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Newcastle 2-1 Southampton (3-1 on aggregate) (Longstaff 5′, 21′, Guimaraes red card | Adams 29′)

ST JAMES’ PARK — Sean Longstaff was the hero on what felt like the longest night on Tyneside.

Two goals from a homegrown hero teed up a crack at history for a Newcastle United side who emerged worthy winners from a rollercoaster semi-final. But boy were they made to work for it by spirited Southampton.

At the conclusion of a tumultuous contest, Longstaff and his teammates embraced in the happiest of huddles, engulfed by the emotion of it all. Around him in the stands, there were bear hugs and primal screams of relief from a sold out, ramped up St James’ Park. The final whistle was the starting pistol for a party two decades in the making.

Newcastle are back in a major cup final for the first time in 24 years and the manner of their victory – navigating a second half set up to test the nerves of a team so long starved of success – made it all the sweeter for a heroic failure is the cloak that Newcastle have worn for large parts of their 47 year trophy drought, a sort of footballing fatalism settling on Tyneside as the arid years ticked by.

They write books and devour documentaries about the nearly men of 1995 in these parts, the dizzying dip that let Manchester United in to win the Premier League title all part of the club’s story.

WHAT A START FOR NEWCASTLE!

Calm as you like from Sean Longstaff pic.twitter.com/G3a262wxW0

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) January 31, 2023

But you can sense things are changing. New ownership with deep pockets has dovetailed with the deeply impressive management of Eddie Howe and Newcastle are on a wild, seemingly inexorable ride to the top.

Howe’s quiet authority and refusal to be intimidated by the club’s potential has brought belief back to the city. Newcastle’s recent cup tradition is of falling at the final hurdle but it feels like the fear has been stripped out of the club’s attempts to win something.

Even here, down to ten men after Bruno Guimaraes and facing a James Ward-Prowse free-kick in treacherous territory, Newcastle had their record signing Alexander Isak throwing himself in front of the ball. Even then there was seven minutes stoppage time to navigate. They earned this.

Before the shredded nerves, there was undiluted elation. Newcastle won this tie inside a rapier first 20 minutes, scoring twice and building a platform that Southampton’s second half onslaught couldn’t tear down.

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Longstaff was a fitting hero, a symbol of the improvement that Eddie Howe has wrung out of his team since taking over 15 months ago. Saudi cash might have rebooted the club’s ambitions – bringing external criticism alongside local acclaim – but it is the jump in levels of the likes of Longstaff that has underpinned Howe’s transformation of a club that was bottom of the Premier League when he was appointed.

For all that goodwill, Longstaff hasn’t managed to shake the doubters who highlight what he can’t do. Not scoring enough is one charge laid at his door but on a North East night for the ages, he picked the right time to conjure a riposte to that.

Guimaraes, inevitably, was involved, pushing the ball quickly to Trippier as Newcastle tore into Southampton at pace. Longstaff broke into the box to join them, sending a rasping drive past Gavin Bazunu.

A second followed soon after, Newcastle’s relentlessness rewarded when Longstaff connected emphatically with Miguel Almiron’s smart cut back. The noise from the stands was defeaning, a release of the pent up frustration of 24 years of Cup failure.

LONGSTAFF AGAIN!

This football from Newcastle is pic.twitter.com/M1bszsfjZU

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) January 31, 2023

Southampton looked all at sea and Nathan Jones toggled through several different systems trying to find an answer. Eventually they settled as the half progressed, growing into the contest. James Ward-Prowse gradually gained a foothold on the engine room, managing to stem the black and white tide.

Che Adams was a threat and his terrific long range drive began the long road back to what would have been the unlikeliest of comebacks. They pushed for a second and had it arrived, it would have really tested Newcastle’s mettle. They had the superb Nick Pope to thank that it didn’t come to that as he rushed off his line to stop Adam Armstrong in the 72nd minute. But this was unquestionably the home side’s night, as anxiety free as they might have hoped.

Judging by the numbers piling onto LNER’s website during the first half the biggest concern for many was whether they’d be able to get a train ticket to London for the final. Advance quotas sold out half way through the first half, a surge in online interest that coincided with Longstaff’s fierce fifth minute strike.

