At Old Trafford, Brighton & Hove Albion stunned United with a 2-1 victory, marking their first FA Cup win over the Red Devils.

Brajan Gruda opened the scoring early for Brighton before former United forward Danny Welbeck doubled the lead in the second half. Benjamin Sesko pulled one back late with a header, but United’s hopes were dented further when substitute Shea Lacey was sent off for a second yellow card.

The result leaves United without a win in either domestic cup this season and intensifies scrutiny on a beleaguered squad and managerial situation.

They will only play 40 matches in this campaign, compared to 60 last season, which is their lowest number since they played 39 in 1914-15.

Elsewhere on Sunday, Arsenal booked their place in the fourth round with a convincing 4-1 win over Portsmouth. Gabriel Martinelli starred with his first hat-trick for the club, overturning an early Portsmouth lead and sealing progression for the Premier League leaders.

Bafana Bafana international Luke le Roux started in the midfield for Portsmouth.

In other third-round matches, Leeds United defeated Derby County 3-1, with goals from Wilfried Gnonto, Ao Tanaka and James Justin helping the visitors advance.

Norwich City cruised to a 5-1 victory over Walsall, while West Ham United needed extra time to edge Queens Park Rangers 2-1, with Valentin Castellanos scoring the winner.

South African Tylon Smith was on the bench for QPR.

A notable upset also marked the day: Mansfield Town shocked Championship side Sheffield United 4-3 in a thrilling tie, as Louis Reed scored twice against his former club to book a place in the fourth round.

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The day’s biggest headline came when sixth-tier Macclesfield produced a stunning upset by knocking out holders Crystal Palace 2–1 at Moss Rose.

Captain Paul Dawson headed home from a Luke Duffy free-kick shortly before half-time, and Isaac Buckley-Ricketts doubled the lead early in the second period, before Palace’s Yéremy Pino pulled one back late in the game.

It was widely described as one of the greatest shocks in FA Cup history, with Macclesfield becoming the first non-league side to beat the reigning champions in over a century.

At the Etihad Stadium, Manchester City delivered a remarkable attacking display with a 10–1 victory over League One Exeter City.

Max Alleyne opened the scoring before Rodri, debutant Antoine Semenyo, Rico Lewis and others got on the scoresheet, including two own goals for Exeter. The win matched City’s record FA Cup margin and underlined their attacking depth.

Elsewhere, drama unfolded at St James’ Park as Newcastle United and Bournemouth played out an extraordinary 3–3 draw that went to penalties. After a thrilling tie, Newcastle prevailed 7–6 in the shoot-out, with goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale making the decisive saves to send his side through.

Aston Villa claimed a notable 2–1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in North London, deepening Spurs’ cup frustrations, while Chelsea began the Liam Rosenior era in emphatic style with a 5–1 win away at Charlton Athletic.

Fulham advanced with a solid 3–1 win over Middlesbrough, while Brentford secured a 2–0 triumph at Sheffield Wednesday to book their place in the fourth round. Wolverhampton Wanderers were equally convincing, dominating Shrewsbury Town 6–1, and Burnley eased past Millwall 5–1.

In one of the tightest contests of the day, Everton and Sunderland finished level at 1–1 after extra time before Sunderland advanced via a 3–0 penalty shoot-out win. Enzo Le Fée had given the visitors the lead, with James Garner equalising late on for Everton.

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The round gets underway on Friday evening with Nottingham Forest visiting Wrexham.

The Premier League side go into the tie as favourites, but Wrexham’s strong recent cup runs and the atmosphere at the Racecourse Ground ensure a challenging opening fixture.

Saturday’s programme is packed with traditional third-round contrasts. Leicester City travel to Cheltenham Town, while Wolverhampton Wanderers face a trip to Shrewsbury Town, with the Premier League side looking for some respite in the cup.

Everton host Sunderland, while Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa meet in an all-Premier League clash that stands out as one of the headline fixtures of the round. Chelsea are also on the road, travelling across London to Charlton Athletic later in the evening.

Sunday features another notable away test for a title contender as Arsenal make the trip to Portsmouth. The day also includes a high-profile Premier League meeting at Old Trafford, where Manchester United host Brighton & Hove Albion, ensuring one top-flight side will exit the competition at this stage.

