Michael Carrick could not understand why the officials made the two “massive” offside decisions they did as Middlesbrough came from behind to claim a point from a 1-1 draw with Rotherham.

The Millers had taken a 59th-minute lead when Cafu finished brilliantly after he was played in behind the defence by former Boro striker Jordan Hugill – despite Carrick’s claims the striker was offside in the build-up.

But Rotherham’s hopes of a first away win since November 2022 were dashed when Marcus Forss equalised with eight minutes remaining.

Boro could also have won it when Josh Coburn turned in at the end, only for the officials to blow for offside because Matt Crooks attempted to go for the ball at the near post first.

Carrick said: “It’s disappointing because we have had two games against them now and came away with a point. It’s difficult to understand but credit to them for making things difficult.

“There were bright moments, some good football in the game, but the second half was stop-start, free-kicks, throw-ins, not a real flow in the game, so it was difficult to get going.

“Credit to the boys, it wasn’t easy. We finished strong and we scored a perfectly good goal to win 2-1. You always find a way to take a positive. It could have been more frustrating as the game went on, they never gave up.

“The story of the game for me is that their goal is offside. Hugill is offside in build up, right in front of the linesman. Crooks is onside at the end. Key moments.

“I was shouting for offside in build up to their goal, the officials didn’t flinch, and led to a goal from nowhere. Two massive decisions.”

Morgan Rogers, reportedly the subject of bids from Aston Villa this week, cleverly flicked into the path of Forss for the equaliser.

Carrick, who revealed Isaiah Jones faces a battle to be fit to face Chelsea in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final after going off with a hamstring problem, added: “It is that funny season, there’s rumours and speculation. Morgan played well, there’s nothing from my point of view on that one.

“There is no reason (not to play him)… he is our player and a massive part of the group. Speculation is speculation. You get on with the job. This is what we do. I’m only interested in the players I have got to choose from.”

Middlesbrough are three points behind sixth-placed Coventry and remain in the hunt for promotion.

Rotherham, who have only won one of their last 16 matches, are eight points shy of safety.

Head coach Leam Richardson, who took over before Christmas, said: “I feel a little bit pleased with our structure, the competitive nature and the account we have given of ourselves.

“I’m also mindful of the quality of the opposition and the environment we are playing in.

“We have to play a certain way to get the best out of the players we have. Everyone adapts slightly with the opposition, and credit to the players for the output they have given against a team pushing for the play-offs, and in a cup semi-final.

“When it goes so late you are disappointed. After the game your emotions can take you either way and I am a manager-coach who likes to look back and evolve.

“The goal was avoidable, they all are. We probably could have been more mindful late on in possession.

“If we work as hard as we can and the lads have given full attention since I arrived in the building, we are not blessed with facilities, so we have been adapting, learning different things, and if we keep performing like that I believe we will give ourselves a better fighting chance. We might as well give it a go rather than roll over.”

Bolton boss Ian Evatt gave an honest assessment following his side’s 1-0 defeat to Leyton Orient in Sky Bet League One.

Promotion hopefuls Bolton, who started the match two points off the top of the table and with two matches in hand, should have taken the lead in the first half when leading scorer Dion Charles headed against a post.

However, the visitors paid the price when Dan Agyei netted the only goal of the game in the 54th minute, his third in as many matches, to give Orient the points.

Evatt, who was impressed with his team’s display in Tuesday’s FA Cup replay loss to Luton, said: “I’m very disappointed and I think we got what we deserved.

“They didn’t create lots but played the conditions better and showed more fight, more determination and a willingness to do the ugly side of the game better than we did.

“Some of our decision making and execution was baffling after Tuesday, when it was the opposite.

“I made five substitutions but I wish I could have made 11. If I could have made 11 changes then I would have.”

He continued: “I wasn’t happy with anybody. We made the wrong choices and showed the wrong body language.

“Very rarely am I disappointed with that group of players to the extent I am today.

“Having said all that we still had the best two chances in the game, which you cannot afford to miss. Both gilt edge, right in front of goal with no pressure and one on one. We saw that at Portsmouth and we saw that again today.”

