right even if their FA Cup ambitions were foiled here. Adam Lallana's long-range goal enabled Southampton to emerge victorious from a thrilling game that featured enough fine play to increase the belief that this will be a top-flight fixture next season – provided Ings is not prised away from Burnley this month.

Ings' equaliser, which enabled Burnley to play their way back into contention after being 2-0 down, brought his tally for the season to 20 goals in 28 matches. He is among the chief reasons that Burnley are second in the Championship and why several even better appointed clubs are considering making a bid for him.

Becoming so coveted is a testament to the character, as well as the skill, of a player who endured the crushing disappointment of being cast out by Southampton as a teenager. He rebuilt his career at nearby Bournemouth before being bought by Burnley in 2011. Injury stunted his development but now he is flourishing so much that he has been called up by England Under-21s, where he features alongside highly lauded Southampton's Luke Shaw and James Ward-Prowse.

He is hungry to make it to the top but the Burnley manager, Sean Dyche, is not fearing a transfer request. "I want that thirst for players to play at a higher level," said Dyche, who has fostered a team of admirable slickness and spirit. "Until contractually there is a situation where that changes, then he's playing at the highest level he can with us. He's earning as he goes. He's got a real thirst to learn and improve and that bodes well for him and us.

"Every player has fuel of their own. The collective fuel is to win and be successful. Each player will have a thirst for whatever they want out of life and football is a great job to give you most things that you'd like. Some play just to win, some play for kudos, some play for what you people write about how good they are, some play for money, some play for fame or whatever. It doesn't interest me. I know what I played for and what I do now but I don't judge players – they can have a thirst for whatever they wish to get out of the game."

Burnley, who this season receive the last of their parachute payments following their relegation from the Premier League in 2010, can afford not to sell even if Dyche concedes that "every player has a price".

The club know that losing Ings would be costly, for in addition to his own finishing prowess and nimble movement, Ings has forged a sharp understanding with his fellow forward Sam Vokes, who also scored against Southampton, taking his haul for the campaign to 11 so far.

"The way those two are going it's an unbelievable partnership and they'd cause any defence problems," says Jay Rodriguez, who scored for Southampton on Saturday before Lallana struck the decisive goal.

Rodriguez is Burnley-born and still retains deep affection for the club he served before joining Southampton two years ago. He is convinced the Burnley strike duo can help ensure the clubs meet again next season. "It's a great partnership. They are a good set of lads and both good footballers. I believe [Burnley] can go all the way. There is no reason why not. The way they play and are getting results they deserve the results, which is the main thing, and it's a pleasure to see and I just want it to carry on for them."

Man of the match Danny Ings (Burnley)

Paul Doyle

Fluent Arsenal revel in Theo Walcott's sign language against Tottenham

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 02:53 PM PST

• Walcott's knee injury could sideline him for four weeks
• Tim Sherwood defends tactics after Spurs midfield overrun

Jack Wilshere smiled. Everyone connected to Arsenal smiled because there was simply so much for them to smile about. Tottenham Hotspur had been dismantled. Wilshere was prominent among the headline acts (again) and the momentum around Arsenal seemed irresistible.

And the cherry on top? From an Arsenal point of view, give or take the knee injury, it was the sight of Theo Walcott smiling cheekily at the away supporters as he was chaired off on a stretcher and depicting the two-nil scoreline with his hands.

That brought another wave of coins and assorted missiles down on him and the unfortunate stretcher-bearers, who must surely have been tempted to abandon protocol and make a short-cut across the pitch to safety.

Walcott, and the stretcher-bearers, might reflect that it was not the smartest thing he has ever done, given that the Tottenham fans were already wound tightly, although the forward did have the presence of mind to denote the Arsenal goal tally with the reverse V-sign.

The gesture was not offensive and so the Football Association is unlikely to bring any charge of crowd incitement against Walcott. It is the Tottenham coin-throwers who will face investigation.

Once out of harm's way and down the home straight of the main stand Walcott, by now wearing a red-and-white Arsenal scarf that had been lobbed to him, resembled the conquering monarch. He did not look to be feeling any pain from the knee injury, which could keep him out for four weeks. There was the overriding impression of schoolboy hilarity.

"He'll be an Arsenal legend now," Wilshere said, smiling. "They love Theo already and this is only going to help him. They [the Tottenham support] were giving it to him and he's given a little bit back. I think people have got to look at it as banter. He's a bit smarter than me, I suppose."

Another smile. When Wilshere was abused by a section of the Manchester City crowd at the Etihad Stadium three weeks previously, during Arsenal's 6-3 Premier League defeat, he responded with a single-finger salute. A scoreline gesture was not an option for him. He was banned by the FA for two matches – the derbies against Chelsea and West Ham United.

But Wilshere has returned in style. He was very good in Arsenal's 1-0 win at Newcastle United; he was the man of the match in the 2-0 home win over Cardiff City; and he excelled, alongside many others, against Tottenham.

There was a spikiness about Wilshere in Saturday's FA Cup tie. He had a running battle with Mousa Dembélé and he appeared to be on the edge, at times, emotionally – which, of course, fans love to see in derbies. "As an Arsenal fan myself," Wilshere said. "I really enjoy these wins. I've got Spurs in my family and a bit of West Ham so pride is at stake in a derby and we did well. If you win the battle, you win the game. We did that."

More encouraging was Wilshere's offensive drive and the explosiveness of his acceleration. There were form and fitness concerns about him at the beginning of the season in light of his well-documented foot problems but Arsène Wenger has learnt lessons and handled him with care. He withdrew him on 71 minutes against Tottenham.

The manager has been helped by his greater options in midfield, following the summer signings of Mesut Özil and Mathieu Flamini. When he has rotated, there has been no shortfall in quality. Wilshere has played in central positions of late and three top performances in seven days have given rise to optimism.

"I wasn't injured when I came off," Wilshere said. "I was just tired after the three games. We've got quite a good squad now and that will help us. Over the last few years, we've struggled with that but this time we've got a good squad and we've been able to rotate in midfield."

Tottenham's midfield, or the manner in which it was outnumbered and overrun up until the excellent Tomas Rosicky punished Danny Rose's error to make it 2-0, following Santi Cazorla's first after half an hour, was a talking point.

Tim Sherwood immediately substituted the striker Roberto Soldado, switched to 4-2-3-1 and watched his team finish on the front foot, although they did not create any chances. Sherwood's 4-4-2 has served him well in his four Premier League matches but it seemed a dirty word at the Emirates.

"I didn't see us playing 4-4-2," Sherwood said. "We just had 11 numbers on the field.

"We tried to rotate and fill up every area. [Emmanuel] Adebayor dropped deep and picked up the ball and our wide players funnelled in. I don't think we were ever two players in midfield."

Sherwood revealed that Soldado had soreness in his calf – he almost did not make the game – and the club's injury list is onerous, comprising Jan Vertonghen, Younès Kaboul, Kyle Naughton, Sandro, Paulinho, Andros Townsend, Lewis Holtby, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Erik Lamela and Jermain Defoe. It is to Sherwood's credit that he has not moaned about it.

He enjoyed an encouraging performance from the 19-year-old midfielder Nabil Bentaleb but it was the 18-year-old Arsenal winger Serge Gnabry who merited top billing. Gnabry was brave, quick and incisive. "He's like a little boxer, a little fighter," Mikel Arteta, the Arsenal midfielder, said. Tottenham saw stars.