The third round concludes on Monday night with Liverpool welcoming Barnsley to Anfield, closing the programme under the lights.

All ties will be settled on the day, with extra time and penalties used if scores are level after 90 minutes, as replays are no longer part of the competition at this stage.

The winners will progress to the fourth round, with the draw to follow shortly after the completion of the final match.

FA CUP THIRD ROUND FIXTURES (SOUTH AFRICAN TIME)

Friday, 9 January
21:30 – Preston North End vs Wigan Athletic
21:30 – MK Dons vs Oxford United
21:30 – Port Vale vs Fleetwood Town
21:30 – Wrexham AFC vs Nottingham Forest

Saturday, 10 January
14:15 – Macclesfield FC vs Crystal Palace
14:15 – Everton vs Sunderland
14:15 – Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Shrewsbury Town
14:15 – Cheltenham Town vs Leicester City
17:00 – Doncaster Rovers vs Southampton
17:00 – Stoke City vs Coventry City
17:00 – Sheffield Wednesday vs Brentford
17:00 – Newcastle United vs Bournemouth
17:00 – Fulham vs Middlesbrough
17:00 – Ipswich Town vs Blackpool
17:00 – Manchester City vs Exeter City
17:00 – Burnley vs Millwall
17:00 – Boreham Wood vs Burton Albion
17:00 – Salford City vs Swindon Town
19:45 – Cambridge United vs Birmingham City
19:45 – Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa
19:45 – Grimsby Town vs Weston-super-Mare
19:45 – Bristol City vs Watford
22:00 – Charlton Athletic vs Chelsea

Sunday, 11 January
14:00 – Derby County vs Leeds United
16:00 – Portsmouth vs Arsenal
16:30 – West Ham United vs Queens Park Rangers
16:30 – Norwich City vs Walsall
16:30 – Swansea City vs West Bromwich Albion
16:30 – Hull City vs Blackburn Rovers
16:30 – Sheffield United vs Mansfield Town
18:30 – Manchester United vs Brighton & Hove Albion

Monday, 12 January
21:45 – Liverpool vs Barnsley

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Union Saint-Gilloise end (Belgium Pro League, 90 years)

Union Saint-Gilloise ended their 90-year wait for the Belgian league title but had to endure a nervy afternoon before beating visitors Gent 3-1 on Sunday to finish three points ahead of second-place Club Brugge.

The Brussels club went agonisingly close in the last two seasons and faced the potential of another last-day calamity before substitute Promise David came on in the second half to score twice in the space of seven minutes and ensure their title triumph.

Formed in 1897, Union won 11 league titles between 1904 and their last in 1935 but went into serious decline in the early 1960s after being relegated, ending up in the fourth tier of Belgian football some two decades later.

Crystal Palace (FA Cup, first trophy ever in 120 years)
Eberechi Eze’s 16th-minute strike proved to be the biggest goal in Crystal Palace’s history as it secured the 1-0 win over Manchester City. Wembley erupted at the sound of the final whistle, with multiple generations of Palace fans embracing one another. There were fans looking to the heavens, dedicating the cup success to loved ones who did not live to see the day. Palace winning the oldest knockout cup event in football encompassed the love and loyalty instilled in true fans.

Go Ahead Eagles (KNVB Cup, 92 years)
The Dutch underdogs defeated AZ Alkmaar via penalty shootout. The celebrations started early, prematurely even. The game was suspended momentarily in normal time due to fireworks being set off, with the scoreboard still reading 0-0. For a fan, a risky decision to get a tattoo of the trophy a month before the final paid off. The Eagles’ right-back, Mats Deijl, had observed a week before the game, “I hope he does not have to laser it off.” Fortunately for him, the footballing gods played ball.

Newcastle United (Carabao Cup, 56 years)
A street parade was held on Tyneside the week after the Magpies downed Liverpool 1-0 at Wembley, with the winner being scored by towering defender Dan Burn, born and bred in the area. Some 300,000 braved the cold to line the streets for the open-top bus parade. Newcastle’s previous trophy was the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (the competition before the UEFA Cup) in 1969. The jubilation from the Carabao Cup win fuelled Newcastle to qualify for the Champions League by finishing fifth in the English Premier League.