No matter. Such is the yearning on Tyneside to be part of it, many would be prepared to walk from the North East to be part of the likely Geordie invasion of the capital. It is a sign of the Magpie metamorphosis that they will travel in expectation rather than just hope.

When is the Carabao Cup final?

The Carabao Cup final will take place at Wembley Stadium on Sunday 26 February.

The kick-off time is yet to be confirmed, but last year the showpiece between Liverpool and Chelsea started at 4.30pm UK time.

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Referees have been reminded of the threshold for red cards, even for challenges of a perceived low intensity, after a weekend of dangerous tackles in the FA Cup.

PGMOL, the body responsible for match officials in the professional English game, have admitted an error in failing to send off Fabinho after the Liverpool midfielder’s studs-up challenge from behind on Evan Ferguson in Brighton’s 2-1 win over Jurgen Klopp’s side. Brighton are yet to confirm the extent of the Republic of Ireland international’s injury, but there are reportedly early signs it is not as serious as first feared.

Yet Manchester United have announced that Christian Eriksen will be out for “an extended period”, expected to be up to four months, following Andy Carroll’s two-footed challenge during Saturday’s 3-1 victory over Reading. Eriksen left Old Trafford on crutches but Carroll was not booked, though he was later sent off for two separate bookable offences.

i has been told that Carroll’s tackle on Eriksen was deemed to fall into the category of somewhere between a yellow and a red card, hence why VAR did not intervene as video assistants can only instruct referees to look at red card offences.

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The on-field referee Darren England did not award a yellow card after viewing the challenge from a difficult angle, i understands.

United have been left irate at Eriksen’s injury and spent deadline day pursuing Bayern Munich midfielder Marcel Sabitzer, though a statement added “there is hope that Christian can return in time to play a role in the final stages of the season”.

Christian Eriksen is out for around three months following this challenge last weekend

Major blow for Man Utd#ITVFootball pic.twitter.com/ArMiqj0Lur

— ITV Football (@itvfootball) January 31, 2023

ICYMI

Fabinho was booked for this foul – should he have been sent off? pic.twitter.com/yRUNon9K6S

— ITV Football (@itvfootball) January 30, 2023

United boss Erik ten Hag admitted the club was “disappointed” and would struggle to replace him, hinting he will rely on Fred to play alongside Casemiro as “you can’t make policy on such bad injuries”.

Former Premier League referee Howard Webb recently became first chief refereeing officer of the PGMOL; Webb is understood to be driving a move for greater transparency after refereeing errors and to shorten the time of VAR checks, though complex decisions will inevitably take longer.

“I think you can never fill that [gap] because every player has his own characteristics, identity, another player will always fill in a different way,” Ten Hag added.

“But it doesn’t mean you have to be less successful. It’s quite clear Christian Eriksen brings top quality to our squad and he has some specifics that are hard to replace, such as his impacts in the final third with his final ball.”

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With the exception of the more maverick, contrarian Fantasy Premier League managers out there, virtually everyone playing the game this season will have expected to use their Triple Captain chip on Erling Haaland. However, Double Gameweek 22 has the potential to sway some minds…

After successfully avoiding potential banana skins against lower league opponents in the FA Cup, Manchester United and Leeds United’s Premier League fixture at Old Trafford on Wednesday 8 February has been confirmed, meaning that both clubs will play twice this gameweek.

United’s pair of matches could certainly tempt FPL managers to take a triple captaincy punt on the red-hot Marcus Rashford. The Red Devils are at home in both games, first against Crystal Palace and then against Leeds, clubs that have won a combined three league matches out of 18 away from home in 2022-23.

The fixtures are promising and Rashford’s form is exceptional: he has scored 10 goals in 11 appearances since the World Cup, finding the net in all but two of them. In FPL currency, Rashford’s 46 points since the Premier League’s resumption is the joint-most alongside Haaland and Brighton winger Solly March, who has improbably reached that tally in one game fewer. Bruno Fernandes is a compelling alternative, albeit more of a risk.

