Brighton winger Simon Adingra described Ivory Coast’s Africa Cup of Nations triumph as “one of the most beautiful moments of my life”.

Hosts Ivory Coast produced a 2-1 comeback victory over Nigeria on Sunday to become African champions for the third time, with Adingra setting up both goals and being named player of the match.

“We did it together – we’re Africa champions and it’s incredible,” said Adingra.

“I’ve just experienced one of the most beautiful moments of my life and that’s down to the effort of everyone in the team.”

The hosts fell behind in the showpiece when Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong headed in a 38th-minute opener against the run of play.

Second-half goals from Franck Kessie and former West Ham striker Sebastien Haller – who in July 2022 was diagnosed with testicular cancer and returned to action at Borussia Dortmund just over a year ago – sealed what at one stage appeared an improbable victory.

The Elephants suffered a 4-0 group-stage defeat to Equatorial Guinea and sacked head coach Jean-Louis Gasset, squeezing into the knockout rounds after finishing third in their section.

Caretaker boss Emerse Fae said: “When I think about all we went through, the hard times when we almost out and the matches where we came back in last minutes, we have created some miracles.

“We were close to humiliation but when we had a second chance, we were determined not to waste it.”

For Nigeria’s former Watford defender Troost-Ekong, the opening goal was his third of the competition and he was named the tournament’s best player.

Super Eagles head coach Jose Peseiro said: “My team is sad but for me they did what they could.

“I am proud of the way my players performed in this tournament.”

Ivory Coast brought the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations to a dramatic end on Sunday beating Nigeria 2-1 in the final to become champions for the third time.

The Elephants were the story of the competition as they sacked manager Jean-Louis Gasset after a poor group-stage performance and still went on to lift the trophy.

Here, the PA news agency looks at highlights from the latest edition.

Comeback kings Ivory Coast rise from the dead

After a shock 4-0 defeat to Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast looked certain for an early exit. The Ivorian Football Federation sacked French manager Gasset afterwards and brought in former player Emerse Fae. Having scraped through to the knockout rounds, they edged past big favourites and defending champions Senegal on penalties in the round of 16 in Fae’s first game in charge, then beat Mali in extra-time in the quarter-finals and secured a 1-0 victory over DR Congo in the last four. Given the nickname ‘Zombies’, they came back from the dead once again to beat Nigeria 2-1 in the final after going behind, proving you should never write off the Ivory Coast.

Much change needed for the Black Stars

It was a tournament to forget for Ghana as they failed to make it out of the group stages with just two draws and a defeat. A team that included West Ham star Mohammed Kudus, Crystal Palace veteran Jordan Ayew and Athletic Bilbao forward Inaki Williams struggled to help Ghana make any progress in the competition. Former Brighton manager Chris Hughton was sacked after less than 12 months in charge and the Black Stars have started their search for a new coach before the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in June.

South Africa defy the odds

Not many would have predicted South Africa would reach the semi-finals of the tournament and Bafana Bafana certainly caught the eye. Their biggest challenge came when they took on 2022 World Cup semi-finalists Morocco in the round of 16. Goals from Evidence Makgopa and Teboho Mokoena sealed a famous 2-0 victory as PSG star Achraf Hakimi missed a penalty late on for the Moroccans.

New heights for Mauritania

Mauritania qualified for AFCON for the first time in their history in 2018 and heading into this year’s competition they had new hopes of improving on their last performance. The Lions of Chinguetti were still searching for their first win heading into the last group game against Algeria and they pulled it off with a shock 1-0 victory to also send them to their first knockout match against Cape Verde. Mauritania could not pull off another upset against Cape Verde but they sealed their place in AFCON history with an impressive performance.

Rise in viewing figures continues

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed more than two billion people worldwide watched the tournament live on TV. Deals with many broadcasters, including Sky and BBC, have helped boost figures for the competition and CAF president Patrice Motsepe predicts the next tournament’s viewing figures will be even better.

Bukayo Saka hailed Arsenal’s thrashing of West Ham on Sunday as a “statement” win in their title challenge.

Having seen rivals Liverpool and Manchester City win a day earlier, the Gunners ensured the gap at the top remained at two points as they recorded their biggest Premier League away win with a 6-0 victory at the London Stadium.