In contrast, Orient assistant manager Matt Harrold was understandably upbeat after his team stretched their unbeaten league run to five matches, a run that includes four victories.

He said: “We’re really thrilled with the result. We’ve looked a really good team (in the) last six games.

“We need to stay aggressive and keep it going. We were really positive, it was a dominant performance despite them having the best two chances of the game.

“We had to stay patient with Dan Agyei having picked up the long-term injury pre-season but his return has been a massive boost for everyone.

“We need to keep him fit and he can go from strength to strength. He’s got that strength, power and unpredictability so we need him to keep going.

“Credit to the overall team though. We’re working hard and stopping the opposition from higher up the pitch, which means we’re not conceding too many chances.

“The big emphasis has been ‘let’s get back to what we are on the front foot, physical and aggressive’.

“There are a lot of games in February and March and the squad is going to be needed and we will attack each game as it comes.”

Despite going ahead after an early strike by Son Heung-min, South Korea needed a last-minute own goal to salvage a 2-2 draw with Jordan at the Asian Cup.

Yazan Al-Arab's late intervention at the Al Thumama Stadium prevented a second surprise result in the space of 24 hours after Iraq had stunned tournament favourites Japan.

The draw leaves both South Korea, led by former United States coach Jurgen Klinsmann, and Jordan with four points from the first two games in Group E.

"It was a very, very intense game, which we expected," Klinsmann said. 

"After we got the lead, we were too slow. We were not physical enough. We lost one-on-one battles on the field, and that gave them a lot of energy."

Klinsmann, who won the 1990 World Cup with West Germany, was more satisfied with the second-half fightback.

He added: "We were in control. We created enough chances to win this game. Still, a tie is fine at the end of the day."

South Korea, two-time champions but searching for a first title since 1960, started well. After just five minutes, Son was fouled in the area by Ehsan Haddad. After a four-minute long VAR check, the Tottenham captain scored from the spot.

Jordan levelled after 37 minutes as Park Yong-woo headed a corner into his own net. Six minutes into first-half stoppage time, Jordan took the lead on Yazan Al-Naimat's goal.

But South Korea's pressure paid off in the first minute of second-half stoppage time. Son pulled the ball back in the area for Hwang In-beom and the low shot from the Red Star Belgrade midfielder was turned into his own goal by Al Arab.

Also in Group E, Bahrain beat Malaysia 1-0 to go third with three points. Ali Madan scored the only goal of the game in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time to leave Malaysia pointless.

The top two from each of the six groups advance to the round of 16, where they are joined by the four best-performing third-place teams.

The entertaining Saturday play came after two low-scoring affairs rounded out the action on Friday.

Indonesia moved level with Japan in the Group D standings after beating Vietnam 1-0.

The deadlock was broken after 42 minutes when Nguyen Thanh Binh pulled Rafael Struick's shirt in the area. Captain Asnawi Mangkualam fired home the penalty to give Indonesia a chance of a place in the knockout stage for the first time.

Vietnam, who have lost both of their games, were reduced to 10 men late in the game after Le Pham Thanh Long's second yellow card.

In Group C, Iran defeated Hong Kong 1-0 to secure a place in the round of 16. Mehdi Ghayedi scored with more than an hour left.

The win put three-time champions Iran on top, two points ahead of the United Arab Emirates. The teams meet on Tuesday.

Hong Kong stayed bottom with successive defeats and are a point behind their final group opponents Palestine.

Promotion-chasing Peterborough produced a second-half turnaround to sink Shrewsbury 2-1.

A shock was on the cards at half-time as League One’s lowest scorers led the highest scorers in the division courtesy of Jordan Shipley’s opener.

The Shrews midfielder struck with a fine 20-yard strike in the 41st minute after back-up goalkeeper Harry Burgoyne made a series of smart saves to keep out Posh.

Burgoyne’s terrific save to deny Ricky-Jade Jones one-on-one in the early stages was the pick of the bunch and even when he was beaten by an acrobatic Ephron Mason-Clark effort, defender Morgan Feeney was perfectly placed to head off the line.

Despite falling behind to Shipley’s strike, Posh refused to panic and roared back after the break.