Gameweek 21 top scorers

Goalkeepers:

• Martinez (Aston Villa), Raya (Brentford), Guaita (Crystal Palace) – 10

Defenders:

• Zouma (West Ham) – 11
• Estupinan (Brighton), Royal (Spurs) – 9

Midfielders:

• Bowen (West Ham) – 16
• Anthony (Bournemouth), Mitoma (Brighton) – 10
• Saka (Arsenal) – 9

Forwards:

• Haaland (Man City) – 17
• Nketiah (Arsenal) – 13
• Watkins (Aston Villa), Surridge (Nottingham Forest) – 8

Double Gameweek hysteria aside, FPL managers should keep a close eye on any incomings and outgoings on transfer deadline day, particularly in light of Joao Cancelo’s shock Manchester City exit. Cancelo is, at the time of writing, the sixth-most owned player in FPL so there will be plenty of managers on the lookout for defensive reinforcements. All aboard the Rico Lewis express!

This week’s deadline is at 6.30pm on Friday night. Here’s i‘s FPL team for Gameweek 22, featuring a United triple-up:

Gameweek 22 fixtures

Friday 3 February

• Chelsea vs Fulham

Saturday 4 February

• Everton vs Arsenal
• Aston Villa vs Leicester
• Brentford vs Southampton
• Brighton vs Bournemouth
• Man Utd vs Crystal Palace
• Wolves vs Liverpool
• Newcastle vs West Ham

Sunday 5 February

• Nottingham Forest vs Leeds
• Tottenham vs Man City

Wednesday 8 February

• Man Utd vs Leeds

Kepa Arrizabalaga (Chelsea)

If Chelsea keep a clean sheet on Friday, which they have managed in three of their six league matches post-restart, it’s a reasonable assumption that Kepa Arrizabalaga will collect some bonus points. Kepa has earned seven of them in that period, at least two more than any other goalkeeper. Fulham may have just ended their 17-year hoodoo against the Blues, but they are without a win at Stamford Bridge since 1979.

Price: £4.6m Points: 63 Gameweek 22 fixture: Fulham (h)

Luke Shaw (Man Utd)

After earning more FPL points than any other player between gameweeks 17 and 19 (with 32), Luke Shaw has since recorded just four in his last three matches. That shouldn’t put you off keeping Shaw if you have him or buying him if you don’t considering United played the top two teams in the division and conceded in the 92nd minute in the other match in that run. Shaw has both attacking and clean sheet potential over the next two games.

Price: £5.2m Points: 66 Gameweek 22 fixture(s): Crystal Palace (h), Leeds (h)

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Kieran Trippier (Newcastle)

An auto-pick already but even more so given Cancelo’s unexpected downfall at and departure from Manchester City. Erling Haaland is the only player in the game with more FPL points than Trippier this season and the right-back has 44 more than any other defender. The last time Trippier scored fewer than seven points in a single gameweek was during a 2-1 win over Spurs on 23 October. He’s played a sizeable chunk of football since then.

Price: £6.1m Points: 141 Gameweek 22 fixture: West Ham (h)

Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal)

It is a fair assumption that Everton will be more resolute and difficult to beat under Sean Dyche than they were under Frank Lampard, but the former Burnley boss has his work cut out to turn the Toffees into an attacking force: only Wolves have scored fewer goals than them this season. Arsenal look a decent bet to keep a clean sheet this weekend then and Gabriel is arguably the pick of their backline having had 10 more shots than any of his defensive colleagues.

Price: £5.2m Points: 86 Gameweek 22 fixture: Everton (a)

Marcus Rashford (Man Utd)

We’ve outlined Rashford’s credentials above and even if you aren’t 100 per cent convinced about triple captaining him, he is simply a must-have option this week. Since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure, Rashford has stepped up to become United’s main man in attack: he ranks top for shots (17), shots on target (11), big chances (six) and expected goals (3.29) amongst their squad since the restart.

Price: £7.2m Points: 108 Gameweek 22 fixture(s): Crystal Palace (h), Leeds (h)

Rodrigo (Leeds)

Although Leeds are the only team playing twice this gameweek, we wouldn’t advise tripling or even doubling up on their assets given their iffy league form and tricky fixtures. Having one Leeds player is probably enough and while Wilfried Gnonto is an intriguing option (particularly at just £5m, Rodrigo is the obvious pick having accumulated 29 more points than any of his Elland Road colleagues this campaign.