Saka scored twice, including a penalty having missed a crucial spot-kick in the same game last season, while William Saliba, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Magalhaes and former West Ham captain Declan Rice completed the rout.

It was one of the most eye-catching performances of Mikel Arteta’s reign as Arsenal boss and Saka feels it also sent a message to those in the title race.

“We knew this was a big game and it was really important for us to win and make a statement,” he said.

“I think we did really well today scoring six and keeping a clean sheet.”

Saka’s penalty saw him move to 50 goals for Arsenal and he now has 10 goals and seven assists in the league this season.

“Of course I have my own targets,” he added.

“I know these days the media like to compare players. I just stay in my own lane and stay focused on what I want to achieve and what I wanted to achieve at the start of the season. I’m still going and I’ve got quite a few more to go.”

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard may not have been among the scorers but he was arguably the best player on the pitch, setting up two goals and running the show in midfield.

“It was a really good game and strong performance,” he said.

“I think coming from a big game, a big win, and to come here and back it up with this performance is a brilliant sign.

“When you go three or four nil up, it’s easy to drop a little bit, but we just kept on going and wanted more. That’s why I really liked (the performance).”

For West Ham, this was a record home Premier League defeat and means they are without a victory since beating Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in December.

Swathes of supporters made for the exits before half-time on Sunday and midfielder James Ward-Prowse admits the Hammers were not at the required level and need to bounce back.

“We can all accept losing a game, that happens in football, but I think the way you lose is important and the most disappointing thing is the way we lost the game,” he told the club’s official website.

“I don’t feel like we competed anywhere near the level you need to in the Premier League.

“Of course, they’re a top team who are challenging for the title, but I think they showed us today the level and the detail that you need to win games.

“I can stand here and give a message and try and say something, but I’ve been a football fan myself and no words could rectify the performance.

“I think it’s all about showing, competing, and giving a bit more than what we did today. I can stand here and say something, but I know as a fan you want to see something on the pitch.”

What the papers say

Newcastle are considering signing Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly in the summer transfer window in a move to solidify their defence, according to the Daily Mail. The 25-year-old has played 13 games in the Premier League this season and will be a free agent at the end of the season.

Meanwhile, the Daily Mail also says Liverpool are interested in Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo, who could be available for a free transfer in the summer window.

The Sun reports Championship strugglers Sheffield Wednesday could look to sign Orlando City and United States forward Duncan McGuire if they survive relegation this season. The 23-year-old has scored 13 goals in 32 games for Orlando this campaign.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Nico Williams: Arsenal and Chelsea are interested in signing Spain’s 21-year-old Athletic Bilbao winger, according to Caught Offside.

Trent Alexander-Arnold: Football Insider reports Liverpool are on the verge of locking down the defender on a new, long-term deal.

On this day in 2012, Liverpool striker Luis Suarez apologised for not shaking Manchester United defender Patrice Evra’s hand before the match on the previous day at Old Trafford.

The Uruguayan was banned for eight matches after being found guilty of racially abusing Evra in October 2011 during a league game between the sides at Anfield in October.

Suarez had been expected to shake hands with the defender but failed to do so and prompted an angry reaction.

“I have spoken with the manager (Kenny Dalglish) since the game at Old Trafford and I realise I got things wrong,” Suarez said in a statement.

“I’ve not only let him down but also the club and what it stands for and I’m sorry. I made a mistake and I regret what happened.

“I should have shaken Patrice Evra’s hand before the game and I want to apologise for my actions.

“I would like to put this whole issue behind me and concentrate on playing football.”

Suarez scored in a 2-1 defeat for Liverpool, with Evra appearing to taunt him by celebrating next to him at the end of the game.

Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre claimed Suarez had misled the club after the striker indicated he would shake hands with Evra ahead of the game.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson described Suarez as “a disgrace” while Professional Footballers’ Association chief executive Gordon Taylor branded the striker’s conduct as “disrespectful, inappropriate and embarrassing”.

United responded to the statement on their club website saying they accepted Liverpool’s apologies and expressed a desire to “move on”.

AC Milan’s unbeaten start to the year in Serie A continued with a 1-0 victory over Napoli at the San Siro.

