Glasgow Rangers were left embarrassed as Philippe Clement’s men exited the SFA Cup at the fifth round stage with a 1-0 defeat to Championship side Queen’s Park on Sunday.

The Light Blues were booted out of the competition by the second-tier side, thanks to a brilliant second-half goal from Sebastian Drozd, who dribbled inside the box before slotting past Liam Kelly.

Clement’s side will now have to either overcome a 13-point gap to Celtic to win the Scottish Premiership or win the Europa League to avoid ending the season without any silverware.

The Light Blues did have the chance to give themselves a lifeline in the dying embers of added time, though, after Cyriel Dessers was pushed to the floor in the box, which presented captain James Tavernier with a chance from the spot.

James Tavernier's miss against Queen's Park

He has netted 69 penalties in his career and had only missed 18 prior to his kick of the ball on Sunday, although five of those misses came in the 2023/24 campaign.

Queen’s Park

Missed

Ross County

Scored

Dundee

Scored

Kilmarnock

Missed

Ross County

Scored

Celtic

Scored

Hibernian

Missed

Hibernian

Missed

Motherwell

Scored

St Johnstone

Scored

VAR confirmed the penalty and Tavernier put the ball down, ready to take his kick, only for the referee to pause the process again for VAR to do another check of the attacking phase of play, which disrupted the right-back’s run-up.

The English full-back finally stepped up to take his penalty and produced a tame effort at a good height for Will Ferie, down to his left, to make the save.

Tavernier’s weak effort, ultimately, spoiled any chance for Rangers to get back into the match to go on and progress through to the next round.

Performance in Numbers

However, the former Newcastle United defender was far from the only poor performer for the Light Blues, as Brazilian left-back Jefte was just as bad as his captain.

Jefte cost Rangers a potential trophy

The summer signing may just have cost Clement a chance at winning any silverware this season, due to the difficulty of winning the Europa League or closing a 13-point gap on Celtic, due to his error for the Queen’s Park winner.

Jefte stood up Drozd when the ball dropped to the winger at the back post and he was stuck on his heels as the forward dribbled past him with ease in the box, which then allowed him a free shot to bury an effort past Kelly.

Glasgow World awarded the left-footed flop a player rating of 2/10 and lamented his poor defending for the goal, as well as his lack of quality at the top end of the pitch when pushing forward to put crosses into the box.

Jefte has created 22 chances and registered two assists in 22 appearances in the Scottish Premiership this season, which shows that he does have the ability to provide good deliveries into the box, but the Brazilian did not create anything of note in the defeat to Queen’s Park.

Overall, the 21-year-old defender was just as bad as Tavernier, due to his poor defending for the match-winning goal, and his mistake may well have just massively contributed to Rangers potentially ending this season without any silverware.

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At the age of 21, hopefully, Jefte will learn from moments like that and eventually develop into the kind of defender Rangers can rely on in moments like that, rather than being a defensively liability, as he was on Sunday.

Leeds United had yet another quiet winter transfer window as Daniel Farke’s side ended up making no purchases.

The Whites hierarchy could well feel that the star-studded squad in its current iteration can stand the test of time when it comes to the automatic promotion race, with the West Yorkshire outfit now sitting pretty at the top of Championship table ahead of a frantic February to come.

But, as can be seen by glancing at the graphic above, Leeds’ promotion rivals did end up making some significant new additions whilst the Whites faded into the background.

Yet, it wasn’t solely down to Leeds not wanting to test the waters, with one deal failing to spark into life on deadline day to the dismay of those at Elland Road.

Leeds' failed move for Cameron Archer

It was well documented on deadline day that Leeds were attempting to bring in Southampton striker Cameron Archer before the clock struck 11pm, but nothing got over the line in the end.

Successfully snapping up Archer could well have sent out a statement to the rest of the Championship that Farke’s men aren’t going to be easily knocked off the very top of the division, with the former Middlesbrough striker a deadly finisher at the tricky level in the past.

Indeed, last time out strutting his stuff in the second tier, the ex-Aston Villa forward would bag a ridiculous 11 strikes from just 20 clashes, which included an ice-cold finish under pressure at Kenilworth Road.