Man of the match Serge Gnabry (Arsenal)

David Hytner

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's subs catch Newcastle out to give Cardiff win

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 02:48 PM PST

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has always been so expert at changing narratives that Newcastle United's players should have known better than to switch off once Papiss Cissé had given them the lead.

While most others assumed Alan Pardew's team were through to the fourth round and Cardiff City's new manager would probably be privately delighted to be able to concentrate on avoiding relegation from the Premier League, Solskjaer had already begun plotting a dramatic denouement.

The old Manchester United "super-sub", whose last-gasp goal won the 1999 Champions League final, delighted in turning his English technical area debut into a masterclass in the art of deploying substitutes to devastating effect.

Seconds after trotting on, Craig Noone collected the ball around 35 yards out before proceeding to shoot ferociously into the top corner of Rob Elliot's goal. Then, in the 80th minute, another substitute, Fraizer Campbell, headed the winner from Peter Whittingham's badly defended corner. Campbell had hit a post seconds after his introduction. Meanwhile Newcastle's organisation at Whittingham's set piece was disrupted by the arrival of Cardiff's third substitute, Tommy Smith, immediately before its delivery.

As Solskjaer thrilled travelling Cardiff fans by performing "The Ayatollah", a head-patting celebration unique to the club which sounds the sort of thing Nicolas Anelka might indulge in but is actually fairly harmless, Newcastle fans booed their disgust.

Only 31,166 turned up at a ground frequently filled to 52,000 capacity but local pessimism was justified. Apart from failing to win a domestic trophy since 1955, Newcastle have made such a negligible impact on the FA Cup in recent seasons that being knocked out early almost seems deliberate club policy.

While it is no secret that Mike Ashley, the owner, prioritises the league, there could be no doubting Pardew's fury at this latest ignominious exit. It leaves his recently resurgent team on a run of three straight defeats and their manager well aware that, should Manchester City make it four after visiting Tyneside on Sunday, awkward questions will be asked. True, Pardew made seven personnel changes to Solskjaer's five but, on paper at least, it was still a strong home starting XI.

"We played very bad today," said Newcastle's wide midfielder Yoan Gouffran. "We had no fighting spirit and deserved to lose. This hurts; we really wanted to win something this year. We felt we could go far in this competition. We wanted to win for the fans today because we know what it means to them but we played so bad. We're disappointed.

"We scored one goal and thought we were going to win but then we gave away two goals. I am very angry and the manager was very angry with us. We can't play like that. It was unacceptable. We have to try and change the mentality. We thought we were going through so maybe we lost a little bit of intensity and concentration."

Solskjaer knows all about exploiting opposing complacency and Noone and Campbell proved willing disciples. "When I went on he just said: 'Go and express yourself, be positive and get at them,'" said Noone. "It was one of the best goals I've ever scored but the new manager wants us on the front foot, passing the ball better, playing football, being positive and not letting nerves set in."

It sounds a decent manifesto and Solskjaer is confident it will prove a winning one. "We have tough days ahead," he said. "But our foundations are very, very, solid."

Man of the match Fraizer Campbell (Cardiff City)

Louise Taylor

Juventus 3-0 Roma | Serie A match report

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 02:39 PM PST

The Serie A leaders, Juventus, ended second-placed Roma's unbeaten record this season with an emphatic win on Sunday to go eight points clear at the top after a match in which the visitors had two men sent off in less than 60 seconds.

Arturo Vidal gave Juventus the lead in the 17th minute and Leonardo Bonucci turned in Andrea Pirlo's free-kick three minutes after half-time to put Juve in control.

Roma imploded late in the game after Daniele De Rossi was sent off for a two-footed lunge on Giorgio Chiellini in the 75th minute. Pirlo took the resulting free-kick and floated over another majestic ball that found Bonucci, whose header was on its way in until Leandro Castan punched the ball away and was sent off.

Mirko Vucinic fired in the penalty to complete the scoring and Juve's 10th successive league win.

Juventus, threatening to run away with their third successive title with more than half the season to play, have 49 points from 18 games, including 16 wins, with Roma on 41. Napoli and Fiorentina are a further five points back in third place.

Roma had made a bright start and quickly threatened when Francesco Totti set Adem Ljajic free, forcing the Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon to dive at his feet and send the ball out for a corner.

But Juve struck the first blow when Carlos Tevez collected the ball from a throw-in, ran into the penalty area and flicked a pass to Vidal who escaped the attention of the Roma defence and slipped his shot past Morgan De Sanctis.

Paul Pogba just failed to find Tevez with the final pass after a counterattack, a Tevez cross flashed across the face of the goal and a Fernando Llorente shot was just too high as the hosts poured forward.

Juventus went further ahead after the break with a simple goal when Pirlo curled over a pinpoint free-kick and Bonucci, completely unmarked at the far post, slid the ball home.

Roma enjoyed a long spell of pressure but failed to offer much of a threat with Totti over-hitting too many free-kicks and corners before being substituted to a resounding chorus of jeers from the Juventus stadium.

Their tempers frayed as they sank to their first defeat since the Frenchman Rudi Garcia took over as coach at the start of the season and Ljajic was lucky to escape with a yellow card for a rough challenge on Pogba in the 83rd minute.

Caution before romance as Macclesfield earn Sheffield Wednesday replay

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 02:34 PM PST

Such is the deplorable state of Macclesfield Town's finances that their manager, John Askey, with his side level, turning the screw and in grave danger of advancing to the fourth round for only the second time in their history, withdrew his strikers, lowered the portcullis and settled for a money-spinning replay. A rare example of blatant FA Cup gold-digging as opposed to romance, it was an admirable demonstration of fiscal prudence from the boss of a club in need of £150,000 just to stay afloat. In the wake of a fourth-round draw that could not have been more unkind, a brave decision that could have backfired now looks heroically prescient.

Truth be told, short of one of his own players ruining everything by scoring a deserved winner, Askey's plan never looked in danger of backfiring against Championship strugglers who have failed to win 21 of the 25 matches they have played this season. Missing the in-form striker Connor Wickham, who was prevented from playing by the small print of his Sunderland loan agreement, Sheffield Wednesday started brightly and took a first-half lead courtesy of Réda Johnson but were abject after the interval. They will be grateful for the charity of poverty-stricken non-league opponents who have every right to fancy their chances of finishing the job at Hillsborough. Their reward should they do so? A visit to Spotland, home of Rochdale, one of the least box office draws available to either club involved.

"From the circumstances that we started the season with, it's probably the biggest achievement of my time here," said Askey, whose ties with the Silkmen as player and coach span nearly 30 years. "It's been very enjoyable despite everything that's gone on. Our wage bill is about a third of what it was last season. We're probably bottom of the table in that regard, along with Hyde, but if I thought about these things too much I'd never sleep."

Mid-table in the fifth tier of English football is where Macclesfield actually languish courtesy of their on-field endeavours, but their sublime equaliser was a goal to grace a far more prestigious football stage. Steve Williams, stealing in behind Glenn Loovens in the 72nd minute, demonstrated remarkable composure to deftly guide a beautifully floated Paul Turnbull pass from deep past Damián Martínez with an expertly placed volley. It was a sweet caress by any standards, not least those of a Conference centre-half.

Wednesday's first-half opener had been comparatively bog-standard: Johnson rose unchallenged to greet a Stephen McPhail corner on the fringes of the six-yard area and thumped a meaty header past Rhys Williams in the Macclesfield goal.

With his own future hanging in the balance, Wednesday's caretaker manager Stuart Gray's post-match mood was one of measured disappointment. "We started very well and bossed the game, but didn't build on it," said the man who has overseen a revival of sorts since the dismissal of Dave Jones at the beginning of December. "The disappointing thing is that in the last 10 minutes we could have lost."

