Chelsea's busy January is showing no signs of slowing down, despite landing five players already.

The Blues, who are 10th in the Premier League, have brought in Mykhaylo Mudryk, Noni Madueke, Andrey Santos, David Datro Fofana and Benoit Badiashile during this window.

Chelsea are 10 points behind fourth-placed Manchester United and desperate for a top-four finish to bring Champions League football back to Stamford Bridge.

And another signing is now imminent.


TOP STORY –  CHELSEA AGREE DEAL FOR LYON'S GUSTO

Fabrizio Romano claims Chelsea have agreed to a deal with Lyon to sign right-back Malo Gusto.

The 19-year-old will fly to London and undergo medical tests on Saturday, with the player to join the Blues in June 2023.

Lyon will receive €30million plus add-ons and retain the player on loan for the remainder of the season.

OL head coach Laurent Blanc had said the club's board guaranteed that he would remain with the club this season, with the loan solving that roadblock. 

ROUND-UP

Arsenal will make an improved offer for Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo , according to The Telegraph. The Seagulls turned down Arsenal's initial £60m bid for the Ecuadorian, who took to social media to plead with the club to let him go.

Atletico Madrid are back in for PSG defender Presnel Kimpembe , having been interested in him during the off-season, reports Le Parisien. Kimpembe, who is out of contract in mid-2024, may slip out of favour at PSG with the French champions pushing to sign Inter's Milan Skriniar.

Real Madrid have ruled out an off-season transfer for West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice , according to The Daily Mail. The report claims Rice has "given his word" to Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta that he will join the Gunners next season.

– Roma midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo has rejected a move to Premier League strugglers Bournemouth despite the club's board travelling to Italy, preferring Milan or Tottenham instead, claims Fabrizio Romano.

– FootMercato claims PSG are readying a bid for Lyon's 19-year-old winger Rayan Cherki. PSG have previously tabled two bids for him.

– Lyon are also set to lose 22-year-old Brazilian winger Tete who will join Leicester City until the end of the season, reports The Sun. West Ham, Brentford and Leeds United were also interested in Tete.

Marcus Rashford's scintillating form comes from "just confidence" and not the influence of Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, who joked: "I'm not Harry Potter".

The England international scored his 18th goal of the season amid a routine 3-0 EFL Cup semi-final first-leg victory at Nottingham Forest on Wednesday.

Only Erling Haaland (31) has netted more than Rashford among Premier League players in all competitions this term, though Ten Hag says he has had little influence on the United forward's development.

"I'm not Harry Potter," the Dutchman said ahead of Saturday's fourth-round FA Cup clash at home to Reading.

"It's just confidence. Every player has to make and get his own confidence.

"He fought for this, he invested in this. Of course with my coaching staff, we bring in structures, especially in the way of play that gives him routines that he needs to get into the right position.

"But finally, it's up to him, and when the player has the confidence then I'm convinced, in the way we are working – the way of play is most important but the environment and the culture are also important – then the player can perform at his best.

"It's obvious that Marcus is in really good form. From day to day, from training to training, from game to game, the routines are coming in."

Rashford has found the net 10 times after the World Cup, in which England fell to quarter-final elimination against France in Qatar.

Harry Maguire was another to impress in the Middle East for Gareth Southgate's side, but opportunities remain limited on club duty at Old Trafford.

A potential move to Unai Emery's Aston Villa was reported for Maguire, who Ten Hag urged to fight for a starting role at United amid competition from Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof. Luke Shaw has also been used at centre-back.

"No, he's not fifth choice,” he said about Maguire. "But it's up to him.

"I have to say he's training very well, bringing quality, and that is what I expect from all the players in the squad.

"He has to fight for his position and things can change, sometimes really quickly. He is making progress."

An FA Cup clash against Championship side Reading may present Maguire with an opportunity to feature from the start, though Ten Hag refuted claims he does not trust the centre-back in big matches.