Scudetto champions Napoli have failed to match the form which saw them win the title last season and were beaten by Theo Hernandez’s first-half strike.

The France international latched onto Rafael Leao’s through ball and fired into the bottom corner to secure Milan a sixth win in seven league games.

Fiorentina snapped a three-game winless run with a crushing 5-1 victory over Frosinone.

The hosts were out of sight by half-time through goals from Andrea Belotti, Jonathan Ikone and Lucas Martinez.

Nicolas Gonzalez made it four eight minutes into the second half and Antonin Barak completed the rout after Luca Mazzitelli’s brilliant free-kick had pulled one back for Frosinone.

Bologna’s quest for European football continued in style with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Lecce.

Sam Beukema put the hosts 1-0 up before Riccardo Orsolini bagged a brace and Jens Odgaard added a fourth with eight minutes to go to give Bologna back-to-back wins.

Atalanta earned a fourth consecutive Serie A win with a 4-1 triumph over Genoa.

Charles De Ketelaere opened the scoring in the 22nd minute but Ruslan Malinovskyi levelled things up in the second half.

However, Genoa were not level for long as Teun Koopmeiners fired Atalanta back in front and stoppage-time goals from Davide Zappacosta and El Bilal Toure made it 4-1.

Hellas Verona picked up a vital point in their fight for survival with a goalless draw at Monza.

In LaLiga, Barcelona slipped 10 points behind leaders Real Madrid after twice coming from behind to draw 3-3 with Granada.

Lamine Yamal’s opener was cancelled out by Ricard Sanchez two minutes before the break and Granada took the lead in the second half when on-loan Manchester United midfielder Facundo Pellistri bundled into an empty net at the back post.

Robert Lewandowski crashed in his 15th goal of the campaign on the hour but Granada regained the lead three minutes later, only for 16-year-old Yamal to rescue a point for Barcelona with 10 minutes to go.

Sevilla pulled six points clear of the relegation places with a 1-0 victory over Atletico Madrid, who also lost further ground in the title race.

The winner came in the 15th minute when Lucas Ocampos flicked a header on for Isaac Romero to nod in at the back post.

Rayo Vallecano slipped to a fourth defeat in five as Vedat Muriqi scored a last-minute winner to earn Mallorca a 2-1 win, while Jaime Mata also left it late to snatch Getafe a dramatic 3-2 victory over Celta Vigo.

In Ligue 1, Denis Zakaria scored twice as Monaco moved a point behind second-placed opponents Nice with a 3-2 victory.

Zakaria put Monaco in front with a 30-yard screamer before Gaetan Laborde equalised, but the Swiss midfielder bagged his second of the night five minutes after the break.

Nice’s hopes of taking anything from the game diminished when Dante was handed a straight red card for a late challenge on Takumi Minamino.

But Evann Guessand did manage to level, only for Aleksandr Golovin to nick a winner.

Fourth-placed Brest were held to a 1-1 draw by rock-bottom Clermont Foot as both sides were reduced to 10 men in the closing stages.

Lyon came from behind to beat Montpellier 2-1 and earn a second successive win as second-half goals from Alexandre Lacazette and Maxence Caqueret cancelled out Armaud Nordin’s opener.

Goals from Mohamed Bamba and Tiemoue Bakayoko boosted Lorient’s survival hopes as they ran out 2-0 winners over Reims.

Nantes moved above opponents Toulouse with a 2-1 victory after goals from Mostafa Mohamed and Tino Kadewere put them two up before Thijs Dallinga scored a consolation late on.

Benjamin Bourigeaud struck on the hour to give Rennes earned a fifth straight win – 1-0 over Le Havre.

In the Bundesliga, Stuttgart kept their bid for Champions League football on course with a 3-1 win against Mainz.

Maximilian Mittelstadt, Jamie Leweling and on-loan Brighton striker Deniz Undav gave the hosts a commanding three-goal lead before Ludovic Ajorque grabbed a consolation as Mainz slipped to an 11th game without a win.

Hoffenheim’s Andrej Kramaric snatched a last-gasp equaliser to cancel out Max Finkgrafe’s 79th-minute opener to deny Cologne three vital points in their survival bid as the two sides drew 1-1.