On his own future, Gray said: "The chairman said last week we'd have another two games and look at it. We've had those now so we'll sit down with him on Tuesday." On the strength of this performance, it may not take too long.

Man of the match Steve Williams (Macclesfield Town)

Barry Glendenning

Paul Lambert's FA Cup remarks distract from Aston Villa's real problems

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 02:31 PM PST

Paul Lambert must have been grateful that he spent more time post-match defending his comments about the FA Cup than dissecting yet another inept home performance. Whatever Lambert thinks of this competition is a sideshow compared with the real issues, which are how much longer Villa supporters will continue to tolerate such dire football and whether the manager is capable of turning things round.

Randy Lerner, Villa's owner, remains supportive of Lambert but the fans, judging by their reaction in the last three home matches, are losing patience. Lambert's team has been booed off on each occasion and on Saturday the hostility towards the manager was ramped up a notch. Villa's league position – 11th in the table – hides a multitude of sins that were humiliatingly exposed by a Sheffield United side languishing a point above the League One relegation zone.

Villa have one way of playing: counterattacking. When the onus is on Lambert's side to break down opponents, as it was always going to be against a team 51 places below them on the league ladder, they look clueless. Their football was slow, prosaic and, by Lambert's own admission, desperately lacking creativity – a recurrent theme at a stadium where Villa have won only twice and scored seven times in 10 league fixtures this season.

For Lambert the walk from the dugout to the tunnel at the end of a game must feel as though it is getting longer by the week. Abuse rained down from the Trinity Road Stand as he made his way along the touchline and back to the sanctuary of the home dressing room. He had plenty of goodwill to fall back on when he replaced Alex McLeish as manager 18 months ago but last season chipped away at those reserves.

Villa suffered the ignominy of conceding 15 goals without reply against Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Wigan across the festive programme 12 months ago. Then there was the embarrassing Capital One Cup semi-final defeat by League Two Bradford City. Three days later Villa were knocked out of the FA Cup by Millwall. The blows kept coming and Villa looked in danger of being relegated, yet Lambert to his credit galvanised the players and they finished the campaign impressively.

What nobody at the club bargained for was another winter of discontent. This was Villa's fifth defeat in seven matches but it is the insipid performances, particularly at home, that are arguably more worrying than the results. Asked whether he sympathised with the home fans, Lambert said: "It must be frustrating as anything for them, so I understand. I'm not naive. They wonder how can we win at Sunderland [on New Year's Day] and turn up today and not perform. That's the frustration that, I think, comes through."

The brutal truth is that too many of the Villa players – the majority signed by Lambert – are not good enough. He badly needs to freshen things up in this transfer window and the priority has to be an attacking midfielder to inject some imagination into a one-dimensional team. "I call them No10s," the Villa manager said. "They're a special type of player, they know how to get into little pockets on the pitch to try and make things happen and that's something you try and look at. They're worth their weight in gold if you can get them – and pretty dear."

It would also help if Christian Benteke could rediscover his mojo in the second half of the season. Benteke has gone 12 games without scoring and although Lambert denied the striker was suffering from a lack of confidence, the two misdirected close-range headers at the end of the first half suggested otherwise.

By that point United were already ahead, courtesy of Jamie Murphy's deflected shot in the 20th minute. Roared on by 6,000 travelling supporters, Nigel Clough's side played with confidence and spirit and fully deserved this scalp. Even when Villa levelled through Nicklas Helenius, the visitors refused to lie down. Six minutes later Ryan Flynn, a former FA Youth Cup winner with Liverpool, cracked a superb left-footed shot beyond Jed Steer to complete a glorious day for a club that has hit hard times.

"To get a result like this will renew a lot of people's faith," Clough said. "You see the supporters and how much it means to them. I think it'll give them a bit of belief back that Sheffield United can get back at least into the Championship. There's incredible potential. Somebody said the club's a bit like an oil tanker; it takes some turning but once you get it turning and going in the right direction, then it will start steaming along. We are trying to get to that point."

Man of the match Ryan Flynn (Sheffield United)

Stuart James

John Stones impresses for Everton against lifeless QPR

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 02:31 PM PST

For someone who turned down the chance to work with Roberto Martínez less than 12 months ago John Stones is making quite an impression under the Everton manager.

It says much for the increasing squad depth at Goodison Park that the absence of Phil Jagielka and Sylvain Distin with hamstring injuries has not halted the progress of Martínez's side.

Wednesday's trip to Stoke was the first time Everton have been without both Jagielka and Distin for almost two years and Stones, 19, who rejected a move to Martínez's Wigan to join Everton from Barnsley last January, made his first Premier League start alongside the Paraguayan Antolín Alcaraz at centre-back.

His only real faux pas on a filthy day at the Britannia Stadium was his admission that Peter Crouch was taller than he had expected and, after showing his natural qualities as a defender against Stoke, his performance against QPR will further enhance his reputation.

Everton, who were handed a trip to League One Stevenage in the fourth round, were rarely stretched defensively by a lifeless Rangers and, although Stones caught the eye with a fine recovery challenge on Armand Traoré, his distribution and willingness to carry the ball out from the back is what will have pleased Martínez most.

While Nikica Jelavic chipped on to the bar with a penalty for his hat-trick against Rangers, it was a Panenka penalty in a pre-season friendly against Juventus that was a clear indication of the growing confidence of Stones, who has forced his way into the England Under-21 side in recent months.

"Defensively he has got everything. He is a confident boy and always has two or three options and leaves it until the end to make the right choice," Martínez said. "He knows he is stronger, quicker and more athletic than the striker he is marking and that gives real confidence. I think he will develop and become a special centre-half for England.

"I thought I had got John at Wigan. I would have bought him again here. I was really disappointed then because I knew what a player he was."

Everton moved into the fourth round with the most routine of wins, Ross Barkley curling in just after the half-hour and Jelavic, who could be on his way to QPR this week, finding the corner from a distance just before the interval.

Jelavic stabbed in a third from Bryan Oviedo's cross before Seamus Coleman drove in Everton's fourth.

"We struggled to live with them at times. There's a clear gulf in class between the two divisions and that showed, make no mistake about that," said QPR's manager, Harry Redknapp

A trip to Broadhall Way is Everton's next challenge, with Stevenage buoyed by their 3-2 win at Doncaster that left the home manager, Paul Dickov, "raging".

Man of the match Nikica Jelavic (Everton)

Walcott could be out for four weeks

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 02:30 PM PST

• Forward to undergo scan on possible ligament damage
• Vermaelen and Arteta also to be assessed on Monday

Arsenal fear Theo Walcott will be out for four weeks with the knee injury that forced him off in Saturday's 2-0 home win over Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup. Walcott will undergo a scan on Monday but the early indications are that he strained ligaments after the 81st-minute challenge with the Tottenham full-back Danny Rose.

Walcott has already missed a little over two months of the season because of an abdominal problem that required surgery. He returned on 23 November as a substitute against Southampton and he recovered his place in the starting XI on 14 December at Manchester City. He has five goals in six starts but now faces further disruption.

Arsène Wenger also lost Thomas Vermaelen and Mikel Arteta to injuries against Tottenham. The manager said he hoped Vermaelen had not suffered knee ligament damage. Arteta took a heavy kick to a calf in the first half and was withdrawn in the 75th minute. Both players will be assessed on Monday.