Joel Randall provided a simple finish to a wonderfully-crafted leveller when tapping in a low Jadel Katongo cross in the 51st minute.

And the comeback was complete midway through the half when Josh Knight broke free to head in Harrison Burrows’ corner at the back post in the 68th minute.

Randall struck a post with a glorious chance in stoppage time, but Peterborough had done enough to claim the points.

Thelo Aasgaard’s brilliant strike just after the half-hour mark was enough to secure a valuable 1-0 Sky Bet League One victory for Wigan over Reading at the DW Stadium.

Wigan had threatened first when Martial Godo spun just inside the penalty area, but aimed his shot too close to goalkeeper David Button.

Wigan were indebted to Sean Clare for throwing himself into the path of a goalbound shot from Harvey Knibbs, who’s been teed up by Sam Smith.

But it was the home side who took the lead on 32 minutes, with Aasgaard bending a magnificent right-foot strike into the corner of the net from the edge of the box.

On-loan Fulham winger Godo was unable to run off his problem and was replaced by Stephen Humphrys.

Centre-back Liam Morrison, on loan from Bayern Munich replaced Wigan captain Josh Magennis early in the second half, and he immediately tested Button with a firm header from a corner.

It was almost 2-0 when Matt Smith led a two-on-two break and decided to chip the goalkeeper from 35 yards, with Button just about getting back and clawing the ball behind for a corner.

Reading almost levelled on the stroke of 90 minutes, only for Sam Tickle to parry Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan’s fierce drive, and then regain his feet quickly to push the ball away from the danger zone.

Goals from Ilias Chair and Sinclair Armstrong gave relegation-threatened QPR a vital 2-0 win over Millwall at Loftus Road.

It was Rangers’ first victory in eight Sky Bet Championship matches and lifted them up a place, to third from bottom.

And it means they will move level on points with Huddersfield, the team immediately above them in the table, if they beat the Terriers in another crucial game next weekend.

In a feisty London derby, both teams struggled to create clear-cut chances before Chair put Rangers ahead in the 27th minute with his third goal of the season.

Lyndon Dykes, usually a striker but currently operating in a withdrawn role, played a big part in the build-up.

Dykes controlled the ball nicely and laid it to the right to Chris Willock, who turned away from Joe Bryan and delivered a left-footed cross to the far post, where Chair bundled home from close range after getting in front of Millwall’s on-loan Arsenal youngster Brooke Norton-Cuffy.

QPR continued to threaten after the goal and Willock fired over – again after turning away from Bryan – before Dykes’ side-footed effort flashed narrowly wide.

Millwall’s first real sight of goal came a couple of minutes before half-time, when Billy Mitchell sent a first-time strike over the bar after being found by Zian Flemming’s cross from the left.

Rangers were back on the front foot after the interval, with Dykes heading wide from Willock’s cross and then testing keeper Matija Sarkic with a low shot which was well saved.

And the hosts appealed in vain for a penalty when Wes Harding blocked Dykes’ shot with his hands.

Rangers then had a let-off of their own when keeper Asmir Begovic allowed Mitchell’s shot to squirm through his legs and was rescued by Reggie Cannon’s clearance off the line.

Cannon took a heavy knock in the process and as he lay on the ground the defender appeared to be struck by a number of objects thrown from the away fans’ section of the ground.

That was the closest Millwall came to an equaliser – and there was no way back for them after Armstrong’s 85th-minute goal.

Chair teed up Jack Colback and, after Sarkic failed to hold the veteran midfielder’s left-footed shot, Armstrong was on hand to tuck away the loose ball.

Millwall, who recently won three matches in a row under new boss Joe Edwards, have now suffered back-to-back defeats.

Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson deflected to the club’s decision-makers when asked if his side’s crushing 5-0 defeat at Arsenal could raise questions about his job security.

Substitute Gabriel Martinelli buried the Eagles with two goals inside two minutes of second-half stoppage time, adding to Gabriel and Leandro Trossard’s earlier efforts and a Dean Henderson own goal that all-but guaranteed the hosts victory before half-time.

As Palace defender Chris Richards nodded over a chance to claw back a late consolation, away supporters raised a banner reading “wasted potential on and off the pitch, weak decisions taking us backwards” while another protested “no shared vision, no structured plan”.

