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.

13th February: Carragher and Henry’s Reactions to Everton’s Equaliser v Liverpool

Carragher wasn’t best pleased

There were absolute scenes at Goodison Park on Wednesday evening as James Tarkowski scored with virtually the last-kick of the game to win a point for Everton against fierce rivals Liverpool. Jamie Carragher was watching the game while working as a pundit for CBS Sports and he was not happy at all to see his beloved Liverpool pegged back in the most dramatic fashion. The same cannot be said for Thierry Henry, who would no doubt have been pleased to see the goal go in with former side Arsenal going head-to-head with Liverpool in the title race.

To make matters worse for Carragher, he was then mugged off by one of CBS’ production assistants, who is an avid Evertonian.

The Frenchman couldn’t control his emotions as Los Blancos found victory

If there were any lingering doubts about Kylian Mbappe adjusting to life at Real Madrid, his ecstatic reaction to Jude Bellingham’s stoppage-time winner against Manchester City should put them to rest. Carlo Ancelotti’s side twice came from behind to secure a hard-fought 3-2 victory at the Etihad Stadium, putting them in the driver’s seat to reach the last 16 of the Champions League.

As Bellingham found the net late on, Mbappe – who had been substituted earlier in the night after scoring Los Blancos’ first – was seen sprinting down the dugout and onto the pitch to celebrate with his teammates. The 26-year-old simply couldn’t contain his emotions!

10th February: Dion Dublin’s Brilliant Repsonse to Fan Interrupting BBC Broadcast

‘I’ll take him outside in a minute’

Former striker-turned-pundit Dion Dublin told a supporter that he’d ‘take him outside’ after BBC Sport’s half-time analysis of Aston Villa’s 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur was interrupted by said fan banging on the glass in anger.

While Jermain Defoe, Joe Hart and Dublin were trying to dissect Tottenham’s poor performance, the supporter in question was thumping the studio window while he, infuriated at his side’s performance, also called the ex-Premier League centre-forward a “w*****!”

When asked by Mark Chapman to take the fans through Jacob Ramsey’s early opener, Dion replied: “I’ll take him outside in a minute.”, eliciting a laugh from the rest of the panel. Marking Marcus Rashford’s debut, Aston Villa ran out 2–1 victors after Morgan Rogers and Mathys Tel struck in the second 45.

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9th February: Defender’s Claim That he Kicked The ‘S***’ Out of Suarez De-Bunked

‘It’s the best game I ever played’

James Collins’ claim that his best-ever performance was against ex-Reds talisman Luis Suarez has been de-bunked by emerging footage showing the two locking horns for West Ham United and Liverpool, respectively.

About that day, he said: “I don’t know if anyone really remembers their best game, but that game stands out. Why it stands out, I think, Suarez was Suarez at the time. Unplayable at points. He was little, [I] didn’t really fancy playing against a little player.

He then recalled a banner depicting ‘Luis Suarez could nutmeg a mermaid’ before saying: “I just decided I’m just going to steam into him every time he gets the ball. Kick him, bring him down, whatever. So I literally kick the s*** out of Suarez for 90 minutes.

The resultant footage from Collins and Suarez’s clash back in the day shows the latter having an enjoyable afternoon’s work at Anfield, getting the better of the former on the majority of occasions and none of the defender smashing into the striker.

The Bournemouth talisman’s penalty vs Everton wowed fans and pundits alike

Many consider Bournemouth to be the great entertainers of this Premier League season, and they certainly lived up to that reputation in the FA Cup on Saturday afternoon. As the Cherries clashed with Everton in the fourth round, they were handed a golden opportunity to take the lead when the referee awarded a penalty in the 23rd minute.

Rather than opting for a conventional approach, Antoine Semenyo placed the ball on the spot, took a few quick steps back, then turned around, sprinted forward and slotted it past Jordan Pickford before the goalkeeper could even set himself. Pundits were left stunned by the unorthodox technique, with one commentator remarking: “In 20 years working in football, I’ve never seen that.”

Former Premier League striker Dion Dublin later said it was something he’d seen on the playgrounds while he was younger, but for the Bournemouth talisman to try it on the big stage was a refreshing sight for all.

8th February: Man City Stunned in FA Cup Fourth Round

The Citizens were shell-shocked by League One Leyton Orient

Manchester City’s fortunes seemed to go from bad to worse as the Premier League champions fell behind in the FA Cup fourth round against League One side, Leyton Orient. Pep Guardiola’s men squandered several promising chances inside the opening 20 minutes while also being caused problems defensively.

Jamie Donley gave the home crowd something to shout about as he hit a powerful effort from almost the halfway line towards Stefan Ortega’s goal. The ball crashed off the crossbar before hitting the goalkeeper and crossing the line. While it might not go down as his goal, Donley can cherish that moment of magic for a long time to come.