Walcott was abused by a section of the travelling support as he was taken off on a stretcher and he responded by making a two-nil scoreline gesture with his hands. Coins and other projectiles were thrown at him but, as Walcott's gesture was not offensive, he is unlikely to face censure from the Football Association. The governing body will investigate the conduct of the Tottenham fans.

David Hytner

Karl Robinson praises 'magnificent' MK Dons after fightback at Wigan

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 02:30 PM PST

The MK Dons manager, Karl Robinson, was full of praise for his players after they held the FA Cup holders, Wigan Athletic, to a draw.

Wigan, who beat Manchester City in last year's final before being relegated from the Premier League, led twice before their League One opponents hit back.

"The whole team were magnificent and I think they showed everybody in the stadium how much quality they possess," Robinson said. "I'm just very happy with the way we played. For a League One team to be in the fourth-round draw for two consecutive seasons just shows you the tremendous grit and determination at this club. I'm very proud of that fact."

Wigan's manager, Uwe Rösler, was less happy with his side, who had gone 2-0 up through Roger Espinoza and Jordi Gómez.

A Ben Reeves brace brought the visitors level before Callum McManaman put the holders back in front, with Rösler upset that Partick Bamford was able to score a late equaliser to secure a replay.

"I was disappointed with the performance as Cup holders," he said. "At 2-0 up I told my players to make sure they got to half-time with a clean sheet, and had we done that I think the game would have been over.

"Even after they got themselves level we were able to take the lead once again, but with five minutes remaining we did the same again and allowed them another equaliser."

Blackburn look to lucrative replay at Man City

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 02:30 PM PST

Manuel Pellegrini has still not got the hang of squad rotation and after Costel Pantilimon came back into the side to allow Blackburn an equaliser that effectively scuppered their hopes of a few days' warm weather training in Abu Dhabi next week, Manchester City left Ewood Park looking about as enamoured of the FA Cup as Paul Lambert.

"We had a bad day against a difficult team," said City's goalscorer, Álvaro Negredo. "Now we must play another match and that's what we didn't want but at least it is at home this time."

For the second time in a week Pellegrini thought he could afford to leave Yaya Touré on the bench only to end up sending him on in the second half but this Cup tie was a story of two goalkeepers and two very different squads. Pantilimon's inability to hold Rudy Gestede's header from a corner early in the second half allowed Scott Dann to level the scores after Negredo's goal from a similar set piece just before the interval, though just as important in earning Blackburn a replay were the second-half saves Paul Robinson made from Edin Dzeko and Jesús Navas.

Robinson was playing his first game in over a year, having been given the all-clear following treatment for a blood clot on his lung. "I had a back operation for sciatica and they told me there was a nought point something per cent chance a clot might develop," the former England goalkeeper said. "Next thing I knew I was coughing up blood. The club doctor diagnosed me over the phone and I ended up in Leeds General."

That sort of thing can give you a different perspective on life and Robinson says he no longer worries about things he cannot control.

Blackburn were once the Premier League's big spenders, the Manchester City of their day, and now they are actively seeking to reduce their wage bill.

Robinson has seen it all before. "The financial problems Leeds had when I was there were much worse," he said. "At Blackburn we have owners who will back the manager. The players we have got in have gradually turned the club around, as you saw in the performance against City. A lot of credit should go to the players for showing such resilience but it always helps when people are not writing about off-field matters all the time."

The Blackburn manager, Gary Bowyer, deserves some credit for that too, not just for remaining in the job for a whole nine months but for persuading the club to find the money to sign Gestede and Tom Cairney at a time when he has been ordered to slash the wage bill. Both loan signings were made permanent in time for the FA Cup third round and both showed their class against one of the best teams in the country.

"The replay should go some way towards covering the cost," Bowyer said. "That is our financial reality at the moment. I have no idea what City's wage bill might be, I haven't the time to worry about it. I have enough on my plate chopping ours down to size. City have shown themselves capable of beating just about any team in Europe but we matched them. We will go and give it a go at the Etihad just like we did here. I think we have embraced the romance of the Cup but more than that we have put some pride back into the club. We were passionate and committed and we showed we care."

Pellegrini said he had no complaints about the late dismissal of Dedryck Boyata for a second yellow card, which was just as well. Had the City manager attempted to justify his right-back's actions – one foul against Josh King born of frustration followed by a needless and intemperate hack at DJ Campbell – he would have ended up looking as ludicrous as the Belgian defender. "Dedryck is very young, he made a mistake," Pellegrini said. Fair enough. With Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany, Aleksandar Kolarov and Pablo Zabaleta all watching from the bench, Pellegrini, too, may have been guilty of a slight miscalculation.

Man of the match Tom Cairney (Blackburn Rovers)

Paul Wilson

Tony Pulis's changes at odds with FA Cup plea but Crystal Palace go on

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 02:29 PM PST

The magic of the FA Cup is about as effective as Tommy Cooper's these days, with financial imperatives superseding a tilt at Wembley glory.

Tony Pulis made a plea for English football to do more to safeguard the appeal of the competition after his Crystal Palace team had reached the fourth round but his comments were incongruous after a tie in which the two managers made a total of 13 changes from their Premier League lineups of the previous week.

Both managers spoke about the lack of atmosphere at The Hawthorns, where a paltry crowd of 12,700 was less than half the attendance for the corresponding Premier League fixture in November. Something had to be done, Pulis said, but then passed the buck to the league's executives.

Why the poor turn-out? Post-Christmas poverty was undoubtedly one reason but it would clearly help if managers did their bit by fielding their strongest teams. Palace's five changes left two of their crowd pleasers, Marouane Chamakh and Jason Puncheon, on the bench while Albion's eight absentees included the local favourite Morgan Amalfitano, Stéphane Sessègnon, Liam Ridgewell, Scott Sinclair, Chris Brunt and Nicolas Anelka, all of whom would feature in their first-choice starting XI.

For both clubs the priority is Premier League survival, with the FA Cup a distant second. Pulis was employed to keep Palace up, not to get them to Wembley. The romantics would ask why not go for both but, like Wigan last season, neither of these two look to possess the strength to compete successfully on two fronts and in order to keep the wolf from the door they need to concentrate their undivided attention on avoiding relegation.

Palace were under pressure for long periods but their goalkeeper, Julián Speroni, was in top form, motivated no doubt by his manager's declared interest in Wayne Hennessey, Wolves' experienced Welsh international.

At the other end Dwight Gayle's mishit shot, midway through the first half, was all that separated the two sides until the fifth minute of added time when Yannick Bolasie set up Chamakh for a simple second goal.

Man of the match Julián Speroni (Crystal Palace)

Joe Lovejoy

Adam Johnson's FA Cup magic helps Sunderland see off Carlisle

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 02:26 PM PST

Premier League cannon fodder Sunderland may be but they continue to prosper in knockout competitions. Despite this, Gus Poyet was far from satisfied as he saw fit to question the timing of the FA Cup draw.

The identity of their prospective opponents, Kidderminster or Peterborough at home this month, became apparent when the fourth-round pairings were made as they kicked off against a spirited Carlisle side who pushed them all the way in an entertaining encounter played out at a sparsely populated Stadium of Light.

Poyet learned of the draw shortly before half-time and insisted their League One opponents could have gained a significant lift had they been paired with more glamorous opponents in the last 32.

"I'm sure Carlisle in the second half would have been a little bit different had the draw been Arsenal in the next round," the Sunderland manager said, after his side were able to fully relax only when El Hadji Ba, a substitute, scored their third goal in the final minute.