He said: "That's not true. After the World Cup he should have played but then he got ill. I can't do anything about that and he knows that. Then the team comes in a run [of form] and he has to wait for his chance."

LaLiga finds itself in the rather awkward position where it wants the competition to be competitive internally while also desperate for the 'big two' to remain the behemoths they are, because Real Madrid and Barcelona are good for business.

President Javier Tebas insists LaLiga is, in sporting terms, the most competitive league in the world, something he believes is proven by the performances of Spanish teams in Europe over the past 20 years or so.

To his credit, the incredibly divisive figure of Tebas has done plenty of good for Spanish football. In general it is far more financially stable than when he was elected in 2013, and the centralised sale of TV broadcast rights has levelled the playing field a little more.

Fairly or not, though, there are many who feel that there only being two – or three in some years – teams capable of winning the league shows its lack of competitiveness.

But when a club does rise above the rabble, the financial disparity between Real Madrid and Barcelona and the rest makes the achievement of simply challenging all the more impressive.

This time it's Real Sociedad, and on Sunday they could make a statement.

La Real out to put the big boys on notice

The omens aren't great.

Real Madrid have lost only one of their last 15 LaLiga home games against La Real (W12 D2), the one exception coming in May 2019.

But there's something a bit different about this vintage.

Until the slender 1-0 Copa del Rey defeat to Barcelona at Camp Nou on Thursday, La Real's nine-match winning streak across all competitions was the best such run they have managed since returning to LaLiga for the 2010-11 season.

Sitting third heading into the weekend, La Real are seven points clear of fourth-placed Atletico Madrid and already look near-certainties for the Champions League.

Defeat to Barca in the week was undoubtedly a setback, but it provided yet more evidence of them not being easy to beat.

The fact their 38 points from 18 matches is just two shy of a club record set in the 2002-03 season – more on that team later – highlights just how impressive they've been generally.

Yet, it doesn't tell the whole story. Imanol Alguacil has overseen this start to the campaign despite losing Alexander Isak to Newcastle United and then seeing his replacement Umar Sadiq succumb to a serious knee injury – from which he still hasn't recovered – after playing just 82 minutes for his new club.

The neat and intelligent Martin Zubimendi thrives in defensive midfield; 36-year-old David Silva continues to defy his age as the number 10; Robin Le Normand has developed into one of the most under-rated centre-backs in the league; Brais Mendez has taken their midfield to a new level; and Alexander Sorloth – who once scored no Premier League goals in a year at Crystal Palace and netted just four all last season for La Real – is the unlikely talisman up top.

The big Norwegian has scored eight goals, none of which have been penalties, in LaLiga. Only Robert Lewandowski (13) has more, while Sorloth ranks third for non-penalty expected goals (xG) with 6.0.

We can't call it a title challenge yet. They are still six points behind Barca having played a game more than the Blaugrana.

But with just over half the season still to go, La Real find themselves in position to pounce should Xavi's side let up – providing they can retain their own momentum.

Win at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday and everyone else will begin to take them a little more seriously as well.

Two points from immortality

La Real have been here before.

Their flirt with the title in the 2002-03 season is probably the best example of a so-close-yet-so-far tale in modern Spanish football.

It effectively came out of nowhere, too.

Four successive seasons of mid-table obscurity had offered no hint of what was to come, and what followed that campaign made it all seem like a farfetched dream.

La Real pushed a Madrid side that included Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, Luis Figo and Roberto Carlos to the wire, even beating them 4-2 at Anoeta to reinvigorate their campaign after a chastening derby defeat to Athletic Bilbao in late 2002 was followed by something of a blip.

The Basques headed into the final three games of the season knowing nine points would secure the rarest of title wins.

They had risen to most challenges to that point. Their little-and-large striker duo of Darko Kovacevic and Nihat Kahveci plundered goals at will, racking up 43 between them; Xabi Alonso gave them almost ceaseless control in midfield; Valery Karpin and Javier de Pedro provided ammunition from the flanks.