Bologna FC (Coppa Di Italia, 51 years)
Bologna climbed back to the top of Italian football after beating AC Milan 1-0 in the final of the Coppa Di Italia, five decades after last winning this competition. Bologna were seen as heavy underdogs, with the final being Milan’s to lose. The Serie A club later released a video titled “The City That Dared to Dream”, which sums up the club’s core. They have rebuilt themselves over recent years, finally qualifying for the Champions League last season. They have now achieved the success that they have worked so hard for.

Tottenham Hotspur (Europa League, 17 years)
After nearly two decades of being ridiculed by other “Top 6” clubs for never winning trophies, Tottenham put an end to it. A goal in the 42nd minute through Brennan Johnson was enough for Spurs to snatch the Europa League away from Manchester United. The Spurs fans were left in disbelief; the jokes of never winning anything had begun to stick. Tears of sheer joy were shared between the Spurs supporters and players. After one of the worst Premier League seasons in the club’s history, they have all come together to celebrate a trophy most did not see coming.

Kaizer Chiefs (Nedbank Cup, 10 years)
It took a decade, but finally, the Amakhosi fans can walk tall again after securing their first trophy since 2015 by winning the Nedbank Cup. They sank arch-rivals Orlando Pirates thanks to an 80th-minute winner by Yusuf Maart in Durban to make it 2-1. This victory could be the catalyst to reaching the dizzy levels of success from their past and delivered a resounding thank you to the Chiefs fans who have stuck by the club through their patch.

Another name has been added to the list as VfB Stuttgart were victorious in the German knockout competition, the DFB-Pokal, which gave them their first major trophy in 18 years. More teams can join this group of unexpected winners and drought-enders as French giants PSG look to secure their first Champions League. Next up however, Real Betis could win their first trophy since 1977 and their first ever European trophy when they take on Chelsea in the Conference League final.

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United beat The Gunners on penalties and will now see their former star striker Ruud van Nistelrooy return to Old Trafford in the dug-out for Leicester. The Dutchman was interim coach at United earlier this season following the sacking of Erik ten Hag.

Manchester City thumped fourth-tier Salford City 8-0 in the third round and now face third tier Leyton Orient or second tier Derby County, with that tie to be decided on Monday.

Liverpool will host second-tier Plymouth Argyle, who beat topflight Brentford in the third round.

Brighton & Hove Albion host Chelsea, Everton welcome Bournemouth and Aston Villa host Tottenham Hotspur in three tough clashes between Premier League teams.

The fourth round will be played February 7-10.

FA CUP FOURTH ROUND DRAW
Manchester United vs Leicester City
Leeds United vs Millwall or Dagenham and Redbridge
Brighton vs Chelsea
Preston North End vs Wycombe Wanderers
Exeter City vs Nottingham Forest
Coventry City vs Ipswich Town
Blackburn Rovers vs Wolves
Mansfield Town or Wigan vs Fulham
Birmingham City vs Newcastle United
Plymouth Argyle vs Liverpool
Everton vs Bournemouth
Aston Villa vs Tottenham
Southampton vs Burnley
Leyton Orient or Derby County vs Manchester City
Doncaster Rovers vs Crystal Palace
Stoke City vs Cardiff City

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Potter has only been in the job for 24 hours and made the perfect start when ???? netted an early goal. But Amadou Onana and Morgan Rogers turned the tie in Villa’s favour.

“The emotions were excitement,” Potter said. “Friday night, Villa Park, full house, 6,500 West Ham fans who were amazing.

“Our performance gave me a lot of encouragement, the way the players tried to do what we asked them to do. We’re just disappointed now because we’re out and wanted to go through.

“We just try to get the team into a good shape. The talent is there but it’s just about trying to get the team together as a collective. That’s what we’re trying to do.”

West Ham next host Fulham in the Premier League on Tuesday.

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Renowned in Europe for their distinctive orange and white striped jerseys, the Toyota Cheetahs will continue this classic look as their primary kit, paired with black shorts and vibrant red socks. The team will debut a predominantly white and orange striped jersey as an alternative kit, offering a fresh take on their traditional colours.

