Today in Football – Things You May Have Missed

Football never sleeps. During any of the 86400 seconds in a 24-hour day, somewhere in the world someone is doing something related to the beautiful game, whether that’s scoring a last-minute winner in a high-profile match, posting their expert take on social media or simply booting a ball against a wall with their mates.

It’s therefore impossible for any human being to keep up with everything that’s going on in the game, and it’s often those little yet most intriguing moments, like a fan’s alternative viewpoint of a penalty save, or a three-second yet incredibly telling interaction between two arch-rivals, or thread on X explaining why N’Golo Kante is the nicest man in professional sport, which make football so great.

GIVEMESPORT have created our live blog to help solve that problem, providing the best social media has to offer and the greatest football mini-stories from the last 24 hours.

19th May: Conor Bradley Produces Brilliant Assist Ahead of Frimpong Arrival

The full-back is set to compete with the Dutchman for a starting spot next season

Conor Bradley restated his claim to be the starting right-back in light of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s departure next season with an incredible assist during the Reds’ Premier League clash against Brighton. The youngster was named in the starting XI as they prepare for life without Alexander-Arnold, which will also see Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong make the move to Anfield.

Any doubts surrounding whether or not Bradley will be able to compete with the new arrival were quickly eradicated, though, as the youngster capped off a fine move to set up Harvey Elliott for the opener at the Amex. The charging defender ran on to a lay-off by Mohamed Salah before executing a filthy nutmeg on Simon Adingra, then cutting the ball back to the onrushing midfielder to slot into an empty net.

The assist prompted cries of ‘one Conor Bradley’ inside the stadium while several fans poked fun of Alexander-Arnold on social media as a result. One fan stated: “Bradley already starting to snatch Trent’s chain right before he leaves,” while another added: “Trent left so he wouldn’t be phased out by Bradley.” A third also stated: “Trent who? Bradley’s the real assist king.”

18th May: Wout Weghorst ‘Fuming’ After Ajax’s Title Collapse

The former Premier League striker couldn’t hide his anger

Ajax missed out on the Eredivisie title by a single point despite winning their final game of the campaign 2-0 at home against FC Twente. Wout Weghorst – formerly of Manchester United and Burnley – was on the scoresheet alongside ex-Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson in Amsterdam, but was left ‘fuming’ after the full-time whistle.

One of the contributing factors behind the Dutchman’s rage could be the monumental collapse of the Dutch giants in recent weeks that ultimately saw them surrender control of the league title and lose out to PSV Eindhoven on the final day. From nine points clear with five games left, to finishing one point behind their rivals. Weghorst vented his annoyance at a nearby camera, punching it away from his face.

17th May: What Kylian Mbappe Said to Endrick at Half-Time vs Mallorca

Fans want him made captain

Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe has been praised for his words of encouragement to young teammate Endrick during the half-time break vs Mallorca. Los Blancos were losing 1-0 at that stage and the Brazilian striker had been guilty of snatching at a few decent opportunities. Mbappe said to him:

Mbappe would go on to inspire a comeback, scoring a 68th-minute equaliser before Jacobo Ramon bagged a winner in the 95th minute. Although it would mean little in the end, with Barcelona winning their match, thus sealing La Liga, fans were still impressed by Mbappe’s leadership.

One wrote: “I’ve seen enough make him captain.” Another added: “Give him that captain’s armband immediately!”, while a third simply stated: “Leader.”

After their draw to Arsenal on Sunday afternoon, Arne Slot jetted out to Ibiza to continue Liverpool’s Premier League title celebrations. Despite having two more games to go this season, footage has emerged of Slot partying at Ibiza’s Ocean Beach, with the Liverpool boss walking on stage to ‘We Are The Champions’ by Queen. The video of Slot has gone viral with Liverpool fans loving it.

One Liverpool fan said: “Love this man. This guy is something else”, while another commented: “How have we lost Klopp and somehow ended up with another absolute hero of a man?”. Many are resigned to Liverpool not winning either of their remaining games, with one commenting: “Yeah, we’re not winning again this season.”

11th May: Nicolas Jackson Sees Red For Wild Elbow Against Newcastle United

The forward will miss the rest of the season after elbowing Sven Botman

Chelsea’s quest for Champions League football took a major hit against Newcastle United as Nicolas Jackson was sent off in the first half of the contest after elbowing Sven Botman in the head. What initially looked like an accidental collision saw the striker receive a yellow card, but after VAR took a closer look at the incident, he appeared to look at the defender before leaning into with his elbow and striking Botman in the head.

As a result, the initial yellow card was rescinded and he was instead shown a straight red. Chelsea were already losing the game and now, they will be without the striker for the remainder of their Premier League games and their chances of finishing in the top five and qualifying for the Champions League have significantly worsened as a result.

8th May: Antony Nets Stunning Free-Kick Past David De Gea

The Brazilian beat his former teammate with an incredible strike from distance

Antony’s incredible revival at Real Betis hit a new high as he scored a stunning free-kick past former Manchester United teammate David de Gea to give his side the lead in the second leg of their Conference League semi-final against Fiorentina.

The Brazilian was on the scoresheet as Betis won the first leg at home 2-1, but produced an even greater moment of magic in the away tie. Stepping up to a free-kick from all of 25 yards out, the winger wrapped the dead ball around the wall and past the outstretched Spaniard in goal to give his side a greater aggregate advantage via the help of the inside of the post.

While Fiorentina were able to turn the game on its head and level the tie by taking a 2-1 lead into half-time, it marks arguably Antony’s most brilliant strike yet since his loan move to the Seville-based club.

8th May: Ruben Amorim Asked to Sign Two Key Players by Man United Fans

The manager’s reaction was telling

Ruben Amorim gave a telling response to a Manchester United fan who asked him to sign Lyon star Rayan Cherki and Sporting CP goalscorer Viktor Gyokeres in the summer. Both men have previously been linked with a move to Old Trafford, but United’s business in the window will likely depend on whether they win the Europa League and qualify for the Champions League.

Regardless, it seems as though youngster Cherki is not likely to be on Amorim’s shortlist, as he was captured smirking and shaking his head when asked by a United supporter to sign the 21-year-old Frenchman.

While the camera didn’t catch if the Portuguese coach also shook his head at the suggestions over Gyokeres, Amorim could still be seen smiling at the suggestions in a similar way to how he did with Cherki, perhaps ruling out a move for the man who discovered his red-hot form under his tutelage.

7th May: Vitinha Produces Very Tame Penalty in Champions League v Arsenal

David Raya had a very simple task when faced with the Portuguese’s spot kick

Paris Saint-Germain’s Vitinha was given the chance to double his side’s lead inside a roaring Parc des Princes but instead produced one of the worst penalties of this season’s Champions League campaign. Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya dropped to his right with ease to thwart the midfielder’s tame effort from 12 yards out.

The call from the referee was a controversial one in itself. Just before the 70-minute mark, with the two-legged tie already in PSG’s hands after Fabian Ruiz put them ahead in the 27th minute, Vitinha had the chance to put the tie to bed. He took an awfully slow run-up, akin to a walk rather than a run, before softly placing it to Raya’s right, making it an easy save to make.