But it couldn't have been a shock that a team without a league title since 1982 crumbled in the end. A draw at home to Valencia was followed by defeat to Celta Vigo in Galicia, while Madrid beat Atletico Madrid.

La Real's win over Los Colchoneros on the final day of the season was insufficient to keep hopes alive as Madrid comfortably saw off Athletic.

It was a valiant effort, with La Real edged out by two points when all was said and done, but it was not the start of a prosperous new era. What followed was four seasons of dicing with relegation, the last ultimately claiming them and leading to three campaigns in the second tier.

The difference this time? Stability, consistency. The past six years have essentially confirmed La Real as a top-half team, finishing sixth or higher four times, including in each of the last three.

Imanol has been in charge for those three, moulding La Real into a highly organised, high-pressing and dynamic side. But their institutional excellence goes deeper than that, with synergy a key priority from top to bottom, hence how 15 members of the first-team squad have come up through the academy or the B team. Make that 16 if you include the coach himself.

In all likelihood, La Real probably won't get that close to becoming the first team to upset the established order of the historical 'big three' since Valencia in 2004. Barcelona and Real Madrid are still too big for most to really go toe-to-toe with over a 38-game season, regardless of Tebas' changes.

But with arguably a far more talented squad than 20 years ago, La Real are much better equipped to at least make title challenges a regular dream.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta revealed Thomas Partey will undergo an MRI scan after picking up a knock that forced him off at half-time in Friday's 1-0 FA Cup loss to Manchester City.

The Ghanaian midfielder started the game but did not return after the break, replaced by Albert Sambi Lokonga, before Nathan Ake netted the 64th-minute winner.

Partey has been a near ever-present for Arsenal this term, making 16 Premier League starts but may be set for a stint on the sidelines with an apparent rib issue.

"He felt something and we didn't want to take any risks, so he could not continue," Arteta told reporters. "He had some discomfort and it was getting worse and worse.

"Tomorrow or the day after we'll have to have an MRI scan and see what he has."

Arteta would not be drawn on whether Partey's potential injury means they need to invest in midfield reinforcements during the January transfer window.

"At the moment we've had the injury of Mo [Elneny] – it's been impossible to get him fit," Arteta said.

"Sambi's come in and I think he's done well. That's why we have players. It's true that Thomas is a big influence, a big personality and an important player in our squad. In the second half, we didn't have him."

Arteta would not be drawn on speculation linking the Gunners with a £60million bid for Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Felipe Caicedo either. The Ecuadorian took to social media on Friday to plead with his club to let him go.

"You know that I'm not going to comment on any players until anything is done," Arteta said.

'"As I said before, we've been pretty active in the market. We have some necessities and if something else is available, the club is willing to try to do it when it's reasonable.

"Hopefully [that would be] a player that can improve our squad."

Xavi has backed Marcos Alonso to play a big part in Barcelona's quest for more trophies after he signed a new contract on Friday.

Alonso arrived at Camp Nou in September as a free agent after leaving Chelsea, putting pen to paper on a deal until the end of this season.

The left-back has extended his stay with the LaLiga leaders by a further 12 months, with his buyout clause remaining at €50million.

Alonso has made 19 appearances in his first season with the Blaugrana, scoring twice and celebrating a Supercopa de Espana triumph this month following a win over fierce rivals Real Madrid.

Barca head coach Xavi welcomed the 32-year-old's decision to sign a new deal.

He said: "I am really happy with Marcos. Firstly, as a person and as a professional inside the dressing room, where he has adapted really well.

"But also as a player. He is solid, mature and experienced. He has been a top-level signing and will be really important for us moving forward."

Teenager Angel Alarcon has also signed a new contract with the Catalan giants, keeping him at the club until 2025 with a mammoth €400m release clause.

