Video Assistant Referee (VAR) Lee Mason has left his role "by mutual consent" after his blunder cost Arsenal a win against Brentford last weekend.

The Gunners were held to a 1-1 draw in a London derby last Saturday, though Ivan Toney's equaliser should have been disallowed.

Toney headed in from close range after Christian Norgaard nudged the ball across the face of goal, but the latter had been offside in the build-up.

The goal went to a VAR check for a separate incident instead, with Mason – in charge of the technology for the game – not spotting Norgaard strayed just offside.

The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the body responsible for referees in England, subsequently acknowledged it was a "significant error" and Mason was not assigned to a match for the coming weekend.

PGMOL then revealed on Friday that Mason has left his position with immediate effect.

A statement read: "PGMOL can confirm that Video Assistant Referee Lee Mason has departed the organisation by mutual consent.

"Lee was a Premier League referee for 15 years and oversaw 287 top-flight matches during that time, with his last coming during the closing stages of the 2021-22 season.

"His full career in the professional game saw the 51-year-old officiate in over 500 fixtures after he progressed to the Football League in 1998.

"We would like to thank Lee for his dedicated service to the professional game and wish him all the best for the future."

It was not Mason's first high-profile error of the season, having denied Newcastle United a winner against Crystal Palace in September when ruling out Tyrick Mitchell's own goal for what he deemed to be a foul by Joe Willock on Vicente Guaita in the build-up.

Aaron Jones will remain with the Green Bay Packers after agreeing a restructured contract with the team.

Jones was due to earn $16million in 2023 but has reportedly agreed to reduce that number by $5m.

In return, Jones will receive $8.52m of his $11m as a signing bonus.

Posting on Twitter, the running back wrote: "Year 7 is gonna [sic] be crazy in Lambeau [Field]. Honoured to carry the G and blessed to be back."

Last season, Jones rushed for 1,121 yards, marking his third 1,000-yard campaign in the last four years. However, he scored just two rushing touchdowns. As a receiver, he recorded 395 receiving yards and five touchdowns.

Jones is third on the Packers' all-time list for rushing yards having amassed 5,284 during his five seasons in the NFL. His 43 rushing touchdowns rank fourth.

In 2022, he performed above average in yards before contact per attempt (3.06), yards after contact per rush (2.33) and yards per carry on rushes where there was a disruption by a defender (3.5).

But his efforts were not enough to earn the Packers a playoff berth as they finished 8-9, missing the postseason courtesy of a Week 18 defeat to the Detroit Lions.

Manchester United fan group Rainbow Devils expressed "deep concern" about the club's potential next owners on the day takeover bids were due to be lodged.

Qatari interest in United has been strong and reports have positioned a bid team from the Middle East country as the front-runner to buy out the Glazer family, who have been majority owners since 2005.

There has also been speculation of a possible offer from Saudi Arabia, while British billionaire and United fan Jim Ratcliffe may also look to acquire the club.

Tesla and Twitter magnate Elon Musk has been touted as another possible bidder, with a deadline of 22:00 GMT on Friday having been set for offers to be made.

The Rainbow Devils group, which was founded in 2019, did not specify which of the potential bidders it was concerned by, but said new owners must guarantee to be accommodating to those from all walks of life.

In a statement on Twitter, it said: "Rainbow Devils believe any bidder seeking to buy Manchester United must commit to making football a sport for everyone, including LGBTQ+ supporters, players and staff.

"We therefore have deep concern over some of the bids that are being made. We are watching the current process closely with this in mind."

United fans are anxious to see the back of the Glazer ownership era, and some have indicated they would have few reservations about who comes in to replace the Americans.

That was reflected in a stream of confrontational and dismissive quote-tweet replies to the Rainbow Devils' message, although some welcomed the group's stance.

Qatar and Saudi Arabia have faced criticism over their human rights records, particularly regarding attitudes towards and treatment of women and LGBTQ people.

French giants Paris Saint-Germain have been owned by Qatari investors since 2011, while Newcastle United were bought out by a Saudi-led consortium in October 2021.