Off the back of Archer’s heroics, Michael Carrick’s men secured a playoff spot, with the hope being in the here and now for the high-flying Whites that the statement addition of the 23-year-old would have made a return to the Premier League even more of a walk in the park.

Unfortunately for Farke and Co, Archer will stay put on the South Coast instead, but the German will know he already has a player of a similar ilk to the Walsall-born sharpshooter in a goalscoring menace who tore Cardiff City to shreds last time out.

Leeds' very own Cameron Archer

The star in question here is Joel Piroe who very rarely needs a second opportunity in a game to break his goalscoring duck.

The Dutchman’s clinical edge was there for all to see versus the leaky Bluebirds, with two strikes coming his way from four on-target efforts, as the table-toppers made the visitors from Wales look amateur in a 7-0 drubbing.

In total for the season now, the “dangerous” centre-forward – as he has been labelled in the past by football journalist Josh Bunting – has 12 goals and five assists from just 20 starts in the league, which shows off a striker in red-hot form not too dissimilar to Archer’s purple patch at Boro.

It’s not as if this has been a one-off electric campaign for Piroe at this level either, with the 25-year-old previously electric in the Championship when on the books of Swansea City, before Leeds forked out a bumper £10m to win his services.

Piroe’s overall record in the Championship

Season

Games played

Goals scored

Assists

24/25

30

12

5

23/24

48

14

3

22/23

43

19

2

21/22

45

22

6

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Looking at the table above further reinforces how much of a goal machine Piroe has been in the Championship over the past couple of seasons, with 67 goals in total coming his way across four golden campaigns.

In stark contrast, Archer only boasts 18 career strikes in the second tier, albeit from a lot fewer games at 42 compared to Piroe’s weighty 166 but it shows how both are pretty prolific at this level nonetheless.

Still, whilst there might be a worry in the air already that Leeds will slip up in the ongoing promotion hunt owing to a lack of freshness, there is also an argument to be had that adding in a whole host of new players could have tinkered too much with the Whites machine, as Farke prays this season is finally the time for his side to return to the Premier League.

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Liverpool are now leading Manchester City in the race to sign a £317,000-p/w star, with internal talks currently ongoing, according to reporter Tobi Altschäffl.

Reds eyeing Trent Alexander-Arnold replacement

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s future at Anfield is still in major doubt, having emerged as a major target for Real Madrid in the summer transfer window, and the Reds have started to look at potential replacements.

The main target Arne Slot’s side have been linked with is Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich, with reports from earlier this month suggesting they have already made contact with the Bundesliga side to discuss the terms of a deal.

The German’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season, meaning he has been attracting the attention of a number of top clubs, including Manchester City, with manager Pep Guardiola believed to be a big fan and City reportedly moving into pole position for the deal this week.

Kyle Walker is now poised to join AC Milan, meaning Liverpool’s Premier League rivals may also need to bring in a new right-back at the end of the season, but there has been another twist, with the Merseysiders taking the lead back in the race for Kimmich’s signature.

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Rousing The Kop relay tweets from BILD reporter Tobi Altschäffl, who has revealed the Reds are still discussing a move for the right-back internally. Man City, he claims, are no longer considering a move for the 29-year-old, as they are planning to rebuild their squad with younger players after a major drop-off in performance levels this season.

Altschäffl makes it clear the most likely scenario is the defender signing a new contract to remain at the Allianz Arena, but if he does decide to move on, it would appear that Liverpool is now a more likely destination than Manchester.

Kimmich is the best option to replace Trent

The hope is that Trent rejects Madrid to commit his long-term future to his boyhood club, but if the 26-year-old does move to Spain, then the Bayern defender is most likely the best option to replace him.

The Germany international has a track record of winning trophies, having won eight league titles and a Champions League with Bayern, and he has a plethora of experience at international level, amassing 97 caps for his country.

Lauded as “sensational” by members of the media, the £317k-per-week star would also be a versatile option for Slot, given that he is capable of playing in central midfield too.