Hodgson, when asked if he felt he had unified support of his boyhood club’s board and those above, replied: “That’s a question for them, isn’t it? But if you’re asking me if I’ve ever felt a lack of support from them, then the answer is no.

“I think they’ve been good, but I mean now in [the] situation that you’re obviously discussing, in this scenario you’re envisaging, that’s going to be a question for them.”

He later added: “When a team isn’t doing as well as it should be doing, someone needs to be held responsible, and that’s the manager.”

The Eagles’ vital victory over Brentford to end 2023 and snap an eight-game winless streak seemed to subdue Hodgson’s critics, but Saturday’s result will no doubt loudly revive that chorus, particularly following on from their midweek third-round FA Cup replay loss to Everton in which the former England manager controversially substituted the influential Eberechi Eze.

While he and his players felt there were “infringements” ignored by referee Paul Tierney in the build-up to the opening pair of goals, Hodgson took the blame for Martinelli’s quickfire brace, admitting he had perhaps erred in removing some of his tiring starters in favour of “young lads, and it was too much to ask them to go on and deal with a rampant Arsenal”.

Hodgson understood the frustration from the disillusioned Palace fanbase, adding: “All I can say is I think they are totally entitled to their opinion in that respect. I do understand their frustration, even anger and disappointment, and things haven’t gone better.

“We can make our excuses which we’ve been doing because certain things have worked against us in this period of time, but the bottom line is that if we’re going to go forward and avoid relegation and do well, we need those fans with us. Hopefully we can do our best to keep them on board.”

Arsenal, meanwhile, avoided a fourth-straight defeat across all competitions and kept within striking distance of the Premier League title.

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta was particularly pleased with the way his side worked their set-pieces in their first top-flight meeting of 2024, saying: “Credit to all the coaches, to Nico [Jover, set-piece coach] for the amount of time and belief we put in.

“It’s got a huge impact. We’ve seen that as well in recent games that we’ve lost when we’ve conceded set-pieces, so the outcome is very different when you don’t concede and score.

“We wanted to start the second part of the season with a great performance, with a great result, and build that positivity and momentum again, and I think the boys did a good job today.”

Al Sadd striker Baghdad Bounedjah kept Algeria’s Africa Cup of Nations hopes alive with a stoppage-time header to deny Burkina Faso victory.

Boundejah, who had earlier cancelled out Mohamed Konate’s opener, snatched a 2-2 Group D draw at the Stade de Bouake when he found the net five minutes into added time to ensure substitute Bertrand Traore’s 71st-minute penalty did not prove decisive.

The Stallions, who beat Mauritania in their opening fixture, looked destined for the last 16 as time ticked down, but Boundejah’s last-gasp intervention means both sides have work to do if they are to progress.

Chances were at a premium as the first half unfolded with Burkina Faso midfielder Abdoul Tapsoba forcing keeper Anthony Mandrea into a sixth-minute save from a header while at the other end, Youcef Belaili tested Kouakou Koffi with a shot towards the bottom corner six minutes later.

Algeria, who drew 1-1 with Angola in their first game, went close through Bounedjah as the sides jostled for position, and Koffi saved from Sofiane Feghouli a minute before the break with skipper Riyad Mahrez providing the ammunition.

However, they fell behind in first-half stoppage time when Konate headed past Mandrea from Tapsoba’s cross.

Blati Toure might have extended his side’s lead four minutes after the restart, but they were pegged back by Bounedjah’s close-range finish two minutes later.

Bounedjah went close with a header as Algeria built up a head of steam, but they succumbed once again with 19 minutes remaining when defender Rayan Ait-Nouri was adjudged to have fouled Issa Kabore inside the box and after a VAR review confirmed the decision, substitute Traore converted the resulting spot-kick.

However, there was to be a late twist and it arrived at the death when Bounedjah netted from substitute Adam Ounas’ cross to snatch a point.

Russell Martin says Southampton’s new unbeaten club record will not carry as much importance if the Saints do not return to the Premier League.