Mikel Arteta saw Arsenal's FA Cup hopes ended by Manchester City and took issue with the defending that allowed Nathan Ake to score the only goal at the Etihad Stadium.

The Spaniard has been a winner in the competition as a player and as a head coach with the Gunners, but this will not be the London club's year for Wembley glory.

Their chief focus is on the Premier League, which they lead by five points from City with a game in hand, but these teams must meet twice in that competition before the end of the season.

Arsenal have now lost 13 of their past 14 games against City in all competitions, including six in a row, and Arteta was left to rue one lapse in concentration in Friday's fourth-round tussle.

He told ITV: "We're disappointed. I think we could have got much more from the game.

"It was a really tight match, a really competitive game, and an action decided the game and unfortunately we are out."

Assessing Ake's 64th-minute winner, Arteta said: "I think we could have defended that much better, in the discipline that we need in the box to stay with their runners."

Arsenal only had five goal attempts, with just one in the second half as City dominated, but their boss felt they still had opportunities to get at the Premier League champions.

"We had big situations there, and we didn't put them away and in these games we need to do that," he said.

"We can take lots of positives. The way we approached the game and the way we competed in the game was really good, because it's very hard to do it against this incredible team.

"We played face to face against them. [We] know that in big moments, in big matches, you have to make a difference and that's how you win against these teams."

Reports have claimed Gabriel Martinelli, used as a substitute in this game, has agreed a new four-and-a-half-year contract with Arsenal, but Arteta refused to discuss the Brazil winger's future.

"I don't talk about anything about our players till it's done," he said.

CONMEBOL and Concacaf have announced the signing of a strategic collaboration agreement to strengthen and develop football in both regions. The agreement includes men's and women's national team competitions and a new men's club tournament.

The CONMEBOL Copa America 2024 will be played in the United States in the summer of 2024 and will include 10 CONMEBOL teams and the six best Concacaf teams, as guests. This traditional CONMEBOL tournament will be co-organized by both confederations.

The six Concacaf national teams will have the opportunity to qualify for this competition through the 2023/24 Concacaf Nations League.

For CONMEBOL, this agreement will support its men's national teams in their preparation for the upcoming World Cup through an expanded Copa America featuring six elite Concacaf teams, organized in the region that will host the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Similarly, this agreement will allow Concacaf to provide more high-quality competition for its men's national teams over the next two years, including the conclusion of the 2022/23 Concacaf Nations League, the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup and the 2023/24 Concacaf Nations League.

For women's national teams, Concacaf has invited the top four CONMEBOL national teams to participate in the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup. The inaugural edition of this 12-team tournament, which is a key part of Concacaf’s new women's national team ecosystem, will be played in the United States.

The two Concacaf teams that will participate in the 2024 Summer Olympics (United States and Jamaica or Canada) will qualify directly for the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup. The remaining six Concacaf teams will be determined through the 2023 Road to Concacaf W Gold Cup.

The four guest CONMEBOL teams that will participate have been determined based on the results of the 2022 Women’s Copa America: Brazil (champion) Colombia (runner-up), Argentina (third place) and Paraguay (fourth place).

CONMEBOL and Concacaf will also organize a centralized "final four" style club competition featuring the best clubs from the respective confederations. The four participating teams (two from each confederation) will qualify through existing CONMEBOL and Concacaf club competitions and the two confederations are working towards the first edition of this tournament being played in 2024.

 “CONMEBOL and Concacaf are united by historical and affective ties. But above all, we are united by the passion, characteristic of all the Americas, for football and sports,” said CONMEBOL President Alejandro Domínguez.

“We are determined to renew and expand our joint initiatives and projects. We want this passion to translate into more and better competitions and for football and its values to grow and strengthen throughout the hemisphere. Without a doubt, both confederations believe in big, and we will work with this orientation.”

Meanwhile, Victor Montagliani, President of Concacaf, believes this new initiative will be a boon to both confederations.