It will be difficult to find any player capable of matching Trent’s ability to pick out a pass, but there are signs that Kimmich is very assured in possession of the ball, having averaged the most passes per game of any player in Europe’s top five leagues, as of December 29th.

As such, if Kimmich decides he wants a fresh challenge next season, Liverpool should make sure they are right at the front of the queue for his signature.

Chelsea suffered a disappointing 3-1 defeat away from home at the hands of Manchester City on Saturday evening.

Although the Blues took the lead at the Etihad Stadium, they could not capitalise on their early advantage, allowing City to get back into the game before the Premier League champions killed them off in the second half.

It was a bizarre way for Chelsea to take the lead, which they did so in the third minute of the game. New Citizens signing Abdukodir Khusanov misplaced a poor header aimed towards City goalkeeper Ederson. Nicolas Jackson pounced on the loose ball and promptly squared it to Noni Madueke who made it 1-0.

City equalised just three minutes before half-time, with Josko Gvardiol pouncing on a loose ball after a one-vs-one in the penalty box. They took the lead in a calamitous way from a Chelsea point of view, with Erling Haaland getting in behind and lobbing goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, who was horribly caught off his line.

Just as they did before half-time, City scored three minutes before full-time, this time through Phil Foden. The Englishman got on the end of a layoff from Haaland, before running through and slotting home relatively unchallenged.

It was a disappointing day’s work for the West Londoners, who failed to capitalise on the early advantage. Sanchez had a particularly poor afternoon.

Sanchez’s stats vs. Man City

It has been a really poor season so far for Spanish goalkeeper Sanchez, but his outing at the Etihad Stadium was perhaps his most disappointing of the lot. He looked all at sea against a City attack who could have scored four or five on another day.

Sanchez had a close call against new City man Omar Marmoush, but his strike was ruled out for offside. Undoubtedly his worst mistake was for Haaland’s goal, where he was caught in no man’s land off his line, meaning all the Norwegian striker had to do was lob him from 15 yards.

He received a 3/10 for his performance from Malik Ouzia, a journalist for The Standard. He described Sanchez’s position for the Haaland strike as ‘baffling’, before explaining that it is a ‘miracle that he keeps his shirt’ in the Chelsea goal.

Indeed, his Sofascore stats from full-time show just how poor the Blues number one performed. He prevented -0.68 goals and made one error that led to a goal. On the ball, he completed just eight from 26 attempted long balls.

With Filip Jorgensen also an option for Enzo Maresca between the posts, it remains to be seen if Sanchez will be dropped for Chelsa’s next outing. Someone in a similar boat is defender Levi Colwill.

Colwill’s stats vs. Man City

Colwill was perhaps just as bad, if not arguably worse, than Sanchez against the Citizens. Football content creator Rory suggested Haaland “bullied” the Englishman, a fine example being the fact the City star held Colwill up before playing Foden in for City’s third.

His rating from Ouzia was only slightly better than Sanchez’s, with the Chelsea defender earring himself a 4/10. The Standard journalist also agreed with the fact he was ‘bullied’, and criticised him for a mistake that almost gifted Haaland another goal.

Colwill’s stats from the game were a disappointing summary of his evening’s work in East Manchester. The England international won just one out of three aerial duels, made one error leading to a shot and lost the ball eight times.

Stat

Number

Touches

74

Pass accuracy

90%

Passes completed

63/70

Long balls completed

3/7

Aerial duels won

1/3

Number of times possession lost

8

Errors leading to shot

1

Just as he does in goal, Maresca has options in defence if he wishes to drop Colwill. The Italian could bring in young Josh Acheampong, Frenchman Axel Disasi or former City academy man Tosin Adarabioyo.

He certainly has a big decision to make ahead of the next game, with options available to him, and it would be hard to argue against a decision to drop Colwill. Whatever Maresca chooses to do, he will hope his side can bounce back with a win next time out.

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The U.S. international has swapped South Beach for Minnesota in the Western Conference

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MNUFC acquire Julian Gressel off waiversInter Miami waived midfielder to clear cap space30-year-old has six USMNT capsGet the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowWHAT HAPPENED?