Southampton broke a 103-year-old club record on Saturday by extending their unbeaten run to 21 games with a 3-1 victory at Martin’s old club Swansea.

Victory lifted the Saints into second place in the Sky Bet Championship, above Ipswich on goal difference.

“It is a nice moment,” Martin said after his side completed Southampton’s best unbeaten run in all competitions since joining the Football League in 1920, eclipsing the 20 games undefeated achieved the following year.

“I’m really grateful to the players for what they’ve done, the courage they’ve shown. I’m immensely proud.

“The way they did it in the first half, one of the best performances I’ve ever been involved in as coach.

“It’s taken a lot of hard work and they’ve really stepped up. They’ve written themselves in to the history books – and let’s keep it going.

“It will have more significance, importance and standing if we achieve what we want at the end of the season, otherwise it will be just something we’ve achieved together.”

First-half goals from Che Adams, Will Smallbone and Flynn Downes – his first for Saints coming on his 25th birthday and against his former club – put Southampton in control.

However, Saints had to withstand late home pressure as Swansea twice hit the post and Gavin Bazunu made a couple of useful saves.

“We didn’t mix the game up in the last 20 minutes and played with no real purpose,” said Martin.

“We were relentless in the first half and I was disappointed the way we conceded at the end of that half.

“It was handball and offside but we had one offside (goal), so it is what it is.

“It took us a little bit longer to get the wheels in motion. Those two clubs (Leicester and Ipswich) had the two best starts in Championship history, so the fact we are now there and in the fight, in the mix, and hunting them both down, is a real credit to the players.”

Martin was given a warm welcome by Swansea fans on his return to the club he managed for two years and left last June.

Relations between Martin and the Swansea hierarchy had soured after the club had a dismal January transfer window.

“I felt sick this morning and couldn’t eat any breakfast,” said Martin.

“But it was really nice to come back and I enjoyed it more because of our performance and the fact we won.

“Seeing all the backroom staff and lots of people who meant a lot to us – and who we have a lot of love and affection for – was special.”

For Swansea boss Luke Williams, it was a first defeat in charge following an FA Cup victory over Morecambe and a Championship draw at Birmingham.

Jamie Paterson made it 2-1 just before half-time with a close-range header, and Swansea finally shook off the shackles to set up a grandstand finish that almost brought surprise reward.

“First half we were too deep, far too deep,” said Williams, Martin’s former assistant at both MK Dons and Swansea.

“Southampton could push the ball around, take their time and wait for the space and they did that brilliantly.

“Second half, the difference is we play higher up the pitch and we were able to create chances.”

Former Notts County boss Williams was appointed after Martin’s successor Michael Duff lasted less than five months in the job.

He said: “If it was something that was a really quick fix, everyone would be doing it. it’s not going to be that easy.

“I need to try to get the message across to the players in a clinical way because we are not blessed with time at the moment.”

Namibia head coach Collin Benjamin believes his side are “immune” to their underdogs status as they attempt to make history on Sunday.

Deon Hotto’s late header gave the Namibians their first ever win in the Africa Cup of Nations as the Brave Warriors stunned 2004 champions Tunisia 1-0 in their Group E opener earlier this week.

Another surprise victory when they take on South Africa in Korhogo this weekend would represent a major step towards reaching the knockout stages of the competition for the first time.

And Benjamin argued one of the touchstones of his side’s successful start to their campaign has been their ability to block out noise from outside the camp.

“They are just focused on the task at hand. I have never seen such dedication from a group of players,” said Benjamin. “On the field, in the gym, during breakfast, they are just focused. Even I am afraid of them!

“They not only carrying their own aspirations but it’s the hopes and dreams of the entire nation. For us being underdogs to a certain extent we are immune to it.

“We are preparing properly and as professionals. We are going to give everything, and this is what we live for.”

South Africa are looking to rebound from their 2-0 loss to Mali earlier this week, with Bafana Bafana boss Hugo Broos urging his side to learn from their errors.

“The only thing that we cannot do is to repeat the same mistakes that we made with Mali,” Broos said in quotes on the competition’s official website.

When the Draw for the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup took place last month, players from qualified teams to contest Round one waited with bated breath to see where in the bracket their team would be placed.