“This is a partnership to support the ongoing growth of men’s and women’s football in Concacaf and CONMEBOL, and will truly be of mutual benefit to both Confederations,” he said.

“Working hand in hand with CONMEBOL, we will deliver elite competitions that will provide more opportunities for our federations, and that we know passionate fans want to see. We look forward to working together to ensure that football in both regions continues to thrive.”

 

 

Julian Nagelsmann believes Bayern Munich must improve their attitude if they are to get back to winning ways in the Bundesliga.

Joshua Kimmich's 90th-minute equaliser was enough to earn a late point at home to Koln on Tuesday, but the result was Bayern's second consecutive 1-1 draw after they failed to beat RB Leipzig the previous week.

Their shaky form since returning from the extended Bundesliga mid-season break has given hope to title challengers such as Union Berlin and Leipzig, the former of whom sit second and just three points behind Nagelsmann's men at the summit.

With Bayern aiming to win their 11th straight title, Nagelsmann pointed to his team's need for an improved mindset heading into the rest of the season.

When asked whether he had any questions over Bayern's mentality, Nagelsmann told reporters: "I often talk to our team psychologist about it. That's always a big word.

"The atmosphere is like it always is at Bayern when you don't win. Not restless, but not super happy either.

"Each of our players is a great talent and a great footballer. They also have a lot of desire and a great will. You just have to get back to those things.

"Then we have more quality than other teams in the Bundesliga and in Europe.

"But for me it's not about mentality, it's about attitude, and better attitude."

Nagelsmann revealed Serge Gnabry will not start against Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday after the winger was hooked at half-time of the draw with Koln.

The former Arsenal man already caused a stir when he used a day off to attend Paris Fashion Week prior to Tuesday's poor performance, with his replacement Kingsley Coman recording four key passes after his introduction, tied for the game high.

Nagelsmann says it will be the France international who gets to start against Frankfurt, saying: "Gnabry had the chance to show himself against Koln. I don't want to hold tabloid issues so high. He didn't take his chance in Cologne.

"We had a good conversation and I explained to him that his substitution was only for sporting reasons.

"We had a good man on the bench in Kingsley Coman against Koln, who will start tomorrow."

Leon Goretzka was also taken off at half-time against Koln, though his removal was because of injury concerns, and Nagelsmann confirmed the midfielder will play no part on Saturday after having to leave training early on Thursday.

"Leon will be out," Nagelsmann stated. "He has nerve problems on the inside of his thighs. He can probably play again on Wednesday [against Mainz in the DFB-Pokal].

"Unfortunately, Leon keeps having aches and pains, and that won't change anymore. He invests a lot. I support him and we communicate frequently."

Jadon Sancho is "making steps" towards returning for Manchester United and could play against Reading in the FA Cup on Saturday, manager Erik ten Hag revealed.

Sancho has not featured for United since a 1-1 draw against Chelsea in October, with Ten Hag giving the reason for his absence as "circumstances with fitness and mood".

The 22-year-old returned to training last week, but Ten Hag ruled him out of the 3-2 Premier League defeat at leaders Arsenal on Sunday, a loss that ended a run of six league games undefeated.

During Sancho's time away, Ten Hag has played both 18-year-old Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford at left-wing, the latter of whom is on a run of 10 goals in as many games in all competitions since returning from the World Cup.

While Garnacho and Rashford have impressed in Sancho's absence, with United the only English team left competing on four fronts, the former Borussia Dortmund man's return could provide Ten Hag with useful depth as they bid to end a six-year trophy drought.

Ten Hag is hoping Sancho will be back on the field soon, and did not rule out him making an appearance against Reading at Old Trafford in the FA Cup fourth round.

"He [Sancho] is training with the team, and we will see," Ten Hag told reporters. "He's improving, he's making steps, and we will make the decision after training [whether he will play against Reading].