Poyet added: "I don't know why they don't wait until tonight to make the draw, or have it on the Monday. I don't understand why they have it while there are games still to be played. I don't want to get in to trouble with the FA but, if they are listening, it's just an idea."

Sunderland, who face a Capital One Cup semi-final first-leg tie at home to Manchester United on Tuesday, have won five cup games this season, compared with just three in the league, to leave them propping up the top flight. "I'm happy it's a home draw," Poyet said. "I don't want any more travelling and trips. The best way to recover in between games is by avoiding travelling and by resting and eating properly at home."

Adam Johnson, the game's outstanding performer, curled home a 25-yardfree-kick shortly before half-time after a foul on Craig Gardner but Sunderland were quickly on the ropes as Carlisle equalised two minutes before the interval.

Matty Robson, the wing-back and Sunderland supporter who was rejected by the club as a 14-year-old, levelled off the underside of the bar after Lewis Guy beat the goalkeeper Vito Mannone to knock back a David Amoo cross, apt reward for more than 5,500 travelling fans who provided unstinting support.

At that point a replay, potentially a ninth game in an already congested January for the Wearside club, beckoned. "I'm not sure Matty knew what to do after scoring," Graham Kavanagh, the Carlisle manager and former Sunderland midfielder, said. "It showed our commitment to attack that a full-back was so far forward at that stage."

With Manchester United looming large, it was perhaps surprising that Poyet made just six changes in a reshuffle that saw the South Korean midfielder Ki Sung-yueng employed as a makeshift centre-back.

The hosts recovered from their pre-half-time wobble, the interval crucially puncturing the head of steam built up by the visitors, as Sunderland regained the lead five minutes after the restart, when Carlisle's captain Sean O'Hanlon inexplicably sliced Johnson's driven cross into his own net beyond the goalkeeper Greg Fleming.

Duncan Watmore, the young forward signed in the summer from Altrincham, almost embellished the margin of victory with a debut goal in a lively cameo. The teenager exchanged passes with Jozy Altidore to produce a fine low save from Fleming, as the decisive third goal eluded the hosts until the final minute. It arrived when Ba, another debutant, burst forward to swap passes with Altidore and find the net with a low shot from 15 yards to ensure a latest cup victory, although David Moyes will lose little sleep when his Manchester United spies report back on what was a largely unconvincing display from Poyet's side.

Kavanagh's criticism of the referee, Neil Swarbrick, was unjustified. "We looked dangerous on the break, and we honestly began to believe when we equalised but I thought that the referee was poor, he didn't give us much and he played a role in the defeat. A club of our size aren't going to get many decisions at a club like this."

Man of the match Adam Johnson (Sunderland)

Derby County 0-2 Chelsea

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 01:55 PM PST

By the end Chelsea were toying with their opponents and the Derby County fans who would probably rather forget the indignities of their last season in the Premier League, with a record low of 11 points, were reminded how brutal it can be against this kind of refined opposition.

They lost 6-1 against Chelsea that season and, though the latest defeat was nothing like as harrowing, José Mourinho's team made it a harsh history lesson during those moments in the second half when their domination of the ball turned into the hard currency of goals.

The gulf was considerable and the Championship team had to give everything to prevent any more damage beyond Mikel John Obi's 66th-minute header and the shot from Oscar, the game's outstanding's performer, that carried so much swerve and power to deceive Lee Grant in the Derby goal.

Fernando Torres menaced them after replacing Samuel Eto'o, whose performance merely reiterated his own decline, and it was just a pity for Chelsea that Ramires had to tarnish the occasion by becoming the latest Chelsea player to be caught diving.

He was booked, following on from Oscar's yellow card at Southampton on New Year's Day, and it represents an embarrassment to Mourinho bearing in mind it is only a week since he concluded his criticism of Luis Suárez for his "acrobatic swimming-pool jump" by proudly declaring his players would not resort to such tactics.

Mourinho would not budge an inch afterwards, pointing out they were "isolated incidents" rather than serial offending, but it was an unwanted sideshow and his argument has been diminished.

The bottom line was that Chelsea did not need to resort to anything underhand to guarantee their fourth-round tie against Stoke City. They had to withstand a spirited start from Derby and Steve McClaren was not being unduly generous when he said his players could be encouraged by their efforts. "Someone said to me we actually had more players in our squad than they do. I said: 'Yeah but look at the value.' One of theirs was worth as much as ours together."

At first that disparity was not always apparent. Eto'o's rotten first touch to spoil Chelsea's first real chance of note was not the only moment of carelessness from Mourinho's players in the opening 20 minutes. That was the point, however, when Oscar emerged as the most influential player on the pitch. Two of his long-range efforts went close and the opening half finished with Ramires's shot taking a slight deflection to skim against a post.

At half-time Mourinho was not entirely happy. "We didn't play badly," he said. "We played quite well but still 0-0 at half-time is a big risk because in the second half, if the opponent scores one, you are in trouble."

Yet this was not an occasion when Will Hughes, Derby's talented but raw midfielder, demonstrated why he is attracting so much interest from Premier League clubs. The 18-year-old looked lightweight and Mourinho took advantage by withdrawing one of his own central midfielders, Michael Essien, to leave Mikel as a lone anchor man and spring Eden Hazard from the bench. Once again a Chelsea victory can be largely attributed to Mourinho's talent for changing his team mid-match.

Hazard's introduction immediately coincided with their best period of the match and Derby were already looking vulnerable by the time Jamie Ward brought him down for the free-kick that led to the opening goal. Mikel, making his 300th Chelsea appearance, had been handed the captain's armband when Essien went off – Mourinho later said it should have gone to Ashley Cole – and the ball flashed off his forehead for only his fourth goal in eight seasons at the club.

There was a period after Grant had let in Oscar's shot when it suddenly looked as though Derby's afternoon might turn into an ordeal. Torres danced round Jake Buxton and went past Grant but was crowded out before being able to apply the finishing touch. In the next attack the Spaniard ran clear again and drove his shot against Grant's legs. Derby were largely holding on before a brief, late flurry of their own, with Chris Martin's left-foot shot probably ranking as their best effort of the match.

The dive from Ramires, running beyond Michael Keane, came between the goals and what a strange twist of irony that this was the referee, Andre Marriner, who had been officiating when the same player went to ground and won a highly contentious penalty against West Bromwich Albion at Stamford Bridge in November.

"The last time [with Oscar] I was happy with the card and I was happy with Oscar's justification of the situation," Mourinho said. "This time I didn't speak with Ramires but Marriner was so close, if he made that decision it was because he was right.

"I maintain [we have no divers]. You will see when Oscar dives again and you will see when Ramires will be booked again. In other clubs there are really divers. If you want to look for players doing it every weekend, it's very easy. Sit in front of the television and you will find them. We do the opposite." Ramires, one imagines, should expect the point to be made very matter-of-factly.

Daniel Taylor

Juventus 3-0 Roma

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 01:52 PM PST

Serie A: Juventus moved eight points clear thanks to a 10th straight win, over nine-man Roma

Michael Butler

Liverpool 2-0 Oldham Athletic

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 01:52 PM PST

There was no repeat of last season's humiliation but it told of another Liverpool exertion against Oldham Athletic that Brendan Rodgers took pride only in a competitive Anfield appearance for his son, Anton. For his own players the Liverpool manager reserved irritation and relief.