Teenage star Lamine Yamal rescued a point for Barcelona in a thrilling 3-3 draw against LaLiga strugglers Granada.

Yamal, who became the youngest scorer in the competition’s history against the same opposition earlier this season, curled home his second goal of the game 10 minutes from time to deny the visitors their first away win of the campaign.

The 16-year-old had opened the scoring in the first half, but Granada equalised through Ricard Sanchez just before the interval and Facundo Pellistri made it 2-1 on the hour mark before Robert Lewandowski levelled moments later.

A third goal in the space of six minutes from Ignasi Miquel restored Granada’s lead as they belied their lowly place in the table, only for Yamal to have the last word with a brilliant solo effort.

Yamal had come close to setting up Lewandowski for the opening goal before breaking the deadlock himself seconds later, volleying home at the far post from Joao Cancelo’s cross.

Myrto Uzuni attempted to get Granada back on level terms in spectacular fashion but failed to make contact with an overhead kick after 18 minutes, while Oscar Melendo’s follow-up shot blocked.

The home side looked certain to regain their lead shortly before the interval when Ilkay Gundogan squared for Lewandowski with the goal seemingly at his mercy, but the 35-year-old’s shot was brilliantly cleared off the line by Martin Hongla.

And Granada made the most of that reprieve in the 43rd minute when Pellistri drove to the byline before pulling the ball back for Sanchez to drill a first-time finish past Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Barcelona coach Xavi had used his pre-match press conference to herald the “great news” that Ter Stegen was fit to play for the first time since November following back surgery, but the Germany international will be disappointed to have been beaten at his near post.

Pellistri and Sanchez continued to cause problems for Barca in the second half and it was no surprise that the former gave his side the lead on the hour mark.

Pau Cubarsi’s poor header from a hopeful cross into the box fell perfectly for Uzuni to send the ball back across goal and give Pellistri the simple task of turning it into an empty net.

The lead lasted just two minutes before Lewandowski rifled in an equaliser from the edge of the area after a delightful lay-off from Gundogan, but Miquel then headed home from Faitout Maouassa’s cross to stun the home crowd.

Fermin Lopez had a goal correctly ruled out for offside before Yamal had the final word,
dispossessing Jose Callejon before curling a 25-yard shot into the bottom corner.

Nathan Ake recognises Manchester City are now in a powerful position thanks to the return to form and fitness of Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne.

City have won their last 10 matches in all competitions and are gathering a momentum that could be ominous for their rivals as they bid to repeat their glorious treble of last year.

Their current run started without the influence of the talismanic pairing of De Bruyne and Haaland as both nursed injuries.

Yet both are now back in business, as seen in Saturday’s hard-fought 2-0 win over Everton in which Haaland scored both and De Bruyne created one, and City are looking tough to stop.

Defender Ake said: “We know how good both of them are and when Kevin came on, straight away he looked for Erling. They looked for each other.

“It’s massive that they’re both fit, both ready to go and it’s good to see that we’re doing well.

“It’s just a lift to see everyone back – we haven’t had that for a while – especially the players who can make differences in tight games like this. It’s massive for us.”

De Bruyne missed most of the first half of the season following hamstring surgery but has been eased back into action over the past month.

Ake is surprised how well the Belgian playmaker has hit the ground running.

The Dutchman said: “If you’re out for five or six months normally it takes you a little bit of time but straight away he’s been ready to go, from the first moment.

“I think everyone expected to have to give him a bit of time but he’s been training really well in the gym, he’s worked really hard. You could see on the pitch straight away he was ready.”

Haaland broke the deadlock in a tight game against Everton with a ruthless finish when a rebound fell his way in the 70th minute. He then wrapped up the win after being played in by De Bruyne five minutes from time.

They were his first goals since November having spent two months on the sidelines with a foot problem.

Ake said: “He’s so quick, he’s fast, he’s strong. Out of nothing he can score and in those spaces one versus one it’s very difficult to stop him.”

Manager Pep Guardiola feels De Bruyne and Haaland add an extra layer to a side that was already impressing him.

He said: “These guys have special qualities. They have ability in final third to create something that is not in the statistics, not in the books, in genius managers. To have them for 90 minutes or even 30 or 45 minutes, it is better.