In fact, much of the anxiety around the announcement was focused on which Round One winner would advance to face last year’s Leagues Cup Champions Inter Miami –the team of Argentina superstar Lionel Messi –in the Round of 16.

In the end, the draw pooled another Major League Soccer (MLS) Nashville SC and Dominican Republic’s Moca FC as Round one opponents, and the two will crosswords to decide who will oppose Messi’s side in the Round of 16.

For Moca’s striker Gustavo Ascona, who is an Argentinian by birth, defeating Nashville and playing against Messi would be the opportunity of a lifetime.

“Playing against Messi would be my life’s dream, like for any Argentine. I went home for vacation at the holidays and everyone in my hometown was talking about me playing against Messi. It’s crazy, and it would be a dream. You really can’t describe it any other way,” Ascona said in a recent interview with Concacaf.com.

“We have to keep our feet on the ground, work hard in the first game, get the biggest advantage possible that we can get here at home and later we’ll see what happens,” he added.

Ascona is well aware that getting by their Round one opponents Nashville is no easy feat, but at the same time, he believes the task is by no means impossible, provided Moca executes efficiently against the 2023 Leagues Cup runners-up.

He recalled Haitian club Violette’s victory over MLS side Austin FC in last season Round of 16 as proof that Caribbean teams can get the job done.

“We know that it (Nashville) is a really difficult opponent. We know what kind of league they play in, but we have confidence in ourselves. We know what we can give, and sometimes football brings surprises. Just look at what Violette did last season. Why can’t we repeat that?” Ascona asked rhetorically.

The 36-year-old attacker enjoyed good form for Moca in the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Cup, as he scored four goals over the course of eight games. It took a last-second equalizer by eventual champions Robinhood of Suriname, to defeat Moca FC in the semi-final.

However, Ascona and company were still able to secure a coveted spot in the Champions Cup with victory over Jamaican club Harbour View in the third-place decider.

“It was really hard, because we had other objectives and we had the game in Suriname in which they scored in the last minute, and we lost in penalties. That was a tough blow. But we regrouped to try to get that last spot, we set out to make it ours and we got it, so it was satisfying,” Ascona shared.

“It was hard and tough to keep a positive mindset because we had come off of losing another final in the domestic league here. It was really tough in Jamaica. It was a positive to get a win there and then manage the game here, but they fought until the very end,” he noted.

Reaching the Champions Cup was also a historical moment for Moca, as it marked the first ever Champions Cup qualification for the club. They now join Cibao FC and Atletico Pantoja as Dominican Republican clubs to achieve the feat in recent years.

That accomplishment and, by extension, the responsibility as the country’s lone representative on this occasion, is something that Ascona doesn’t take lightly.

“The truth is that when one arrives to a team, you always think about making history, in leaving something. This is my third year with Moca and thankfully things are going well for me. Now we’ll just see if we can keep progressing in this stage that we are in and play against some of the other big clubs in the tournament,” Ascona reasoned.

“It’s really wonderful to have that responsibility of being the only Dominican team in this tournament. I think every fan of Dominican football is going to be following that game, so we are going to have the support of a lot of people,” he ended.

Frenkie De Jong insists Barcelona will carry on fighting to defend their LaLiga crown.

The champions are fourth, eight points behind surprise leaders Girona, as they prepare to return to league action at Real Betis on Sunday after four successive cup games.

With Real Madrid seemingly well placed to strike, just a point off the top with a game in hand, Barca now look like rank outsiders in the title race but playmaker De Jong is not giving up.

The Dutchman told the club’s website: “There are three titles still to play for. We’re in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey, we’re still in the Champions League and we’re going to do everything possible to get back into contention in LaLiga.

“That depends on Madrid and Girona and we can’t do anything about that, but I do think we have the squad and if we improve a few things we have a very good chance of winning a lot of the games we have left.

“I think we can still fight for the league. We know we have to improve but the quality is there.

“We’re lacking decisiveness, concentration sometimes. We have to improve that and focus all game. If we do that, we have a very good squad to fight for every title.”

Barcelona suffered a disappointing 4-1 defeat at the hands of arch-rivals Real in the Spanish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia last weekend.