Liverpool booked a fourth-round tie at Burton Albion or Bournemouth without the drama or worry of last season's exit against the same opposition and in that sense it was mission accomplished for Rodgers. Iago Aspas scored his first goal for the club since a £7.7m transfer from Celta Vigo in the summer and ending the game with 10 men caused no tremors thanks to a late own-goal from the unfortunate James Tarkowski.

On the surface it was a routine win but it required the introduction of three South American substitutes to lift Liverpool from a first-half stupor. That was a compliment to an Oldham performance that belied their 19th position in League One but it was an annoyance to Rodgers that Philippe Coutinho, Lucas Leiva and finally Luis Suárez were required at all.

"It was for tactical reasons, we needed to be better," he said of the interval decision to replace Victor Moses and Luis Alberto with Coutinho and Lucas respectively. "We needed more speed in our play and more intensity in our game. I didn't want to do it – Lucas and Coutinho played a lot of hard games over Christmas – but the last thing I wanted was for the game to go to a replay. As a manager you can either wait for it to happen or create it. Sometimes you have to change the momentum with your substitutions. Lucas and Coutinho brought more intensity to our play and that allowed us to take control in the second half."

Rodgers' makeshift starting line-up was justified given the imperative of qualifying for the Champions League but included the insurance of an experienced defence, unlike in the fourth-round exit at Boundary Park last season. Only four players remained from Oldham's 3-2 win but it was another testing afternoon for Liverpool who lacked creativity and a willingness to seize the initiative in the final third until the second half.

There was a minute's applause before the game for Wayne Harrison, Britain's most expensive teenager when he moved from Oldham to Liverpool for £250,000 in 1985 but who died aged 46 on Christmas Day. Within a minute of kick-off Korey Smith, the visiting captain, received a yellow card for a poor challenge on Steven Gerrard but any impression the lower-league team would resort to strong-arm tactics to bridge the gap was misplaced.

Lee Johnson's men passed intelligently, with James Wesolowski a key influence in midfield, and defended with discipline whenever Liverpool made inroads down the flanks. They also had several inviting set pieces to unnerve Liverpool but, unlike last season, no battering ram in the form of Matt Smith to inflict damage. "We played well, we worked our socks off and we showed great energy after going a goal down," said the youngest manager in the Football League. "For a 20-minute period you wouldn't have known who was the Premier League team."

Liverpool were restricted to shots from the edge of the area throughout the opening half, mainly from Alberto who went close with one curling effort and had fierce drive parried by the goalkeeper Mark Oxley. There could be no complaints, however, when he and the again underwhelming Moses were withdrawn at half-time and the changes sparked an immediate improvement.

Oldham were encamped deep inside their own territory for a 15-minute spell after the break. Gerrard flashed a header over from a Coutinho corner and moments later released Raheem Sterling on the right of the visitors' area. The winger evaded the left-back David Mellor and floated a cross to the far post where the previously anonymous Aspas, afforded too much space by Genseric Kusunga, swept a fine finish back into the far corner.

Aspas headed another Sterling cross against the post seconds later and Sterling squandered an excellent chance when played through by a superb Jordan Henderson pass. The onslaught ended with that miss, as Oldham regrouped and took the game to their hosts. Brad Jones saved low from Jonson Clarke-Harris, Danny Philliskirk went close from distance, Gary Harkins felt he should have had a penalty following a push by Daniel Agger and Michael Petrasso forced Liverpool's stand-in keeper into a decent save.

Just as Liverpool appeared set for a nervous finale with 10 men, when Agger limped off seconds after Suárez had been introduced as the third substitute, they made the fourth round safely. Sterling's shot was heading wide when it struck the unfortunate Tarkowski and flew past his own goalkeeper.

Man of the match Raheem Sterling (Liverpool)

Andy Hunter

Barcelona 4-0 Elche | La Liga match report

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 01:47 PM PST

Alexis Sánchez hit a hat-trick as Barcelona swept aside Elche 4-0 at the Camp Nou to return to the top of La Liga on goal difference from Atlético Madrid on Sunday.

Showing no sign of missing the injured Lionel Messi and rested Neymar, Barça took an early lead through Sánchez before Pedro made it 2-0 after 15 minutes. Xavi missed a penalty at the start of the second half before Sánchez added another and completed his hat-trick with a free-kick.

"It was important to win and not make mistakes at home. We scored good goals and worked hard. There are five tough months still to go," Pedro said afterwards. Barcelona play Atlético next weekend.

"We know it is going to be difficult and we will go step by step," Pedro added. "First we face Getafe in the [King's] cup."

Barça and Atlético, who beat Málaga on Saturday, both have 49 points, eight more than third-placed Real Madrid who face Celta Vigo on Monday.

Elche could hold out for only seven minutes before the home side took the lead when Jordi Alba's dangerous cross from the left wing evaded the defence and the Chilean Sánchez fired into the roof of the net.

The visitors were inches away from equalising when Yiadom Boakye crashed a drive against the post but it was a brief respite.

Barça pressed high up the pitch and, with Elche's defence pushing up, there were plenty of gaps to run into. Cesc Fábregas' pass opened up the defence and Pedro finished clinically from an angle.

After the break Fábregas was brought down by Ionut Sapunaru and Xavi missed the penalty but Sánchez was more deadly, knocking in a Pedro cross from close range after 63 minutes. He then curled home a 25-yard free-kick to cap a fine performance.

Italy's Giuseppe Rossi injures right knee again in Fiorentina win

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 01:36 PM PST

• Serie A's leading scorer limps off after against Livorno
• Ligament injuries to right knee cost him two years' action

Serie A's leading scorer, Giuseppe Rossi, is waiting to discover whether he has suffered a third serious injury to his right knee after limping out of Fiorentina's 1-0 win over Livorno.

Fiorentina said the extent of the damage to the Italy star, who is in the frame to play against England in the World Cup group game this summer, will be known on Monday. Rossi was taken off after limping away from a rough challenge by the Livorno defender Leandro Rinaudo in the 71st minute.

Rossi, 26, has come storming back this season after recovering from successive anterior cruciate ligament injuries which effectively cost him two years of his career.

Rinaudo was booked and was lucky not to be sent off after he argued with the referee and his opponents, leading to pushing among the players.

"We are all worried," the Fiorentina coach, Vicenzo Montella, told reporters. "It appeared to be an intentional foul. I don't think he wanted to injure the player but he certainly wanted to stop him.

"I expected that Rinaudo would have apologised which you usually do when you commit that sort of foul."

The American-born striker's troubles began when he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury while playing for Villarreal in a Spanish league match against Real Madrid in 2011.

He fought desperately to be fit in time for Euro 2012 only to injure the knee again in training the following April, causing him to miss the tournament.

Villarreal sold him to Fiorentina at the start of this year and he finally made his comeback against Pescara in May, playing 27 minutes in the final match of last season. His performances this season, with 14 Serie A goals, earned him an Italy recall.

"Rinaudo didn't apologise and even argued with the referee in an undignified manner," said the Fiorentina owner, Andrea Della Valle. "He should look at the replays and reflect on his behaviour."

The injury overshadowed the win which lifted Fiorentina to joint third alongside Napoli, who host Sampdoria on Monday, on 36 points from 18 games.

FA Cup fourth-round draw hands Stevenage chance to shock Everton

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 01:19 PM PST

• League One's bottom side beat Newcastle two years ago
• Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City drawn at home

Stevenage were the big winners in the FA Cup fourth-round draw, landing a home tie against the five-time winners Everton as reward for upsetting Doncaster on Saturday.