8th February: Noussair Mazraoui’s Embarrassing Foul Throw

There were calls for him to be ‘fined a week’s wages’

Manchester United’s last-gasp FA Cup Fourth Round win against Leicester City on Friday was far from a glorious display at Old Trafford. A controversial Harry Maguire winner – despite being in an offside position – spared Ruben Amorim’s men having to play an extra 30 minutes.

In truth, the performance was far from memorable and the Red Devils were lucky to secure progression to the next round. Among the errors made by the home side, Noussair Mazraoui was guilty of a foul throw-in. The Moroccan broke Law 15.1 in the FA rules by throwing the ball towards the ground after stuttering in his run-up.

Former Arsenal stalwart Lee Dixon was on ITV’s commentary of the match and made the claim: “He should be fined a week’s wages for that. How can you not throw a ball in?” The embarrassment was probably enough punishment for the defender, who had to trudge back to defend a dangerous Leicester throw-in as a result.

6th February: Van Dijk Trolls Richarlison

“Not seen that one since the primary school playground”

With Liverpool hosting Tottenham Hotspur in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final, tensions were high right from kick-off. The home team were trailing 1-0 going into the game, leading to an electric atmosphere at Anfield right from the off.

Perhaps feeding off that, captain Virgil van Dijk was involved in a couple of incidents early on in the match – both against Spurs forward Richarlison. Firstly, he was somewhat fortunate to avoid a red card after elbowing the Brazilian in the neck.

Then, adding insult to injury, a little later on in the first half he trolled Richarlison with some behaviour right off the school ground – as put by journalist Lewis Steel, who wrote online:

“Virgil van Dijk just offered a hand to Richarlison to help him up off the floor. Richarlison reaches towards it but Van Dijk pulls it away. Not seen that one since the primary school playground.”

5th February: Ian Wright Slams PL For ‘Monitoring’ Provocative Goal Celebrations

The Arsenal icon went viral with hilarious response to rumours of potential punishments

Ian Wright was bemused by suggestions that the Premier League were monitoring goal celebrations that ‘mock’ their opponents amid Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly mimicking Erling Haaland’s meditating celebration after netting in a 5-1 win over Manchester City.

The former Gunners striker posted a video of one of his goal celebrations while calling out the Premier League on his X account, “They would be calling for me to be locked up!!! VAR already taking away the celebrations and now this! Kmt.”

Lewis-Skelly wasn’t punished for impersonating Haaland, although Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher, Wright’s fellow Stick to Football podcasters, felt his actions were ‘disrespectful’. Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye was booked after he celebrated a winner against Brighton & Hove Albion by flapping his arms like a seagull.

4th February: How Messi Responded When Asked if He’s the Best Ever

In a candid interview with Spanish TV, Cristiano Ronaldo boldly declared himself the greatest footballer of all time. “I believe I am the most complete player who has ever existed. It’s me. I am the best player ever, I believe that” he said, without a moment’s hesitation.

His self-assured claim has since resurfaced an old video of Lionel Messi answering the same question after winning his record-extending eighth Ballon d’Or – and the stark contrast in their responses speaks volumes. Messi took a much more open-minded approach to such a pressing question. While Ronaldo availed his egotistical side, his Argentinean adversary said:

“Well, as I always say, I don’t know if I’m the best in history, and it’s not something I ask myself, or care about. The fact that it can be said that I’m among the best is a gift to me. It is something very special. Football is played by everyone, everywhere, from a very young age. Every kid wants to be a footballer, be professional. To tell me that I can be among the best is an honour, a great source of pride.”

3rd February: Marcus Rashford Picks New Squad Number

It makes a change to what he had at Man United

Marcus Rashford has completed a loan move from Manchester United to Aston Villa. The England international joins Villa until the end of the season, although could end up signing permanently, with £40 million buy option included in the contract.

Despite number 10 being available, after Emiliano Buendia joined Bayer Leverkusen on loan, the winger has opted to wear the no.9 shirt (recently vacated by John Duran). Rashford had worn the No.10 shirt at United since the summer of 2018. Prior to that, he won no.19 and no.39

Perhaps he is hoping the new number will be symbolic of a much-needed fresh start.

3rd February: Sancho Makes Feelings Clear After Rashford’s Man United Exit

The winger knows how it feels to escape Old Trafford, and he’s sent his compatriot a message

Jadon Sancho sent a brief but pointed message to Marcus Rashford after his Manchester United teammate confirmed his loan move to Aston Villa on Sunday. Rashford, 27, joins Villa until the end of the season, with the club covering 70% of his £325,000-per-week wages. The deal includes a £40 million buy option, potentially leading to a three-and-a-half-year contract.