Son Heung-min is receiving no guarantees regarding his starting role at Tottenham amid a disappointing campaign on an individual level.

The South Korea star was one of the Premier League's standout players last season, sharing the Golden Boot with Mohamed Salah after scoring 23 times.

But in the 2022-23 season Son has netted just four in 21 league appearances, meaning he looks likely to fall short of 10 top-flight goals for the first time since his debut campaign in England (2015-16, four goals).

Son's per-90-minute averages of 0.2 goals, 0.26 expected goals, 1.0 open-play chances created and 0.36 goal involvements this season are all new lows for him in the Premier League.

Tottenham's lack of options in attack has perhaps contributed to Son keeping his place, but with the fit-again Richarlison pushing for a first start since before the World Cup after returning to action last month, the former Bayer Leverkusen man might find himself benched soon.

Certainly, Stellini – who is standing in for Antonio Conte again after he was ordered to return home to recover from surgery – does not appear to be offering Son any assurances over his place in the team.

"Every time when you pick the team, you have to leave someone on the bench, and normally it is not important the player you have to maybe leave on the bench, it is about the team that has to play," Stellini told reporters ahead of Sunday's visit of West Ham.

"It is important also that some important players stay on the bench for their effort when they come in. This is very important.

"We have experience with Sonny; we have experience with Richarlison; we have experienced with [Dejan] Kulusevski from the bench, they change the game.

"This is normal and it is normal for everyone, not because you have an important player he has to play compulsory.

"If he needs to play sometimes, also he needs to rest because we have a tough fixture [list]. We have a tough moment and we play many times. Sometimes you have to change the player and also to perform better."

Richarlison has made four substitute appearances since recovering from the hamstring injury he sustained in Qatar.

Stellini is "absolutely" convinced the Brazilian is now 100 per cent fit, hinting he sees him as a viable weapon as Spurs look to further their cause for a top-four spot.

Asked if he was looking for a way to fit Richarlison into the side, Stellini said: "Yes, this is our expectation for Richy.

"We were very unlucky with him because [of the injury] in the World Cup. We've missed Richy now for a long time. We missed Richy.

"In the best moment we had him at the start of the season, he was a player who changed our game.

"He changed the pace of the game during the game and when he started. He scored two goals in the Champions League and that was important.

"We've lost him sometimes and we have to accept it and work to have him back at the top, and his performance now I think could be good."

Iga Swiatek and Jessica Pegula will clash in a WTA Tour final for the first time after taking wildly contrasting routes through to the Qatar Open title match.

While Pegula was taken to three sets by Maria Sakkari on Friday, world number one and defending champion Swiatek required only 56 minutes to score a 6-0 6-1 drubbing of Veronika Kudermetova.

In windy conditions in Doha, the top two seeds set up a Saturday showdown that will have plenty riding on it in terms of their rivalry.

When Swiatek lost to Pegula in early January at the United Cup in Sydney, winning only four games, the Pole was left in tears.

The rematch will either see Swiatek reassert her dominance over Pegula, or see the American show she has the 21-year-old's number for now.

Swiatek won all four matches she played against Pegula last season, with French Open and US Open quarter-finals victories among that set, but their last match has put a fresh spin on the head-to-head.

Crushing Kudermetova showed Swiatek at her ruthless best, and the world number one said: "I feel great. I was pretty worried how I was going to cope with the conditions today so I'm glad I played a smart way and I'm pretty happy I was so solid."

She is relishing the chance to test herself against Pegula again, saying: "It always takes a lot to win against Jessie. She's a great player, a really solid one, and we'll see, honestly. I'm not going to predict anything or over-analyse, I'll just play my best tennis."

Pegula overcame Greek fifth seed Sakkari 6-2 4-6 6-1 in the first semi-final.

While Swiatek will be chasing a 12th WTA-level singles title, the 28-year-old Pegula is after a third such trophy.