“That is not going to undermine what all their mates have done. We have a team with huge personalities in difficult moments. Otherwise we would not be here again and again.”

Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino repeated his call for patience as his inexperienced squad look to find their feet in the Premier League.

The Argentinian takes his side to Crystal Palace on Monday evening searching for a win which would lift the Blues into the top half of the table.

Hopes that the players might finally be ready to live up to the expectation raised by having a £1billion first-team squad were ignited by last Wednesday’s 3-1 victory at Aston Villa in their FA Cup fourth-round replay.

But in the league there has been little cause for optimism, with the most recent outing – last weekend’s 4-2 home defeat to Wolves, which saw angry supporters turn on Pochettino and his team – representing the low point so far of a turbulent campaign.

A win at Selhurst Park against Roy Hodgson’s men would be just their 10th of the season in 24 league games.

Pochettino said his team – on average the youngest in the top flight – will require more time than they have yet been given following the arrival of 12 new faces last summer.

“I’m not picking the team because they are young,” he said. “I don’t want to be the coach that picks the youngest team in England.

“We are a young team. We have a good balance. We have Thiago Silva who is 39, we have Raheem Sterling (29), we have (Christopher) Nkunku (26), and (Axel) Disasi (25). The problem is not that they are young. The problem is that the team is young.

“We had (many) players that arrived new at the beginning of the season. You need to build a team. Always I talk about the team, it’s not about if you have 20 or 19-year-olds. We need to be consistent like a team.

“At the moment we have maybe not so good (balance), because we would be in another position.”

The defeat to Wolves brought the first signs of Chelsea fans’ patience with the former Tottenham manager being tested.

There was audible discontent aimed at Pochettino directly, while players were also booed and supporters sang the name of former owner Roman Abramovich.

The 51-year-old is not the only one under scrutiny, with Palace manager Hodgson also in the spotlight as his side sink down the table with just two wins in their last 12 games, but Pochettino has backed the 76-year-old to handle the pressure.

“It’s part of the game, it’s football,” the Blues boss said. “He has the experience to manage every situation. It’ll be good to see him, for sure we’re going to share a nice time together.

“We are not interested to talk about things that happen around us.”

Cancer survivor Sebastien Haller inspired hosts Ivory Coast to their third Africa Cup of Nations title with a late winner to seal a 2-1 comeback win over Nigeria in Abidjan.

Five of the last six host nations to reach the final had won the AFCON title, but the Ivory Coast’s appearance in this edition at one point looked unlikely, their 4-0 group-stage defeat to Equatorial Guinea leading to the mid-tournament sacking of Jean-Louis Gasset.

The resurgent Elephants, who under caretaker boss Emerse Fae earned the nickname ‘the Zombies’, fell behind when Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong headed in a 38th-minute opener against the run of play, but it was cancelled out by Franck Kessie in the second half.

With less than 10 minutes remaining, Haller, who in July 2022 was diagnosed with testicular cancer and returned to action with Borussia Dortmund just over a year ago, found the finishing touch to send the 60,000-seat Alassane Ouattara Stadium into raptures.

Former West Ham striker Haller looked to fire his side into an early lead when he flicked Simon Adingra’s cross wide of Stanley Nwabali’s right post, and, while the Elephants did not make much of a handful of early set-pieces, the hosts controlled more of the opening action than their more cautious opponents.

Max Gradel, playing in his fifth AFCON, sent a bicycle kick from the Ivory Coast’s third corner into the side-netting, and there were little in the way of chances for Nigeria by just after the 25-minute mark, when a brief scuffle ensued after Victor Osimhen insisted he had been unduly elbowed by Evan Ndicka.

Nigeria boss Jose Peseiro was booked for a subsequent protest before temperatures and tempers were cooled with a drinks break.

The Super Eagles, seeking a fourth AFCON title, took an unlikely lead not long after Adingra called Nwabali into action with a sharp effort, when at the other end the Elephants could only half-clear a corner and ex-Watford defender Troost-Ekong looped his header past Yahia Fofana.

There was a nervy moment for Nigeria just after the break, when Nwabali stuck a hand out to block Adingra’s cross, but the clearance travelled only as far as Gradel, whose shot stung the legs of Calvin Bassey and allowed time for the Nigeria keeper to make the save.