"He's on the way back, he's making steps, he's back in team training, and we have to see when he's ready to go back into games."

The cup tie with Reading will be United's eighth match since the start of 2023, but Ten Hag is confident of putting out a more than capable line-up against the Royals, saying: "We always have issues.

"But I think tomorrow we will have a strong selection for this game, we have a good squad, we can cover things."

Ten Hag warned against complacency against a side 30 places below them in the English football pyramid, explaining: "Football is never decided on paper, we have to be ready for every game.

"Every opponent will be tough. Especially in the cup for them, it's a perfect chance. We have to be aware of that, be on the front foot, focused and [with] energy. We want to win every game."

United continue to have problems at full-back, with Luke Shaw and Diogo Dalot both missing the 3-0 EFL Cup semi-final first-leg victory over Nottingham Forest with knocks.

Ten Hag ruled out Dalot for the Reading game while he could not commit on Shaw, though he lauded Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Tyrell Malacia for how they deputised against Forest.

"Dalot definitely out and Shaw a question mark," Ten Hag added. "We have to see after training.

"I think Aaron and Tyrell play magnificent in this moment, on Wednesday they were really brilliant, the whole back four was really brilliant. 

"In the back four we have really adapted the squad, that's what you need with 10 games in 30 days."

Christophe Galtier has held talks with Presnel Kimpembe to clarify that the centre-back remains one of Paris Saint-Germain's vice-captains.

Kylian Mbappe wore the captain's armband in Monday's 7-0 Coupe de France win over sixth-tier Pays de Cassel in the absence of regular skipper Marquinhos.

Speaking to reporters after the cup rout, Galtier said Mbappe – who scored five times – "deserves" to be second captain when Marquinhos is not available.

Kimpembe, who has not played since November due to a heel injury, took to social media on Tuesday to state he had not been previously informed about Galtier's decision.

However, PSG head coach Galtier has since discussed the matter with Kimpembe to dissipate any misunderstanding.

"I expressed myself badly on Monday," Galtier said at a pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday's Ligue 1 match with Reims. 

"The choices are very clear: Kylian is one of the vice-captains. Every time Kimpembe has been on the field and Marquinhos hasn't been, Kimpembe has had the armband.

"When Marquinhos isn't available, there is another captain. In the Lens match there was neither Kimpembe, Marco [Verratti] nor Marquinhos, so Kylian was captain.

"I decided to have Kylian as captain in the last game because he is one of the vice-captains, not 'the' vice-captain. I've had a discussion with Kimpembe to explain all this."

 

PSG's victory against Pays de Cassel came on the back of a 1-0 loss to Rennes in their most recent Ligue 1 match as their lead on Lens at the summit was cut to three points.

However, not since September 2020 have they lost successive league matches, while their return of 47 points after 19 matches is their fifth-best ever at this stage.

The reigning champions face a tough test this weekend, though, as they host a Reims side unbeaten in 11 Ligue 1 games – the longest run of any side in the division.

"It will be a difficult match for us to begin this run of games," Galtier said. "They have changed system and coach, and we know it will be a challenge for us.

"We now have Kimpembe back in training and Marco Verratti is back with the group. We have to cope with the calendar and focus more on recovery."

PSG are unbeaten in their past 31 Ligue 1 games at the Parc des Princes, winning 27 of those, and have scored in each of the past 20 on home soil.

Xavi believes it will be a "catastrophe" if Barcelona do not beat Girona on Saturday as they look to keep up their LaLiga title charge.

A run of seven wins in eight league matches has put Xavi's men top of the table, holding a three-point lead over rivals Real Madrid in second.

They continue their bid to win their first LaLiga title since the 2018-19 season on Saturday at home to Girona, who sit 11th and just four points above the relegation zone.

Xavi hopes his team can pick up another three points amid the pressure of a title race, telling reporters: "You have to beat Girona. This is Barca.

"This is the Barca environment, I know it very well. If we don't win tomorrow, it will be a catastrophe.