Minnesota United have acquired versatile MLS veteran and U.S. international Julian Gressel off of waivers. Inter Miami waived Gressel – an integral member of their 2024 Supporters' Shield-lifting squad – earlier this week to create cap space in the roster. Gressel's 2025 guaranteed compensation is $1.09 million, and the Loons are taking on the rest of that after adding him to their ranks.

“I’m really excited to be here at Minnesota United and to get integrated into the group,” said Gressel. “I can’t wait to get started with the guys and continue the momentum that has been established within the team.”

Gressel will be under contract through 2026, with a club option for 2027.

“We welcome Julian and his family to Minnesota and are excited for him to join our team,” said MNUFC Chief Soccer Officer Khaled El-Ahmad. “Julian brings an impressive depth of MLS experience and championship pedigree to Minnesota. He is a proven winner and competitor and our hope is that he will contribute those qualities to our team and continue to push our club forward throughout the rest of this season and beyond.”

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Gressel has six international caps with the U.S. men's national team, where he recorded two assists. His last international call up was in March, 2024 and he was a member of the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup roster.

Previous stops if his in MLS included stints with the Vancouver Whitecaps, Atlanta United and the Columbus Crew. With the he won 2018 MLS Cup, the 2019 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and the 2019 Campeones Cup. At Columbus, he helped them to the 2023 MLS Cup title and in Vancouver, won the Canadian Championship in both 2022 and 2023.

Most recently, he helped Miami to the 2024 MLS Supporters' Shield.

Across his illustrious MLS career, including both playoff and regular season games, Gressel has made 258 appearances (232 starts), where he has provided 67 assists and has scored 28 goals.

DID YOU KNOW?

ESPN reports that with the addition of Gressel, are contemplating putting midfielder Hassani Dotson on the season-ending injury list. The midfielder underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in late March.

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WHAT NEXT FOR GRESSEL?

The Loons take on Austin FC on Matchday 11 next weekend, where Gressel will be aiming to make his MNUFC debut.

أعلن حلمي طولان، عضو اللجنة الفنية في الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم، توليه رسميًا منصب المدير الفني لمنتخب مصر في بطولة كأس العرب 2025، والمقرر إقامتها في قطر خلال الفترة من 1 إلى 18 ديسمبر المقبل.

وتُنظم قطر البطولة للمرة الثانية على التوالي، بعد نجاحها الكبير في نسخة 2021، التي شهدت حضورًا جماهيريًا ضخمًا وإشادة فنية واسعة، حيث تُوّج المنتخب الجزائري حينها باللقب بعد الفوز على تونس في النهائي.

وقال حلمي طولان في تصريحات عبر برنامج “الكلام المظبوط”، على إذاعة “أون سبورت إف إم”: “انتهينا من اجتماع اللجنة الفنية منذ قليل، وتم تكليفي بتولي مسؤولية تدريب منتخب مصر في بطولة كأس العرب، بدون مقابل”.

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وأضاف: “الترشيح كان من اللجنة الفنية، وقبول المهندس هاني أبو ريدة، فأنا قبلت نظرًا لظروف الاتحاد التي أعرفها، ونظرًا لضيق الوقت، وصعوبة إن يأتي جهاز فني ويتولى المسؤولية فترة بسيطة ثم يرحل”.

وواصل: “فلم يكن من المنطقي أن يتم تعيين جهاز فني لفترة قصيرة، وأيضًا هذا المنصب يحتاج لمدرب عنده خبرة كبيرة في المجال، لذلك رشحوني”.

وعلم بطولات، أن الجهاز الفني الذي سيتولى قيادة منتخب مصر خلال بطولة كأس العرب 2025 قد تم تشكيله بالكامل، حيث يتولى الكابتن أحمد حسن منصب مدير المنتخب، فيما يقود حلمي طولان المهمة الفنية كمدير فني للفريق، ويضم الجهاز أيضًا كلًا من ممدوح المحمدي في منصب المدرب العام، وعصام الحضري كمدرب لحراس المرمى.