This year’s jersey design reflects the Cheetahs’s legacy, inspired by the team’s glorious past, including iconic moments like the 1997 Currie Cup Final against Western Province at Newlands. With Macron, Director of Rugby of the Toyota Cheetahs, Frans Steyn played a pivotal role in the creative process, working closely with the Cheetah’s marketing team. Together, they revisited the heritage of legends such as Helgard Müller, Rassie Erasmus, Dougie Heymans, Brendan Venter, Werner Swanepoel, Willie Meyer, Jannie de Beer, Andre Venter and Os du Randt to create a look that resonates with both nostalgia and innovation.

“From the moment we started conceptualising this design, we wanted to capture what makes the Toyota Cheetahs unique,” said Tiaan Joubert, Business Unit Manager, Macron. “This jersey represents not only the past glory but the bright future of this young, dynamic group of players. It symbolises pride for every fan, from Bloemfontein to the far reaches of Europe.”

The Toyota Cheetahs’ EPCR Challenge Cup campaign kicks off on Sunday, 8 December, with a home match against USAP at the NRCA Stadium in Amsterdam. A week later, the team travels to Wales to face Cardiff on Saturday, 14 December, at Cardiff Arms Park. After the festive season, the Toyota Cheetahs return to Amsterdam to host Zebre Parma on Sunday, 12 January, before concluding the pool stage against Lyon in France on Sunday, 19 January.

Macron, the official kit sponsor, extended their best wishes to the Toyota Cheetahs for their campaign. “We are excited to see the team wear this iconic jersey as they strive to make the Free State proud and inspire their loyal fans.”

The Toyota Cheetahs are ready to roar this season, combining tradition and fresh energy to take on Europe’s finest. Get the new EPCR Challenge Cup jersey and join the Toyota Cheetahs in this thrilling campaign! Keep an eye on the Cheetah Rugby pages on social media for announcements on when and where the jersey will be available.

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Erasmus said the players’ patience with all the squad rotations throughout the season was admirable. The Boks won 11 of their 13 matches in 2024, with their only two defeats being by one point against Ireland and Argentina respectively.

Adding to these accolades, the 45-12 victory over Wales ensured Boks were unbeaten on their traditional November tour for the first time since 2013.

“It was nice for the team to have achieved all of that,” said Erasmus.

“I was worried at first about how the players will take the swapping, but we were honest with them at the beginning of the season, and they all bought into the plan, which is admirable.

“We also got a new attack and defence coach in this year (Tony Brown and Jerry Flannery) and the way they slotted in and assisted the team was fantastic.

“We are satisfied with the scoreboard (against Wales) and the year in general. And one must applaud the players for their effort, especially since we made so many changes.

“It’s rewarding that we were able to finish the year using 50 players. We lost rhythm at times, but the way Siya (Kolisi) and the other leaders kept the group together was special.”

Springbok captain Siya Kolisi, meanwhile, gave the credit to Erasmus for the team’s success this season and over the last few years in which they won back-to-back Rugby World Cup titles, a British & Irish Lions Tour and the 2024 Castle Lager Rugby Championship to add to a handful of other trophies.

Kolisi, who played in his 92nd Test in Cardiff, said the way Erasmus took the pressure off him as the captain was instrumental in the team’s success, while he full of praise for the Bok coach after the victory.

“We are so lucky with the kind of leadership we have in this group, and the way coach Rassie set up the group and took the pressure away from me with everyone having their own pressure points really helps,” said Kolisi.

“I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved, and to be honest, the younger me would have never thought I would be here, and that’s why it’s all so special.

“We now have to go back to our unions and clubs and have to wait six months to fight again for our places in the squad for next year.”

Zooming in on the battle against Wales, Erasmus said their hosts delivered a determined performance despite everything they’ve been through as a team this season.

“They’re a gutsy team and having been part of the first team that lost against them in 1999, I can attest to that,” said Erasmus.

“They are a tough bunch and they could have lied down when had built up a good lead, especially given how hard we were going at them, but they fought and hung in there and scored again at the end.”

The bulk of the Springbok squad will depart for South Africa on Sunday night and land late Monday afternoon.

Issued by SA Rugby Communications

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No matter what happened at Wembley, Ten Hag was apparently going to be fired following a difficult campaign that even the United boss called “terrible” this week.

But after Ten Hag’s tactical master class destroyed City’s historical bid, United’s leadership may be second-guessing itself.

Hot favourites City was to win the FA Cup and Premier League two years in a row.

