Tottenham's Frank blames Watkins provocation for FA Cup melee
Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank accused Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins of starting a mass melee after the final whistle in his side's 2-1 FA third-round defeat on Saturday, Reuters reported .
Villa held off a strong Tottenham fightback in the second half after goals by Emiliano Buendia and Morgan Rogers had put them in control by halftime in north London.
Wilson Odobert halved the deficit with a low shot after 54 minutes and Tottenham showed the fighting spirit that was sadly lacking in the first half, although it did spill over, according to Reuters.
Real Madrid weigh Mbappe gamble ahead of Spanish Super Cup final
Real Madrid could unleash their biggest weapon in Sunday's Spanish Super Cup final against Barcelona, with coach Xabi Alonso saying they are considering taking a risk on Kylian Mbappe's fitness after he missed the semi-final, Reuters reported.
Mbappe, who matched Cristiano Ronaldo's club record of 59 goals in a calendar year during Real's 2-0 LaLiga win over Sevilla last month, is nursing a knee injury.
The France forward, who has scored 12 goals in nine matches against Barcelona, flew to Saudi Arabia on Friday to join the squad ahead of the El Clasico showdown in Jeddah, according to Reuters.
Salah celebrates "perfect win" over holders Ivory Coast in AFCON
Egypt forward Mohamed Salah described the victory over defending champions Ivory Coast as a "perfect win", hailing his teammates after qualifying for the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations on Saturday, Reuters reported.
Salah scored the third goal for Hossam Hassan's side, as Egypt ended Ivory Coast's reign with a narrow 3-2 triumph, with Liverpool's talisman setting a new record by scoring against 11 different national teams at the AFCON.
Egypt will face Senegal on Wednesday in Tangier, for a place in the final, in a repeat of the 2021 AFCON final, according to Reuters.
Macclesfield knock out Palace in greatest FA Cup upset, Man City score 10
Minor-league Macclesfield delivered the biggest upset in FA Cup history on Saturday by stunning holders Crystal Palace 2–1 in a third‑round thriller, knocking Oliver Glasner's team out of the competition and sending the Moss Rose crowd into raptures, Reuters reported.
Manchester City humbled Exeter City 10-1, Aston Villa beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 and Liam Rosenior's reign as Chelsea manager began with a 5-1 win at second-tier Charlton Athletic.
The day, however, belonged to sixth-tier Macclesfield who became the first minor league club to beat the FA Cup holders for more than 100 years, according to Reuters.