Kessie was next to push for an equaliser, sending a diving header straight at Nwabali, moments before the Nigeria shot-stopper pushed Odilon Kossounou’s effort around his post.

The home crowd erupted when the hosts levelled with the resulting corner, Nigeria gifting Kessie a free header which he obligingly directed downward and past Nwabali.

Haller sent an overhead kick wide of the left post, while there looked worrying news for Nigeria when star striker Osimhen seemed to be in pain, landing awkwardly after battling Seko Fofana for the ball.

Though he had not succeeded with his earlier acrobatic effort, Haller succeeded in the 81st minute, when he diverted in Adingra’s fine cross with a raised toe, securing both the trophy and his own national-hero status.

The hosts survived seven minutes of added time, clinging on for the nervy but well-deserved victory.

Theo Hernandez’s first-half strike gave AC Milan a sixth win from seven Serie A matches with a 1-0 victory over Napoli.

The reigning champions made a bright start but Hernandez’s goal changed the complexion of the match for a Napoli side low on confidence.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Matteo Politano hit the woodwork for the visitors after the break but they could not find an equaliser to prevent a seventh league defeat of the season.

Napoli created the first big chance of the game when Kvaratskhelia skinned Matteo Gabbia and sent a drilled delivery into the area but Giovanni Simeone could not guide his effort beyond goalkeeper Mike Maignan.

Walter Mazzarri’s side continued to make most of the running in the opening stages but AC Milan took the lead against the run of play through a devastating counter-attack as Rafael Leao slipped Hernandez through on goal and he whipped the ball past Pierluigi Gollini at the near post.

Milan had an opportunity to make it two moments later when Leao found himself with space outside the box but his bending effort was diverted away from the top corner by Gollini.

Napoli’s frustrations were compounded when Piotr Zielinski picked himself up after being fouled on the left of the area but wastefully sent a free-kick out for a goal-kick.

The visitors had the first chance of the second half when Politano tried his luck from 20 yards but his effort did not quite get the curl needed to nestle in the bottom corner.

Hernandez could have doubled his tally in style when a corner fell to the defender inside the area and his clever back-heeled volley flew into Gollini’s gloves.

Napoli responded with another chance, this time Kvaratskhelia cut in from the left but hit a rather tame strike into Maignan’s grasp.

The visitors gifted possession to Yunus Musah and offered Milan a chance to give themselves some breathing space but Leao struck wide of the far post.

Napoli began to run out of ideas and were limited to long-range efforts, the next being Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa’s shot from 25 yards which flew comfortably wide of the target.

The visitors’ flurry of second-half chances did not stop and they came within inches of levelling when Jesper Lindstrom’s cross was deflected onto a post by Jan-Carlo Simic as Milan held on.

Steven Naismith was delighted at his side’s performance as they powered to the last eight of the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup with a 4-1 thumping of Airdire.

Hearts raced into a three-goal lead with just 21 minutes on the clock after goals from Lawrence Shankland, Kenneth Vargas and Calem Nieuwenhof had them on easy street.

Adam Frizzell restored some hope for the hosts, though that would be extinguished when Shankland dinked home his 24th goal of the season with 17 minutes remaining.

“It was a really good performance, we scored early goals, scored four goals and it’s a comfortable night,” Naismith said.

“On top of that, the detail that we’d worked on, nearly all of it was right and the players executed it brilliantly.

“There was loads of positives. I’d say we’re still a good bit away, we could be more clinical and in some moments I think when it went 3-0 we picked the wrong option and were forcing it.”

Hearts will now travel to Morton in the quarter-finals, hoping to reach Hampden for the second time this season having already made the semi-final of the Viaplay Cup.

Dougie Imrie’s cinch Championship side shocked Motherwell to book their place in the next round, and Naismith is anticipating a tough encounter.

“Everybody in the last eight thinks they have a chance,” he added.

“Our tie away to Morton, people will think we are favourites, but think there’s a potential upset there.

“I think if we’re not at it then it’ll be a really difficult game, they’ve shown on Friday that they are a good team and are in form.

“We want to go as far as we can, one of the games this season that is disappointing is the semi-final in the last cup – we want to get to the semi-final and do well this time.”