"Try to win it because it will be a difficult match. Michel [Girona head coach] has said that they have nothing to lose and we will come out with pressure because we want to win LaLiga."

Xavi is hoping Ousmane Dembele will extend his Barcelona contract amid rumours of a move to Paris Saint-Germain.

Dembele scored Barca's winner as they beat Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals on Wednesday, continuing his excellent form this season after a tough 2021-22 campaign.

The France international has been involved in 15 goals with Barcelona in all competitions this season, already equalling his record of last term, but with his contract set to expire in 2024, there had been rumours of a move to PSG.

But Xavi wants Dembele to remain with the Spanish giants, telling reporters: "Ousmane is an important player, someone who makes a difference.

"It's difficult to find these kind of players. For me, he's a key player. Ousmane knows it, the club knows it.

"He has changed his mentality and I hope to have him here for many more years."

Barca overcame wastefulness in front of goal to overcome La Real and reach the Copa del Rey final four, with Dembele's goal enough to secure a narrow 1-0 win despite having 20 shots.

While Xavi is concerned about his side's profligacy in front of goal in tight matches, he believes his team are much improved from last season, saying: "I am worried about not finishing them [close games]. Many things have to be improved

"We have to value how we were last year and how we are now. There are things to improve, obviously, but I think we are in a very good moment of form and it should be valued."

Jurgen Klopp once again lamented Liverpool's fixture list and suggested FA Cup ties should not be played on weekend days.

Liverpool head to Brighton and Hove Albion in the fourth round on Sunday, eight days on from their most recent match – a 0-0 Premier League draw with Chelsea.

It has been a rare week off for Klopp's men, who won both the FA Cup and EFL Cup last season, but the German is still not entirely pleased with his side's schedule.

"We're not famous for going long in the cups, apart from last year," he said at Friday's pre-match press conference. "Cups are difficult when you have midweek games.

"Now we have full weeks to prepare, but in our schedule, I'm not sure the FA Cup should be at a weekend. But we deal with it. It's not a problem for now."

Liverpool are aiming to avoid successive losses against Brighton for the first time ever following their 3-0 league defeat at the Amex Stadium earlier this month.

Klopp described that performance at the time as the worst he has ever seen from one of his sides in a coaching career spanning 1,000 matches.

The Reds have since defeated Wolves 1-0 in the previous round of the FA Cup and played out a stalemate with Chelsea, which leaves them ninth in the league.

While his side have won just one of their five matches this calendar year, Klopp is glad they have kept back-to-back clean sheets for only the second time this season.

"Clean sheets are massive for us. Everyone waits for free-flowing performance but that takes time and it starts with clean sheets," Klopp said.

"That Brighton game is still the worst game I have ever seen of a team of mine. Thank god as we have played a few games since then.

"The first half against Chelsea we were very disciplined and we didn't give them a lot. We have to do that again against Brighton, of course."

 

Liverpool have progressed from three of their five FA Cup games against Brighton, most recently winning 6-1 in a last-16 tie in February 2012.

However, since the 1925-26 season, only Wolves (30), Sheffield United (28) and West Ham (27) have suffered more fourth-round exits than Liverpool (26).

The Reds make the trip to England's south coast with a number of players still injured, but Klopp confirmed some key men are closing in on a return.

"Diogo [Jota], Bobby [Roberto Firmino] and Virgil [van Dijk] are a couple of weeks from joining training," he said.

"Arthur [Melo] is running a lot, so maybe two or three weeks before he joins team training, but he is looking good. Fabio Carvalho is still out and is not ready for Sunday."

Diego Simeone has reiterated his happiness with Atletico Madrid despite the club looking set for another season without a trophy.

The Argentine saw his side let a one-goal lead slip in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals to rivals Real Madrid, who won 3-1 after extra-time at Santiago Bernabeu.