Speaking of the Sakkari match, Pegula said: "That was probably the hardest conditions I've ever had to play in, wind-wise. I played very smart."

Simone Inzaghi says the heated on-field exchange between Inter team-mates Nicolo Barella and Romelu Lukaku is understandable as both players were showing their desire.

Barella and Lukaku could be seen arguing during a frustrating first half for Inter in their goalless Serie A draw against Sampdoria on Monday.

Lukaku angrily wagged his finger at Barella after the Italy international had petulantly waved his arms in the air.

Asked to explain the mid-game dispute between his two players, Inzaghi tried to take positives out of the situation.

"Barella is totally committed to the cause. He has so much motivation and always wants to win," Inzaghi told Inter TV.

"The desire can at times spill over, but we all know what kind of person he is. I have confidence in him and the rest of the team."

Barella and Lukaku are in contention to start Inter's home league match against Udinese on Saturday as they look to return to winning ways in Serie A.

Inter may find themselves 18 points behind Napoli by then, with the leaders travelling to Sassuolo on Friday.

Despite having a big Champions League last-16 first-leg tie with Porto coming up on Wednesday, Inzaghi suggested he does not intend to rest any key players against Udinese.

"We will need to be at our best. I may be repetitive but despite the Champions League on the horizon, the focus is on Inter-Udinese," he said.

"I think that our biggest motivation tomorrow comes from wanting to win in front of our fans.

"I will make the necessary assessments. I will rely on all players, the starters and those on the bench."

Tiger Woods was accused of a "stupid" and misogynistic prank at the Genesis Invitational after handing Justin Thomas a tampon during his opening round.

Woods passed the sanitary product to his friend after outdriving Thomas from the ninth tee, with the 15-time major winner facing criticism on his return to the PGA Tour.

This is not only 47-year-old Woods' comeback event, having not played competitively since last year's Open Championship, but he is also the tournament host.

USA Today writer Christine Brennan wrote of the bizarre incident: "Woods' message to Thomas was obvious. It has been the go-to line of silly, often insecure boys for generations: You play like a girl. Really, Tiger?"

Brennan said Thursday's episode was "basic misogyny" and "a knee-slapper of a dig against female athletes".

Julie DiCaro, author of the book 'Sidelined: Sports, Culture, and Being a Woman in America', also condemned Woods.

She wrote on Twitter: "Ugh. All the guys think this is hilarious, but the joke is denigrating women. So played out and stupid."

Golf writer Shane Ryan, author of Ryder Cup book 'The Cup They Couldn't Lose', said Woods had reached a "new low" with his antics.

Ryan wrote: "Tiger Woods' humour has always been slightly lame, dumb-jock type of stuff, but becoming a prop comic? That's a new low."

Other views were available, and former professional golfer turned social media personality Paige Spiranac defended Woods, writing: "If anyone tries to cancel Tiger over this we riot. It's funny.

"I need a LIV vs PGA tour Ryder cup type event just so Tiger can give Phil [Mickelson] a tampon after out driving him."

Woods finished his first round with three consecutive birdies to score a two-under-par 70 . He dropped back to level par after bogeying two of his opening four holes on Friday, after starting his second round on the back nine, before making birdie at his fifth to repair some of the early damage.

Brendan Rodgers wants James Maddison to sign a new contract with Leicester City but will not be "begging" the England international to stay.

Leicester signed Maddison from Norwich City in 2018 in a deal reportedly worth £20million and has since gone on to become one of the Premier League's best attacking midfielders.

Although injuries have troubled him this season, Maddison has been involved in 21 goals in his last 19 Premier League starts, scoring 13 and assisting another eight.

His 14 goal involvements in the top flight this term is bettered by only six players, all of whom have played at least 500 minutes more than Maddison.

But his contract is due to expire at the end of June 2024 and Leicester do not appear to be making much progress on a new deal, meaning a sale at the end of the season is increasingly likely.

Rodgers is prepared to move on, however, adamant one player leaving is not a catastrophe.