Despite a night filled with positives for the Tynecastle side, there was one major disappointment as Craig Halkett limped off after 25 minutes.

Halkett had only recently returned from a year long lay-off with a ruptured ACL, though Naismith is hopeful the defender will make a speedy recovery.

“It’s just something with his knee, it doesn’t seem to be major but we don’t know at the moment,” he explained.

“We’ll just have to wait and see, at that moment in the game there wasn’t any major risk to continue on.”

Airdrie boss Rhys McCabe felt his side were competitive against their Premiership opponents, despite coming out on the end of a comprehensive defeat.

“I thought for large parts of the first half we were competitive,” McCabe said.

“We started the game really well with intent and didn’t sit off the game as probably a lot of smaller clubs would do against a big club like Hearts.

“You give a player the quality of Lawrence Shankland three or four opportunities then he’s bound to take one or two.

“There are loads of positives going around this club, yes we lost the game and are disappointed, but we’ve just come up from League One through the play-offs, got into the last 16 of the Scottish Cup and have the final of the Challenge Cup against The New Saints in a couple of weeks’ time.”

Erik ten Hag praised Scott McTominay as an example for others after the super sub sealed Manchester United’s belief-boosting win at fellow Champions League hopefuls Aston Villa.

Sunday’s clash between fifth and sixth at Villa Park began with Rasmus Hojlund – the winner when these sides met on Boxing Day – scoring in his fifth straight Premier League match.

United lost their way after that 17th-minute opener in a bright start and Villa eventually secured a deserved second-half leveller through Douglas Luiz.

But the Red Devils dug deep and McTominay made it 2-1 in the 86th minute after meeting Diogo Dalot’s cross with a powerful header – his fourth Premier League goal this season from the bench.

“This season, last season as well (McTominay made an impact), so I think he’s an example for many other players nowadays,” Ten Hag said of a player whose overall top-flight goal tally this term is seven this term.

“There are not many players who can come from the bench and bring this energy. He’s ready for every minute, always contributing to the team. Football is a team sport and we forget that often.

“But Scott is the example, always giving the spirit, in the week when he is training, doing the right things, working on himself, gives max.

“He’s ready for one minute, he’s ready for 90 minutes, he’s always ready. I think it’s great to have such a player.”

United rode their luck for large parts and Ten Hag appeared to indicate that Luiz’s shimmy goalscoring celebration fuelled his side in a win that breathes new life into their Champions League hunt.

The Red Devils are now five points behind Villa in fifth, and six adrift of fourth-placed Tottenham.

“I think we can beat any opponent away or home,” the Dutchman said after winning a first Premier League away game to a top-eight side since taking charge.

“But sometimes away we have to believe it more because then we could have won in Arsenal, where actually we deserved to win.

“We could have won in Liverpool and it’s about belief and I think this team today believed they could win this game and that’s why I think, in the end, you win the game.”

Asked about the impact of this result on the race for Champions League football, Ten Hag said: “We have to catch up.

“We are firstly in February, many games to play, but we are returning. But, still, a long way to go and we have to improve our game.

“But, of course, we are pleased that we get a series of wins.”

This was the first time this season that United have managed to win four consecutive matches in all competitions, while the remain unbeaten in 2024.

As for Villa, boss Unai Emery felt hard done by after his side slipped to a third straight home defeat in league and cup.

“I want to tell you I am very proud of our work,” the Spaniard said. “I’m very proud as everything we planned before we more or less were doing on the pitch.

“We were focused on a very good opportunity to make a big gap to them, but of course no win (for us).

“We know how difficult this match was. Manchester United in the moment  they are now and the last matches they won being confident.

“But we had control of the game, we created more chances than them, we deserved it more than them, we conceded less chances than them.

“They were clinical today, their goalkeeper was fantastic and we weren’t clinical.

“We played, maybe along with the match against Manchester City here, the best match here this season.

“Even from when we arrived here today, I think it was one of the best matches we’ve played but the result was not good and we have to accept it.”

Coventry manager Mark Robins joked he was “going to kill” Haji Wright and Callum O’Hare over their unconventional way of deciding who would take a penalty in their 2-1 victory over Millwall.