It was a humbling experience but De Jong does not think too much should be read into it.

“We didn’t play well in that game, but one game doesn’t make a season,” said the 26-year-old, who made his 200th appearance for Barca in the midweek Copa del Rey win at Unionistas Salamanca.

“We lost to Madrid and deservedly so. It was a fair result.

“But losing one game – and we lost it badly – doesn’t mean we’re having a bad season.”

Barca take on a Betis side hoping to build on claiming their first league win since November as they edged out Granada last weekend.

Manager Manuel Pellegrini said: “They did not have a good performance in the Super Cup but they are still in three competitions.

“They are still competing for the top places. They may be a few points lower but there is an enormous amount of time to try to fight back.

“If we believe that we are going to find a Barcelona in crisis, we would be very wrong. We expect a tough opponent.”

Substitute Gabriel Martinelli scored a late double to consign Crystal Palace to a crushing 5-0 defeat at Arsenal which increases the pressure on Roy Hodgson.

Gabriel nodded in the opener for the Gunners, while Eagles keeper Dean Henderson was credited with an own goal and Leandro Trossard grabbed the third on an afternoon that rarely saw Hodgson’s side pose a threat.

Eberechi Eze marked a century of Premier League appearances after he was controversially replaced in the 64th minute of Wednesday’s FA Cup third-round replay loss to Everton and provided the occasional bright spark for the visitors.

It was hardly enough to please the away supporters, who raised banners protesting against the direction of their club before Martinelli buried their side moments later.

Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko returned to Mikel Arteta’s starting line-up for the Gunners, who were ahead seconds after the 10-minute mark when Gabriel leveraged the shoulders of Palace defender Chris Richards to rise highest and head home Declan Rice’s corner.

Palace were lucky to avoid falling further behind when a dangerous deflection off midfielder Jefferson Lerma flew towards the top left corner of his own net only to clip the woodwork.

That sigh of relief did little to relieve the overall pressure, Palace rarely finding themselves in the vicinity of the Gunners’ goal until the half hour, when Eze fired a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into a wall of red shirts.

David Raya was finally called into action when his own clearance only travelled as far as Lerma, who forced the Arsenal keeper into a low, diving save at his left post.

The Gunners doubled their advantage in the 37th minute when Gabriel nodded Bukayo Saka’s corner towards Henderson’s net and was initially awarded the goal, which stood after a VAR check but subsequently changed to an own goal for the Palace keeper.

There was a late attempt by Lerma, who had just been treated for what initially looked to be a head or neck injury, comfortably saved, while an onrushing Trossard failed to find the back of the net in first-half added time.

Palace had scored two or more goals in just five of their Premier League meetings going into this 21st encounter and desperately hoped to make it six after the break, when Henderson denied Rice and Raya safely handled Eze’s effort.

The chances kept coming for Arsenal, who were denied a possible penalty after a VAR consultation, and they were soon three goals to the good after Jesus’ pinpoint pass found Trossard, who weaved around Nathaniel Clyne and neatly finished to the top left.

Richards nodded over in added-time, in full view of supporters in the away end who raised a banner reading “wasted potential on and off the pitch, weak decisions taking us backwards”.

Moments later, substitute Martinelli fired in the hosts’ fourth, then a near-identical fifth.

Southampton broke a 103-year-old club record by going 21 games unbeaten as Russell Martin celebrated his return to Swansea with a 3-1 success.

Che Adams, Will Smallbone and birthday boy Flynn Downes scored first-half goals as the Saints secured a Sky Bet Championship victory that should have been by a far greater margin.

Jamie Paterson gave Swansea brief hope in cutting the deficit to 2-1, but this was a sobering defeat for the hosts – their first in four games since losing at Southampton on Boxing Day.

Southampton have now eclipsed their best unbeaten run in all competitions since joining the Football League in 1920, the Saints going 20 games without defeat the following year.

A sixth win in seven league games moves Southampton into second place, above Ipswich on goal difference before they meet Championship leaders Leicester on Monday.

Martin was given a warm welcome by Swansea fans on his return to the club he managed for two years and left last June.