"It's been a conversation the club have been having with his representatives for a while, so nothing's changed there," Rodgers told reporters ahead of Sunday's trip to Manchester United.

"His contract is clear where it's at. For me, it's about making sure James is playing at the best level he can be, and thankfully he's doing just that. He's staying available and fit.

"It'd be great [if he signed a new deal]. He's a top player in the league, he's shown that in his time here, gradually.

"You can see that development take place. We improve players and give them great conditions to work in, but I won't be begging a player to stay.

"They get great support here and if they've been here, they understand what the club is about. This is a great club, great facilities and they have to understand that.

"But it's a short career and they have to think about the future. I understand what they're thinking."

More pressing than contract talks, however, is the upcoming clash at Old Trafford.

Rodgers expects to have Youri Tielemans, Boubakary Soumare and Maddison – whose record of no goals in eight games against United is his worst record versus any club in the Premier League – available for the match after recent fitness issues.

Leicester head into the game on the back of something of an upturn in form, winning their past two Premier League matches, though they have not won three in a row since January 2021.

Tottenham's stand-in boss Cristian Stellini said Antonio Conte feels he underestimated the seriousness of his gallbladder surgery. 

Conte had the organ removed at the start of February after experiencing severe abdominal pain and took a short break from Spurs to begin his recovery.

The Italian returned to duties on the training pitch last week before the 4-1 defeat to Leicester City in the Premier League and then oversaw a Champions League defeat to Milan at San Siro.

However, Conte has since had his recovery progress checked out, and it was decided he will need more time away from frontline work.

Stellini will take charge for Sunday's home clash with West Ham, and asked if Conte might need an extended break, he told reporters: "Health is more important than football and this is the reason why the club, Antonio and the doctors decide to take this responsibility and leave Antonio in Italy after the last game.

"We don't know the time. He needs to rest. The doctor thinks about the timing and they have an idea but it is really a feeling from Antonio.

"[The doctor] explained very well that surgery was not an easy surgery. It was an emergency surgery. The inflammation was big and maybe they underestimated this situation. He needs time to be 100 per cent and Antonio not at 100 per cent is not Antonio.

"That creates stress and overstress and this is dangerous after a surgery like that.

"We have a call every day, many times in a day, probably three times per day, but he wants to come back."

Quizzed on the level of authority he has while in temporary charge, Stellini replied: "I have the same authority before he came back but since the moment he came back, Antonio's feeling was that maybe he underestimated the procedure after the surgery.

"Coming close to the [Leicester] game, the stress, the tension he had before the game created some problems. When they checked with the doctor, with the club, they spoke for a long time about this and the decision was this.

"He needs to take it easy again. He will come back soon."

On the pitch, Stellini – who oversaw a 1-0 win over Manchester City earlier this month – is looking for a reaction after the successive defeats.

"I want to see the reaction from the start," he said. "The first minute will be very important for us because we have to show the desire to play the best game we can."

Spurs were dealt another blow this week, with midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur ruled out for the rest of the season due to an ACL injury.

Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings has signed a new contract with the Premier League club that will run through until the end of the 2025-26 season.

England international Mings has made 149 appearances since joining Villa from Bournemouth in January 2019, initially on loan before signing permanently six months later.

The 29-year-old's existing deal was due to expire next year, but Villa confirmed on Friday he has signed an extension.

"Since the day I arrived, this has always been the place for me and I'm really happy to extend my contract here," Mings posted on social media. 

"Thank you for all of your support over the last four years and I'm excited to see what we can still achieve together."

Mings was stripped of the captaincy by former boss Steven Gerrard ahead of this season, but he has been a key player since Unai Emery was appointed in October.

The centre-back had played every minute in the Premier League under Emery prior to missing last weekend's defeat to Manchester City through injury.

"I am very happy with him. His commitment is great and his performances are great," Emery said of the England international.

"He is in the best moment in his career and I think the supporters love him."

Emery confirmed Mings has returned to training this week and will be assessed ahead of Saturday's home league meeting with Arsenal.