The Hertfordshire side overcame their Championship opponents at the Keepmoat Stadium and will now host Roberto Martínez's impressive young team. Stevenage are currently bottom of League One but can claim giant-killing pedigree, having knocked Newcastle out at the third-round stage in 2011 when they were still in League Two.

The Premier League big boys have all been kept apart with Arsenal, who beat their north London rivals Tottenham at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday evening, at home again against cash-strapped Coventry. Chelsea will host Stoke after seeing off Derby in their third-round tie, with the winner of the Manchester City v Blackburn replay facing a home fixture against Bristol City or Watford.

Rochdale's reward for beating Leeds is a fourth-round meeting at home to Macclesfield or Sheffield Wednesday. Keith Hill's Sky Bet League Two side recorded a deserved 2-0 win over the 1972 winners and will be hopeful of progressing into round five as they welcome either the Conference side Macclesfield or the three-time winners Wednesday.

Kidderminster, the only other non-league survivors in this year's competition, will go to Gus Poyet's Sunderland if they can win their third-round replay at Peterborough.

FA Cup fourth-round draw in full

Sunderland v Kidderminster or Peterborough

Bolton v Cardiff

Southampton v Yeovil

Huddersfield v Charlton or Oxford

Port Vale or Plymouth v Brighton

Nottingham Forest v Ipswich or Preston

Southend v Hull

Rochdale v Macclesfield or Sheffield Wednesday

Arsenal v Coventry

Stevenage v Everton

Wigan or MK Dons v Crystal Palace

Chelsea v Stoke

Blackburn or Manchester City v Bristol City or Watford

Bournemouth or Burton v Liverpool or Oldham

Birmingham, Bristol Rovers or Crawley v Manchester United or Swansea

Sheffield United v Norwich or Fulham

Portugal leads tributes to trailblazing football legend Eusébio

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 12:04 PM PST

Country declares three days of mourning for player who died of a cardiac arrest aged 71 and is described as among greatest ever

Portugal has declared three days of national mourning after one of its greatest footballers, Eusébio, died after reportedly suffering a heart attack at his home in Lisbon.

Eusébio, 71, who was born in Mozambique, played for Portugal, becoming the first black African global soccer star.

Portugal's president, Aníbal Cavaco Silva, addressed the nation on television to praise the "affability and humility" of a man who never let stardom go to his head despite being one of the game's most prolific goal scorers. "His talent brought joy for entire generations, even those who didn't live through the most glorious moments of his career," he said.

Eusébio emerged as football's popularity was exploding across the world and he was partly responsible for the globalisation of the sport. He was revered as highly as George Best, Franz Beckenbauer, Johan Cruyff, Bobby Moore and Pelé. "One of the greatest football players ever has passed away," Beckenbauer said.

Tributes poured in from around the world. The Portugal and Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo tweeted: "Always eternal #Eusebio, rest in peace." Luís Figo, another Portuguese great, tweeted: "'The king!! Grande perda para todos nos! O mais grande!! [Great loss to all of us]."

Chelsea's Portuguese manager, José Mourinho, described him as immortal. "For us, for you Eusébio is one of the greatest footballers. For Portugal he means more than that. No colour, no clubs, no political sides. For Portuguese people Eusébio is Eusébio.

"I [have known] him since [I was] a kid. He played against my father. Every year when I was a kid he was sending me a shirt, a ball, a boot. I think guys like him, they never die. History doesn't let them die."

A striker, Eusébio was blessed with outstanding pace and skill and possessed a fearsome shot. According to Fifa records, he scored 679 goals in 678 official games.

During his 15 years at Benfica, the club reached four European Cup finals. It won once, in 1962 against Real Madrid, and the game is remembered for the two Eusébio goals that won the match. The teamand lost the other three , the most famous of which was the 4-1 defeat to Manchester United at Wembley in 1968. Eusébio had a chance to win it for Benfica , but when his shot was saved by United's goalkeeper, Alex Stepney, Eusébio applauded because of his "sense of fair play". United won in extra time.

"He was certainly one of the game's greats," Stepney said. "To score that many goals is incredible. I don't care who you are, what era you play in, to do that is some achievement."

Eusébio was the son of Laurindo António da Silva Ferreira, a white Angolan, and Elisa Anissabeni, a black Mozambican. He was brought up in poverty, playing football on the streets with a ball of rags, but moved to Lisbon in 1961, joining Benfica and blazing a trail to Europe for African talent that was followed, by the likes of George Weah, Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto'o.

As Mozambique was a Portuguese colony at the time, Eusébio represented Portugal at international level and became a national hero with his wonderful performances at the 1966 World Cup in England. The team was beaten 2-1 in the semi-final by England, the eventual winners, and had to settle for third place. Eusébio won the Golden Boot with nine goals but never played in another World Cup.

His impact was huge in Portugal and Africa, and the Portuguese government decreed three days of national mourning, with flags flying at half-mast, while the Portuguese Football Federation ordered a minute's silence ahead of yesterday's Portuguese cup games.

After leaving Benfica, Eusebio was barred from a lucrative move to Italy by the intervention of the Portuguese dictator, António Salazar, and moved instead to the North American Soccer League. After retiring, he returned to Portugal, where he became an ambassador for Benfica and his adopted country. He reportedly suffered a cardiac arrest and is survived by his wife, Flora, two daughters and several grandchildren.

Jacob Steinberg

Port Vale 2-2 Plymouth Argyle | FA Cup third-round match report

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 11:58 AM PST

Plymouth Argyle fought back from two goals down at Port Vale, leaving Brighton & Hove Albion unsure of their fourth-round opponents.

Vale led 2-0 at the interval courtesy of headed goals from Gavin Tomlin and Tom Pope but League Two Plymouth responded impressively against a team who play one division above them. Goals from Reuben Reid and Ben Purrington mean the sides face a replay for the right to host Brighton.

Plymouth came close to a dramatic injury-time winner when Lewis Alessandra's pass set up Andres Gurrieri for a shot that beat Vale's goalkeeper, Chris Neal, but came back off a post.

The day Eusébio applauded me for saving one of his shots | Alex Stepney

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 10:57 AM PST

The Portugal player was a gentleman who respected football, says the former Manchester United goalkeeper

Eusébio was known throughout the world – that's the kind of guy he was. I was very fortunate and honoured to play against him.

In 1967 Manchester United played against him and Benfica in a promotional game in Los Angeles and he scored a couple of goals against me.

I didn't know then that what I learned that day would come in so handy at Wembley for the European Cup final the following May but what I picked up about him and the way he played certainly helped me in my performance. I did use that experience because how often do you play against truly great players?

I'd heard all about Eusébio, I'd seen him on TV – in the '66 World Cup and when United beat Benfica 5-1 the year before I came to the club [in 1966] – so I used that, too.

And all of this gave me a chance regarding the save in the European Cup final, towards the end when it was 1-1, and for which I'm still remembered.

Was I thinking: "It's near the end, I need to keep United in the Cup"? Well, you're lost in the moment. The Wembley turf in those days was slow, lush – when the ball was played through I thought it was probably a 55-45 ball for me but it slowed up and Eusébio was on to it. But this gave me the chance to stand up against him. I knew he wanted to burst the back of the net because that's the way he scored most of his goals. So that helped me.

After making the save I didn't quite follow what happened. I knew there were only a few minutes to go and I wanted to start a counterattack so I threw the ball to Tony Dunne. I saw something out of the corner of my eye but didn't quite understand what was happening. But I saw it on telly afterwards and what had happened was that Eusébio had stood there applauding. Well, that's the kind of man he was: the respect he gave to me and to football was tremendous.