In his statement posted to Instagram, Rashford expressed gratitude, saying: “I would like to thank Manchester United and Aston Villa for making this loan deal happen.I was lucky to have a few clubs approach me but Aston Villa was an easy decision – I really admire the way that Aston Villa have been playing this season, and the managers’ ambitions. I just want to play football and am excited to get started. I wish everyone at Manchester United all the best for the rest of the season.”

Shortly after, United teammate Sancho – also out on loan this season, at Chelsea – reacted with a message of his own, simply writing: “He’s back!” Whether Rashford can replicate Sancho’s resurgence since leaving Old Trafford remains to be seen, but it’s becoming a theme that players do exactly that after the likes of Scott McTominay and Antony have also started well at Napoli and Real Betis.

2nd February: Gabriel Celebrates Odegaard’s Goal vs Man City in Haaland’s Face

The defender remembered what happened when the two teams last met

Arsenal took an early advantage in the huge Premier League clash with Manchester City as Martin Odegaard capitalised on an early mix-up in the visitors’ backline to put his team in front. The two sides previously met in a fiery clash at the Etihad Stadium, with fans expecting more of the same.

Gabriel certainly didn’t forget what happened in the reverse fixture. Erling Haaland threw the ball at the back of the Brazilian’s head after John Stones grabbed a late equaliser and then told Mikel Arteta to ‘stay humble’ at full-time. Gabriel got his own back by running past the Norwegian forward and rubbing Odegaard’s opener in his face. Talk about keeping receipts.

2nd February: Van Persie Fumes at Match Officials for ‘Unthinkable’ Error

Fortuna Sittard were allowed to play with 12 men on the pitch against Van Persie’s Heerenveen

Heerenveen manager, and former Manchester United marksman, Robin van Persie was fuming at match officials who allowed his side’s opposition, Fortuna Sittard, to field 12 players in their recent Eredivisie encounter, which ended 2-2.

With Heerenveen 2-1 up, the mix-up happened in the 88th minute when Fortuna made a double substitution, which saw Ryan Fosso and Jasper Dahlhaus make way for Darijo Grujcic and Owen Johnson. Dahlaus, however, didn’t step off the pitch, which gave them a numerical advantage for around a minute.

Van Persie protested to the fourth official on the touchline in order for the officials to right their wrongs. “I find what preceded that goal very special,” Van Persie said post-match before adding, “Fortuna Sittard had 12 men on the field for a minute before that throw-in. Apparently, that is allowed and possible.”

“So I asked the fourth official: ‘Shouldn’t you do something about that?’. For example, reverse that goal. You can’t play with twelve men against eleven. I really can’t understand that. I think this is really scandalous.”

2nd February: Santos Fans Share Similar Concern over Neymar’s Unveiling

‘There’s no chance he plays more than 5 games for them’

After emerging through Santos’ ranks between 2009 and 2013, Neymar has returned to his native Brazil after leaving former employers, Al-Hilal, by mutual consent. An unmatched buzz has been coupled with his sensational homecoming, but fans, upon watching footage of his unveiling at the Urbano Caldeira Stadium, are concerned about the state of his left knee.

As he bent over to kiss the Santos badge, as a showing of his undying adoration to the club that propelled him into the shop window, Neymar appeared to struggle and was hesitant to bend his left leg at the knee for precautionary reasons. He also knelt merely on his right knee, further enhancing worries.

The Brazilian record-setter ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscus in his left knee on October 17, 2023, and underwent surgery the following month. Neymar made his return to the pitch in October 2024, managing just two appearances in the Middle East before picking up a hamstring issue.

In response to the heart-warming clip, fans on X (formerly Twitter) are seriously concerned. One wrote: “Left knee… yikes.” While another insisted: “Looks like his left leg can’t move. A third said: “Poor guy can’t even bend his left knee anymore, there’s no chance he plays more than 5 games for them.”

1st February: Blackburn Rovers’ Bizarre Corner Routine

New corner routine emerges in Championship fixture

Blackburn Rovers attempted an experimental corner kick routine during Friday night’s Championship clash against Preston. Rather than surrounding the opposition goalkeeper – as is often the case – Blackburn’s players positioned themselves on the corner of the 18-yard box.

Seven Preston players went man-to-man with the Blackburn players, while three others – plus the goalkeeper – remained in their zonal positions. One of the Blackburn players broke away and picked the ball up from a short corner before whipping it to the back post. It didn’t lead to a goalscoring opportunity on this occasion, but it’s fascinating that coaches seem to be paying more attention than ever before to set-pieces – perhaps after seeing the success that Arsenal have enjoyed this season. That said, it hasn’t prevented some fans on social media from describing the eyebrow-raising tactic as “utter, woke nonsense”.