Price: £6.4m Points: 92 Gameweek 22 fixture(s): Nottingham Forest (a), Man Utd (a)

Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton)

Earlier this month, Roberto De Zerbi said arrivederci to Leandro Trossard, Brighton’s most impactful attacking player of the last 18 months to two years. The Belgian has not been missed. Kaoru Mitoma has stepped up magnificently to fill the void, scoring goals in four of his last six appearances, including a wonderful stoppage-time winner against Liverpool in the FA Cup last weekend.

Mitoma's magic moment! pic.twitter.com/eWokAlbG5i

— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) January 30, 2023

With Miguel Almiron’s form faltering, Mitoma is rapidly emerging as the budget midfielder of choice in FPL.

Price: £5.1m Points: 56 Gameweek 22 fixture: Bournemouth (h)

Bruno Fernandes (Man Utd)

Rashford and Shaw are the second-most bought players in FPL this week, behind United teammate Bruno Fernandes. Like Rashford, Fernandes has noticeably stepped up his output following Ronaldo’s exit, providing FPL returns in each of his last five appearances.

Fernandes has considerable pedigree in double gameweeks too: he tallied 19 points in Gameweek 20 after scoring against Manchester City and Crystal Palace and managed 23 and 12-point scores in double gameweeks last season. With a significantly lower ownership than Rashford, he could make a great differential captain.

Price: £9.9m Points: 87 Gameweek 22 fixture(s): Crystal Palace (h), Leeds (h)

Eddie Nketiah (Arsenal)

Eddie Nketiah’s FPL ownership hasn’t risen as much as you might have expected following his heroics during Arsenal’s win against Manchester United, partly one assumes, because managers are prioritising moves for Red Devils. Arsenal have a double gameweek to come in 23, however, making now an optimal time to invest.

Nketiah should be a priority transfer if you have issues in attack. Only Erling Haaland (with seven) and Rashford (five) have outscored Nketiah (four) since Gameweek 17. Nketiah is an in-form attacker playing for the in-form team in the country and costs less than £7m. Unless you’ve already filled your Arsenal quota he’s a no brainer.

Price: £6.7m Points: 42 Gameweek 22 fixture(s): Everton (a)

Analysis: Nketiah is an upgrade on Jesus

By Daniel Storey, i‘s chief football writer

Unpopular Arsenal opinion, framed as a question to make people a little less angry: what if having a poacher like Eddie Nketiah makes this team better than when Gabriel Jesus is in it?

Firstly, that’s not to lambast Jesus, who played a vital role in Arsenal’s tremendous start to the season and offers more than Nketiah in terms of tracking back and chance creation. But I refuse to believe that Jesus would have taken those two chances (or, alternatively, been in a position to take them) against Manchester United. He prefers a starting position on the left of the box. Nketiah found space on the right and finished both impressively.

And Arsenal need that poacher just as much as the creator. Jesus has scored five goals from 61 shots this season. Nketiah has scored nine from 57 shots and might just have won the most important fixture of Arsenal’s season so far.

Read Daniel’s full article here

Erling Haaland (Man City)

We briefly toyed with the idea of not including Erling Haaland in this week’s picks, but frankly it’s not worth the risk going without him. Tottenham away is a tricky game on paper – City have lost their last four games at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – but Haaland can score a goal out of nothing, as he did against Spurs in Gameweek 20. Ilan Meslier is the only goalkeeper to have conceded more goals (with 20) than Hugo Lloris (19) since Gameweek 12.

Price: £12.2m Points: 169 Gameweek 22 fixture: Tottenham (a)

Ivan Toney (Brentford)

Since being snubbed by Gareth Southgate ahead of the World Cup, Ivan Toney has gone about his business with ruthless efficiency, scoring five goals in as many league games either side of the tournament. Despite only playing in four of Brentford’s last five matches, Toney ranks sixth in the division for expected goals, behind the likes of Haaland, Rashford and Nketiah. He can continue his hot streak at home against bottom of the table Southampton.

Price: £7.7m Points: 110 Gameweek 22 fixture: Southampton (h)

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The January transfer window closes today in the Premier League, Women’s Super League, EFL and SPFL.

Chelsea have spent big this month, and could yet break their club record today, while Everton are set to be busy after appointing Sean Dyche as their new manager on Monday.

The deadline is 11pm for Premier League and EFL clubs, and the earlier time of 5pm for the WSL. In Scotland, it’s an 11.59pm deadline – so let’s find out what deals get over the line.

Follow i‘s live blog below for all the transfer news and done deals.