Atletico's exit effectively signals the end of any silverware prospects for the season, with the club currently fourth in LaLiga, 13 points behind leaders Barcelona, and also out of Europe.

But Simeone reaffirmed his commitment to the Rojiblancos in his post-match comments, insisting he will not walk away of his own accord yet.

"I am enormously happy to be at Atletico," he said. "[I have been] from the day I arrived. I am going to give everything I have until I leave.

"I will give myself a thousand per cent with this team and with the club. Now, I only have [it] in my head to work with joy and enthusiasm.

"I have done that from the day I arrived [and I will do so] until the day [that] I have to go. That will come some day [but not now]."

Atletico ended the match with 10 men, having seen Stefan Savic dismissed in extra-time with the score at 1-1 for back-to-back bookings.

Frustrations from Atleti players over Dani Ceballos avoiding a second yellow for a foul earlier in the match boiled over after the final whistle.

Goalkeeper Jan Oblak suggested that his team get unfair treatment from match officials when playing their rivals, and said they should be accustomed to such difficulties.

"If it is a red for us, it should be a red for them too," he added. "I think they should have had their second yellow card.

"It's been decided that way and we're used to it by now. Even so, we've fought to the end against everyone."

Ajax have sacked head coach Alfred Schreuder after a poor run of results.

Schreuder replaced Erik ten Hag after his move to Manchester United at the end of last season, and initially seemed to be a good fit in Amsterdam, winning his first six league games and thrashing Rangers 4-0 in Ajax's first Champions League game of the season.

However, elimination from the Champions League group stage also led to form dipping drastically in the Eredivisie, having not won a league game since October, although that gap included a break for the 2022 World Cup. 

Following Thursday's 1-1 home draw with strugglers Volendam, the club decided to act after failing to win any of their past seven games in the Eredivisie (D6 L1), leaving them fifth in the table, seven points behind leaders Feyenoord.

It is Ajax's joint-longest winless run in Eredivisie history (also seven in 1962, 1964 and 1965).

A statement from the Dutch giants read: "The many points lost and the team's lack of development are the main reasons for this decision. 

"The club management no longer has confidence in further cooperation."

Ajax confirmed that assistant coach Matthias Kaltenbach had also been dismissed.

The club's chief executive Edwin van der Sar added: "It is a painful decision, but also a necessary one.

"After a good start to the season, we then lost an unnecessary number of points... In recent weeks it became increasingly clear that [Schreuder] could not turn the tide, while we believe that despite the many transfers he had a strong and championship worthy squad at his disposal.

"We have also lost a lot of points in recent weeks and unfortunately we did not see any progress."

Karim Benzema suggests Real Madrid must find earlier goals in games if they do not wish to suffer after their 3-1 Copa del Rey comeback against Atletico Madrid.

Los Blancos failed to find the net until the final quarter-hour of regular time at the Santiago Bernabeu, when Rodrygo cancelled out Alvaro Morata's opener.

His superb solo finish forced extra-time in Thursday's quarter-final tie, with further goals for Benzema and Vinicius Junior cementing the turnaround for the hosts.

The reigning winner of the Ballon d'Or acknowledged his side made themselves work for their spot in the last four with their performance at points, but stresses they always had the quality to respond.

"It was a very difficult and complicated game," the France international reflected afterwards. "But with the players and talent we have, we knew we could make a comeback of it.

"Perhaps we need to score goals sooner, because we don't like to suffer. Atletico positioned themselves well, got in behind, and that cost us. Rodrygo's response was a great goal."

For Vinicius, his goal ensured a bright finish to a difficult day in which an effigy of the Brazilian winger was hung from a bridge near Madrid's training ground ahead of the derby.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti praised the 22-year-old in his post-match comments, adding there was never any doubt he would miss the match despite the incident.

"Vinicius has always wanted to play and was very focused on the game," he said. "He played a great game. What happened elsewhere today has been very regrettable."

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