But Ten Hag managed to neutralise Pep Guardiola’s team, and goals by Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho in the first half put United on track to win the FA Cup for the first time in eight years.

It was too late to salvage City as Jeremy Doku slipped a goal past Andre Onana’s feeble attempt in the 87th minute.

As Ten Hag raised the Cup in the Royal box to celebrate, he kissed it.

Asked if he was worried about his future, he said: “I don’t know. The only thing I’m doing is preparing my team.

“This is a project for me. When I came in I can say it was a mess. Now we are better. We are not where we want to be.”

Guardiola added: “Congratulations to United. It was a tight game. It can happen. At the end they scored two goals and we couldn’t score more.”

If Ten Hag’s two-year rule ends after a tumultuous season, it would bring back echoes of fellow Dutchman Louis van Gaal’s departure from Old Trafford.

Two days following United’s 2016 FA Cup final victory against Crystal Palace, Van Gaal was sacked.

Ten Hag would hope a more fitting analogy is Alex Ferguson’s 1990 FA Cup final victory over Palace, which launched his incredible run following calls for his dismissal earlier in the season.

Ferguson watched as a game dubbed Ten Hag’s funeral ended in victory for the much-maligned Dutchman.

In the stands with co-owners Joel and Avie Glazer was United shareholder Jim Ratcliffe, who oversees football operations at Old Trafford.

Linked to Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino, and Gareth Southgate, among others, Ratcliffe has lot to think about after United finished eighth in the Premier League this season, their lowest final finish since 1990, and lost the Champions League in the group stage.

Ten Hag feels that the issues stemmed from a long injury list and can demonstrate what he can do when his squad is at full strength with the two titles he has won in three cup finals with United.

Despite finishing 31 points behind the champions this season, Ten Hag avenged United’s 2-1 loss to City in the FA Cup final 12 months ago and ended United’s six-year trophy drought by winning the League Cup last year.

United will escape their first season without European competition since 2014–15 by qualifying for the Europa League.

They benefited from a remarkably subdued City performance, as their double bid failed to materialise in their first home loss since losing to Aston Villa in the league 171 days ago.

City made history last weekend by becoming the first side to win the Premier League four times in succession.

But after the celebrations that accompanied their sixth championship in seven years, Guardiola’s men were exhausted.

Content to keep all 11 men behind the ball and sit deep, United suppressed City brilliantly and joyfully accepted their gift-wrapped opener in the thirty-first minute.

Josko Gvardiol ought to have handled Diogo Dalot’s punt forward, but the left-back paused to check for an offside flag.

As Ten Hag clenched his fist in delight, Garnacho had the easy job of tapping into the empty net after Gvardiol headed the ball over City keeper Stefan Ortega, who had hurriedly rushed off his line.

Mainoo penalised more careless City defence just nine minutes later.

Unchecked down the right side, Garnacho found Fernandes, whose excellent first-time pass found the unmarked Mainoo for a clinical close-range finish.

After the break, City made a stronger effort, but even though Doku’s strike escaped Onana’s grasp to provide a thrilling finish, it was insufficient to beat United.

Ten Hag was standing in the sunshine anxiously expecting to celebrate a thrilling victory that might result in an unplanned stay of execution or be his last fling as the last seconds passed.

Photo by EPA/TOLGA AKMEN

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After nine years as manager, Klopp brought Liverpool back to the pinnacle of English and European football. Slot will have big shoes to fill at Anfield.

Liverpool won a 19th league title, a sixth Champions League triumph, and a slew of other trophies under his direction.

At first, Xabi Alonso, the manager of Bayer Leverkusen and a former midfield player for Liverpool, was the front-runner to succeed Klopp at Anfield.

Alonso did, however, pledge to remain at Leverkusen while he guided the team to their first-ever Bundesliga championship.

In addition to winning the League Cup in Klopp’s final season, Liverpool qualified for the Champions League the following season by finishing third in the Premier League.

“We have the best fans in the world and I mean this,” said Ten Hag, whose squad has been blighted by injuries this season.

“I have never had this experience when you have a season like us, which is by far not good enough, that the supporters are with us.”

The 54-year-old added: “They are with us in the bad season and in bad times they are there. I think also they know why the bad times are there.

“But we have to pay them back and we have to do everything to give them a trophy next week — but also for the future, we have to perform better.”

Photo by Backpagepix

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