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Among the images Everton released of Sean Dyche’s first day at their Finch Farm training ground, perhaps the most intriguing was the one of him walking through the corridors in conversation with Kevin Thelwell.

Director of football Thelwell is the man who has been working on recruitment for six months, only for the drama of the dog days of January to disrupt their best laid plans. So much of Everton’s survival hopes now rests on getting them back on track.

The appointment of Dyche – a fine coach with an impressive CV – gives them a chance, but the new man desperately needs help. As it stands Everton possess a weaker squad than they did at the turn of the year, having sold Anthony Gordon for £40m and released Salomon Rondon.

The club are braced for a busy final day of the transfer window, with sources indicating to i they are prioritising a striker and winger. Such is the precarious nature of their predicament, Everton may have to operate in the loan market with some players reluctant to commit in the midst of a relegation battle. There are funds though, with a chunk of the £40m received in “one hit” from Newcastle available if they can find the right player.

An enquiry about Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher, a long-term target, proved ambitious but unsuccessful with the player preferring to either stick at Stamford Bridge or speak to other clubs higher up the table who are circling.

Interest is ongoing in Rennes winger Kamaldeen Sulemana, clocked as one of the fastest players at last year’s World Cup, who is more open to the move. A fee of around £20m would be required, but Southampton are also keen.

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It is typical of a month when Everton’s confused decision-making has seen them stick with Frank Lampard through winnable fixtures only to land Dyche with games against Arsenal and Liverpool that things have been left so late in the day. An element of “needs must” has inevitably crept into their thinking.

Dyche was finally confirmed on Monday and pledged a return to principles of hard work, being effective and difficult to beat but with the added promise of playing with “style”. They were words chosen with the intention of energising an audience not used to hearing their club talked up.

“I want us to be a team who gives the lot,” he said in an interview with the club’s in-house media.

“But it is not all built on that, I want us to play with a style, but an effective style.

“We want to be effective. We want to mix up play and ask questions of the opposition.

“We also want to add quality to that hard work, and there is some quality here, there are no two ways about it.

“I have come up against these players, and I know some of them personally – there is quality here.

“But we have to make them shine. That’s the job of me and the staff: allow them the freedom to shine while giving the organisation to be in a game to win it.”

A new manager at least brings some relief from the toxic narrative that has engulfed the club. Club chairman Bill Kenwright – one of the lightning rods for criticism – was quoted in the media release as believing he had the potential to be a “great Everton manager”. Notably, he namechecked owner Farhad Moshiri’s meetings too.

For Dyche, the importance of unity on the terraces is not lost on him.

“It is tougher times. All I can ask for is a bit of a breather because I know there is a lot going on but we need the fans, we need unity and we need to be aligned from right the way through the ownership, right the way through me, the staff, into the team and out to the people,” he said.

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Derby County 0-2 West Ham (Bowen 10′, Antonio 50′)

These were perfect conditions for a FA Cup tie: historically significant and now upwardly mobile League One team at home in an evening tie against a Premier League team with a fine squad but struggling to rediscover its identity. The winner knew that a trip to Manchester United would follow in the fifth round.

West Ham scored in the first ten minutes of one half and the first five minutes of the other. As against Everton in the Premier League last weekend, the victory that probably kept David Moyes in West Ham tracksuit bottoms and trainers, Jarrod Bowen was instrumental with his late runs into the box.

Bowen nudged the ball past Joe Wildsmith with the tip of his toes and then crossed for Michail Antonio to effectively seal the contest with almost half of the evening remaining. His funk was pronounced and troubling, but he has the industry of an assiduous ant and the talent was never in doubt.

If West Ham can allow Bowen the freedom to make penalty-box dashes and the support acts the chance to join him, this team will score more goals. Bowen has as many goals and assists in the last two games as he managed in the previous 23. He is back and so are his team; no coincidence.

The difference in class was not always a gulf, even if those 4,700 in the away end crowed about their dominance. It was viewed best not in the general pattern of the game, but in the moments. West Ham’s players were rarely caught in possession, but Derby’s were, forced into rushed passes or misguided adventures down blind alleys. It is that ability to make decisions and execute technically testing actions under pressure that separates best from rest.