Luke Williams, who worked as Martin’s assistant at MK Dons and Swansea, was in charge in the home dugout for the first time in the league.

Williams had started his reign with an FA Cup victory over Morecambe and a Championship draw at Birmingham, but this was a far tougher proposition against visitors unbeaten since September 23.

Southampton thrashed Swansea 5-0 at St Mary’s and could have matched that total inside the opening half-hour.

Adams volleyed an inviting opportunity wide before Carl Rushworth pushed Stuart Armstrong’s sixth-minute shot into the Scotland striker’s path for his ninth goal of the season.

Rushworth was the busiest man in Swansea, with several stops including a fantastic double save to deny Ryan Fraser and Adam Armstrong.

Swansea’s defence was breached again after 20 minutes, although there was more than a hint of offside about it.

Stuart Armstrong seemed well beyond the last home defender, but he was allowed to continue and his cross was converted by Smallbone from inside the six-yard box.

Josh Tymon had Swansea’s first effort, looping over from 20 yards, but Rushworth kept them in the contest by kicking away Adam Armstrong’s angled attempt at a post.

Southampton’s share of possession was over 80 per cent at times, but Swansea scored out of nowhere four minutes before the break.

Harrison Ashby’s cross ended in a collision between Saints goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu and Jamal Lowe.

The Swansea striker had possibly been offside, but the ball ran kindly to Liam Cullen and his centre was nodded home by Paterson.

Southampton restored their two-goal advantage on the stroke of half-time as former Swansea midfielder Downes fired home from 20 yards with the aid of a deflection.

Downes was celebrating his 25th birthday, but did not salute his first Saints goal out of respect for his former club.

The second period was a far quieter affair until Paterson struck the Saints woodwork twice in as many minutes.

Bazunu also thwarted substitute Yannick Bolasie from close range as Swansea finished strongly, but without success.

Massimiliano Allegri will not allow his Juventus players to be distracted from their mission of qualifying for the Champions League after a year out of Europe.

A seventh-placed finish last season, thanks in part to a 10-point deduction for capital gain violations, meant the Bianconeri were not even able to compete in the Europa Conference League this term, leaving their midweeks largely free.

That has not translated into a waltz to the Serie A title, however, with leaders Inter Milan still two points out in front despite Juve winning 12 of their last 15 matches and remaining unbeaten in the league since September.

Head coach Allegri remains wary that any complacency creeping in could allow rivals like AC Milan and Fiorentina to overtake them, and he stressed that Sunday’s match at mid-table Lecce represents an excellent opportunity for his side to demonstrate how much they have improved.

He told reporters: “Playing at Lecce is difficult, they played well against Inter and Lazio, defending really well, and they’ve got good results from their last four home matches.

“We have to focus solely on getting a positive result. The main objective is to not concede – that’s happened to us in our last four away games.

“We’re still missing lots of points in our mission to qualify for the Champions League. That’s what we are chasing, that is our goal.

“We can see that Inter are doing great things, they’ve collected 51 points already and are favourites for the Scudetto. We’re improving, but we know that winning at Lecce will be complicated. Celebrating a win is always easy but you’ve got to play the game first.

“Some horses need to wear blinkers and some don’t. Those who need to wear them worry about looking at others but blinkers help you focus on what is in front of us. We haven’t achieved anything so far – we’re only halfway there.”

Federico Chiesa and Adrien Rabiot are ruled out of the game at Stadio Via del mare, with breakthrough wing-back Andrea Cambiaso unlikely to feature.

“The squad is in good shape, we’re training in the right way,” said Allegri. “We won’t have Rabiot or Chiesa tomorrow: the former has a calf problem while Federico has suffered a recurrence of his knee issue and will be assessed in the next few days.

“Cambiaso has come on a lot and I’m happy, he’s great technically and is becoming an important player for us.”

Lecce have three players absent due to the Africa Cup of Nations: Zambian striker Lameck Banda, Tunisia’s Hamza Rafia and Ahmed Touba of Algeria. Albanian defender Kastriot Dermaku faces a late fitness check.

The Apulian club are 13th but starting to look over their shoulders after losing three of their last four games and scoring only once in that period.