A man has been banned from attending football matches for four years after pleading guilty to assaulting Aaron Ramsdale at last month's north London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham. 

Arsenal goalkeeper Ramsdale was kicked in the back by a home supporter following Arsenal's 2-0 Premier League win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on January 15.

Joseph Watts, a 35-year-old man from east London, appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates Court on Friday, pleading guilty to assault by beating.

As well as his lengthy ban from attending football matches, Watts has been ordered to pay Ramsdale £100 in compensation and has been given a community order.

Watts was seen climbing onto the advertising hoardings before kicking Ramsdale and turning back into the stands as the goalkeeper collected his belongings from behind the goal following a heated discussion with Spurs forward Richarlison.

The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) described the incident as "unacceptable", while Tottenham said they were "appalled" by Watts' actions.

Graham Potter is hoping for a quick resolution to talks around Mason Mount's Chelsea future, although he acknowledged the situation is "complicated".

Mount's contract at Stamford Bridge is due to expire at the end of the 2023-24 season, and reports suggest progress has stalled in discussions between Mount and Chelsea over a new deal.

Premier League rivals Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool have been credited with an interest in Mount should he decide against staying at Stamford Bridge.

The midfielder would be a big miss for Chelsea, having scored three goals and assisted three more in all competitions this season.

Only Raheem Sterling (nine) and Kai Havertz (seven) have been involved in more goals for a profligate Chelsea side.

"It is always complicated," Potter said of Mount's future. "There's always negotiations.

"It is best to leave it between Mason and the club. It is the best way for that to be dealt with.

"He has been fantastic to work with, an important player. Of course, I hope it gets resolved quickly."

Christophe Galtier accused a reporter of "lacking a little respect" when asking about Paris Saint-Germain's tactics as the under-pressure coach bids to get his team's season back on track.

Three defeats have left PSG bruised, with a Coupe de France exit at Marseille's hands followed by a Ligue 1 defeat at Monaco and a Champions League last-16 first-leg loss to Bayern Munich.

Ahead of a home game on Sunday against his former club Lille, Galtier was asked about the low block he deployed initially against Bayern on Tuesday.

Hampered by injuries, Galtier resorted to a defensive tactic he felt would give PSG a chance of resisting the German champions until he could introduce Kylian Mbappe – back from an injury break – off the bench and open up the game.

Galtier appeared to be in the process of being asked whether he would use the same system against Lille, a team who, like Bayern, play in an open, attacking manner.

"Are you making fun of me by asking this question?" Galtier said, interrupting the reporter.

"Do you think I was satisfied with what I saw against Bayern? No, I was not satisfied.

"My players didn't do well. We had a game plan that was adapted to the players available. Do you think that starting Warren Zaire-Emery in such an important Champions League game under the age of 17 is something I had been working towards?

"The circumstances dictated that, and I didn't have other options. We wanted to contain Bayern Munich, to then move into the second phase by bringing Kylian on.

"When Kylian came on, it created more openings for Bayern, but also for us. It was a different game.

"I respect your question, but if you think that I enjoyed watching my team play that way for 60 minutes, it's because – with a lot of respect – you are lacking a little respect."

Jumping back in, the reporter suggested Galtier had given an answer that was not in line with the question being asked.

He was stopped in his tracks again as Galtier cut in, saying: "PSG have to play attacking, attractive football. It doesn't have to be spectacular, but it has to be effective to win. If the players can put on a spectacle and entertain the fans, of course we will do that."

Galtier is in his first season with PSG, having taken over from Mauricio Pochettino who led the Parisians to the French league title in 2021-22 but oversaw exits from the Coupe de France and Champions League at the last-16 stage.

If PSG fail to overturn their deficit against Bayern, they risk exactly the same outcome this season, providing they make sure of the Ligue 1 trophy.

Domestic league success was not enough for Pochettino to be retained and the same may apply for Galtier, who on taking the PSG job said it was one that comes with "more pressure than anywhere else".