For us in the final, it was a case of stop Eusébio and we'd have a better chance of winning the European Cup. In the first half he had a free-kick which hit the crossbar. He was one of these players, like Sir Bobby Charlton, who had a tremendously hard shot. I mean, the free-kick hit the crossbar and bounced back outside the 18-yard box. That was the power Eusébio had.

He was certainly one of the game's greats and to score over 700 goals for his club is incredible. I don't care who you are, what era you play in: to do that is some achievement. But especially in our day when the game was so different: the balls were heavier, the pitches weren't the same as they are today; it was an extraordinary record.

After the final we did meet again, three or four times. The last was when United played Benfica [two seasons ago] in the group stages of the European Cup. And, seven or eight years ago [in 2005-06], a few of us went over to Portugal as guests of Manchester United and of Benfica. We had lunch with some of the players from the '68 team. Eusébio actually came over here in the return game so it was great to see him and I've got the pictures of the European Cup with him beside me.

He was a gentleman. Once your career finishes, no matter what happened you get together and talk about certain things. When I left United and I went and played in America [for Dallas Tornado] I was in the same team as António Simões who played in the '68 Cup final. We had discussions and he would tell me what a great man Eusébio was, what a great player he was to play with.

Alex Stepney played in goal for Manchester United between 1966 and 1978, and won the European Cup in 1968

Manchester United 1-2 Swansea

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 10:54 AM PST

David Moyes ended this dire defeat with his arms folded, entering and exiting the technical area in the vain hope that his Manchester United side could somehow answer Wilfried Bony's late strike.

The tie had entered a 90th minute when Wayne Routledge zipped past Darren Fletcher down the left and popped up a ball that the unmarked Bony headed beyond Anders Lindegaard.

At the close Moyes was ashen-faced and the unpalatable facts read that this was a fourth home defeat in a month, a fifth in total. With the manager and the United hierarchy contemplating a January transfer window in which little or no strengthening may occur, where the Moyes project goes from this juncture will fascinate.

The Scot admitted a pressing need to recruit. "There is an urgency that we would like to bring people in, but are those players available in January? So there is no point in me hyping it up because the players we would like to bring in are probably not available in January, not because we don't want to do it," he stated. "I said I would try but probably would be doubtful in January, because of the window."

Despite having seven players injured, including Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie, the manager refused to use this as a mitigating factor. "It shouldn't be that [being too reliant on Rooney and Van Persie]. We put out a really strong team, everyone is getting an opportunity to show what they can do and, hopefully, then I will make the decisions from that.

"No excuse – just about every player we had out was an international. Maybe Alex Buttner wasn't, but the others are internationals."

The midfielder Fletcher continued the honesty theme. "It's a massive blow. Let's not kid ourselves here, this is a really bad result, and there are a lot of angry, hurt players," he said. "And we feel we have let the manager and the fans and everyone down today by losing."

As this contest entered the final 20 minutes the old chant of "attack, attack, attack" could be heard from the United congregation. The problem is that while the champions can still dominate for periods they lack that telling edge. Here, again, the issue was paramount against a Swansea City side that offered little yet still came away with the victory and should be applauded for having the X-factor that United so lacked.

The visiting manager, Michael Laudrup, was polite in his assessment of Moyes's team. "I'm not one to sit here and say what level United compares to Barcelona, Madrid, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Man City," he said. "In my world they are still a big team."

As with the 2-1 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur on New Year's Day, United ended the contest camped outside the opposition area but were too blunt and predictable in what, at times, aped a training-ground game of attack versus defence.

For the manager the sight of Rio Ferdinand, making a first appearance for a month, limping off towards the end and his replacement, Fábio da Silva, lasting four minutes before receiving a straight red card for a challenge on José Cañas was yet more attritional fare to digest.

Swansea opened the scoring when, from the centre circle, Bony bounced the ball back to Alejandro Pozuelo and a first-time pass split the United rearguard. Routledge moved on to the ball, held off an exposed Chris Smalling, and lobbed Lindegaard expertly.

Less than four minutes were required for Javier Hernández to square proceedings. His fifth goal of the season was a simple affair, Buttner thumping in a cross from the left that the Mexican finished first time beyond Gerhard Tremmel.

But this failed to steady a United side showing six changes from the 2-1 defeat to Tottenham. If Moyes informed his team to wake up during the break they failed to do so. Almost instantly after the restart Pozuelo was allowed to dance forward before unloading an effort in what proved an augury of Swansea's grandstand finish.

Moyes has now overseen an FA Cup third-round exit at his first attempt as United manager, equalling the grand total Sir Alex Ferguson managed in nearly 27 years as his predecessor.

The Scot needs Rooney and Van Persie back soon. But as with the uncertainty over the precise injury that Ferdinand suffered, the manager said he was unsure if one, or both, of his frontline forwards would be available for Sunderland.

Man of the match Wilfried Bony (Swansea City)

Jamie Jackson

Bizarre news stories to ease you back into work

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 10:30 AM PST

If you missed the one about Kate Winslet calling her baby 'Bear', or Alex Ferguson as the bad guy in Sherlock Holmes, read on …

There's no phrase for it, so let's call it "nightmarish return to reality Monday". The first full week of work of 2014 is upon us, and it's a pain. On the plus side, this year's festive period has given us some cracking workplace conversation starters …

Piers Morgan was pelted with a cricket ball and injured in Melbourne while hundreds of people laughed and cheered. After Morgan questioned the courage of English batsmen at the Ashes, former Australia fast bowler Brett Lee challenged him to stand in for an over. Morgan, to his credit, obliged. And, in front of an unsympathetic crowd, the CNN presenter, with crumbling bravado, took several balls to his body, and broke a rib.

Kate Winslet had a baby and named it "Bear". To be fair, since her husband willingly changed his name to Ned RocknRoll, any hopes the kid might live a normal life were already quite forlorn.

Pussy Riot told us that paranoid Putin believes "that houses walk on chicken legs". The punk band used their first public conference after spending nearly two years in prison to pick up where they left off: criticising the Russian president. Nadezhda Tolokonnikova told reporters his Russia was a "terrifying fairytale" of delusions.

A surgeon in Worcestershire was suspended for allegedly burning his initials on to a patient's liver. A spokesperson for Patient Concern told the Telegraph: "This is a patient we are talking about, not an autograph book."

The Doctor Who Christmas episode baffled everyone who saw it – but still somehow made them cry. The words "Raggedy man, goodbye," brought tears to viewers' eyes. The rest of the episode just made people feel a bit drunk.

Actor Shia LaBeouf plagiarised a series of apologies for plagiarising dialogue in his short film from a graphic novel. File this one under: "pretentious misdirection" and "aggressive contrition".

The Christmas No 1 was a song about urban renewal from the point of view of a building. Fans of The X Factor winner Sam Bailey's Skyscraper can bandy the word "metaphor" about all they like. The rest of us know the truth.

Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour threw out her family's Christmas tree before Christmas Day because it looked "too messy". Her daughter posted a picture to Instagram of their presents piled against a wall. It looked as festive as a grave.

Sir Alex Ferguson turned up as the new bad guy in Sherlock. We only glimpsed the villain's eyes, but the resemblance was so striking that hundreds of viewers took to Twitter and message boards to see if anyone thought the same. They did. We all did.

Edward Snowden told us a child born today would never have an "unrecorded, unanalysed thought". The whistleblower made the claim in his alternative to the Queen's speech, broadcast on Channel 4 on Christmas Day. It was a bit of a festive buzzkill, if we're honest.

Tom Meltzer