Wright won an impromptu game of rock paper scissors between the two before converting the spot-kick that cancelled out Romain Esse’s early opener.

The United States international then struck the winner to lift the Sky Blues up to sixth in the Sky Bet Championship and leave Millwall, who began as the better side, four points clear of the relegation zone.

Robins said: “Rock paper scissors? I’m going to kill them.

“For me, it’s about who’s confident to take the penalty.

“Now, Callum’s confident, Haji was a regular penalty taker in Turkey (with Antalyaspor), so I’ve got no problem and then if I get involved with that then it obviously puts doubt in somebody’s head.

“So, let them sort it out and if they miss it then they’re in trouble, aren’t they, but thankfully they’ve got the wherewithal and the calm heads to deal with that situation.

“The good thing is they both want to score, they both want to take the penalty, they both want to get on the scoresheet.

“I think that, obviously, you’ve got a situation where there’s two really decent penalty takers there, but it needs to be a little bit more scientific than that.

“They’ve obviously sorted it out between themselves and that’s fine.”

Millwall deservedly led after 12 minutes when Zian Flemming laid the ball off for 18-year-old Esse, who slammed in a deflected effort on what was just his second league start.

Wright equalised for Coventry from 12 yards out after being tripped by Japhet Tanganga and he struck what proved to be the winner three minutes later by beating Matija Sarkic at his near post.

Millwall boss Joe Edwards said: “It’s a really frustrating position that we’re in at the moment because you constantly have games like this where there’s a lot to be pleased with.

“We start well, we execute a lot of what we talk about and, it’s been more so in our home games, today we get the goal that our start deserves then have an opportunity to get the second.

“That makes it a completely different game, not only for them but it also it relieves the constant stress the defensive part of your team has to live with when you’re facing the likes of the attacking players they’ve got.

“The problem for us is as a group, those of us who live it every day – that’s players, staff and fans – it’s been a bit of a recurring theme.

“There’s too many points getting away from us at the moment, and it’s frustrating.”

Haji Wright’s quickfire double earned Coventry a comeback 2-1 victory over Millwall that lifted them back into the play-off places in the Championship.

The USA international scored twice in three minutes after youngster Romain Esse had struck on what was just his second league start to put the struggling Lions ahead at the Coventry Building Society Arena.

The win moved the Sky Blues up four places into sixth, ahead of Sunderland on goal difference, while Millwall continue to look nervously over their shoulders as they remain four points clear of the relegation zone.

Millwall almost struck in the first minute when Japhet Tanganga’s long throw was flicked on for George Honeyman, whose shot from point-blank range was blocked by Coventry goalkeeper Brad Collins.

In what was a lively start, the hosts came even closer to opening the scoring when Tatsuhiro Sakamoto’s shot from Milan van Ewijk’s cut-back was pushed out by Matija Sarkic before Wright hit the rebound against the post.

Back came the Lions, with Michael Obafemi turning inside the area before his effort was beaten away by Collins.

The visitors’ bright opening was then rewarded in the 12th minute when Zian Flemming charged into the area before laying it off for 18-year-old Esse, who blasted a deflected shot past a helpless Collins.

They nearly had a second three minutes later when Danny McNamara pulled the ball back for Obafemi, with Collins again preventing the Irishman from opening his Millwall account.

Joe Bryan then shot wide from just outside the box before Victor Torp almost brought Coventry level with a powerful free kick that Sarkic tipped onto the top of the bar.

The Sky Blues began to dominate possession but could not find an equaliser before half-time, with Kasey Palmer’s shot being deflected over the bar by the head of Wes Harding.

The first big chance of the second half came the hosts’ way five minutes after the restart when Callum O’Hare played in Sakamoto, whose shot was pushed out by Sarkic.

Torp then had an effort from just outside the area deflected wide as Coventry continued to make most of the running in their search for a leveller.

It finally arrived in the 67th minute when Wright was brought down in the area by Tanganga and the American calmly sent Sarkic the wrong way with the resulting penalty.

The turnaround was quickly completed as O’Hare found Wright untracked in the area and his shot found the net at the near post, with Sarkic culpable after he had managed get a hand to it.

Chasing a game they had led for a considerable time, Millwall offered little in response as Coventry maintained their strong home form to surge back into the top six.