To overcome those gaps, the underdog needs to get the basics right; Derby didn’t. Set-piece and open play crosses were overhit or delivered into Alphonse Areola’s gloves. Occasionally two extra touches or one extra pass were taken to slow down the risk to West Ham’s defence. Slowly, that breaks a team’s belief in upset. For the last 20 minutes, the visitors played with their opponent’s at an arm’s length and with a firm grip on the top of their head.

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Defeat will not dampen any spirit in these parts. A year before this tie, to the day, thousands of Derby County supporters marched from the city to the stadium ahead of a Championship fixture against Birmingham City. A club stood on the brink of extinction and this was the final gesture of defiance and vain hope. Days later, Derby were saved by David Clowes and Derby started its journey back from the cliff edge.

Championship football departed, Wayne Rooney and then Leroy Rosenior did too. But Paul Warne was a coup for a League One club and, after a sticky first month in charge, he has them geared for a spring assault on the top two. Before Monday, Derby had gone 19 games unbeaten since a 1-0 defeat at Ipswich in October. They have seen worse than cup defeat to a better team.

For West Ham, a season to save. Their tie at Manchester United will be most likely squeezed between an EFL Cup final and a trip to Anfield and that creates opportunity if relegation fear has been eased in the interim. David Moyes has been honest about his – and his players’ – difficulty in replicating league form that began to decline almost exactly 12 months ago. They are not fixed yet but, as their supporters went through the playbook of chants for each player over the final 15 minutes, signs of healing at least.

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Tottenham could face Wrexham at the Racecourse Ground in the FA Cup fifth round if the National League club are able to overcome Championship Sheffield United in their fourth round replay.

John Egan’s 95th-minute equaliser secured the Blades a 3-3 draw in north Wales and ensured they are still in the hat, though as the only remaining non-league side in the competition, Wrexham will be eyeing the continuance of their Hollywood story against Premier League opposition.

Having beaten Chelsea and Arsenal to get here, Manchester City will now face second-tier opponents after being drawn away to Bristol City, while Manchester United will host either Derby County or West Ham at Old Trafford following their victory over Reading.

There are several replays to be completed, including Luton Town vs Grimsby, with the winner facing Southampton at St Mary’s – that could mean a reunion with the Hatters for their former boss Nathan Jones.

Manchester United will play the winner of Derby vs West Ham and Manchester City travel to Bristol City. Leicester City, who have only played League Two opposition so far, come up against a sterner test in Blackburn or Birmingham, while Brighton’s reward for knocking out holders Liverpool is an away tie at Stoke City.

Elsewhere there could be a repeat of the 1973 FA Cup final if Sunderland make it past Fulham, the winner playing Leeds United.

Ipswich or Burnley have been drawn against Sheffield Wednesday or Fleetwood Town.

Spurs breezed through to the last 16 after a comfortable 3-0 victory over Preston, with Son Heung-min ending a barren run with a couple of trademark efforts on his ‘weaker’ left foot.

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United, Spurs and City are regarded as the three leading candidates to win the competition according to the bookies, with Brighton, Leicester, Leeds and Southampton the other Premier League sides through. They could be joined by West Ham and Fulham.

That trio of clubs are regarded as the three leading candidates to win the competition according to the bookies, with Brighton, Leicester, Leeds and Southampton the other Premier League sides through. They could be joined by West Ham and Fulham.

Draw in full

• Southampton vs Luton or Grimsby
• Leicester vs Blackburn or Birmingham
• Stoke City vs Brighton
• Wrexham or Sheffield United vs Spurs
• Fulham or Sunderland vs Leeds
• Bristol City vs Manchester City
• Manchester United vs Derby or West Ham
• Ipswich or Burnley vs Sheffield Wednesday or Fleetwood

The FA Cup fifth round ties will take place in the week commencing Monday 27 February. Exact dates TBC and dependent on TV coverage.

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The emotional goodbye Pedro Porro waved to Sporting fans on Saturday was a premature one, with his proposed move to Tottenham all but collapsing on the penultimate day of the transfer window.

Spurs first identified the right wing-back as a target in the first half of the season, the 23-year-old impressing in the Champions League group stage matches between the two clubs in which Sporting took four points off Antonio Conte’s side.

However, after close to three weeks of negotiations, Sporting are understood to have pulled the plug on the transfer despite the player’s plans to travel to London on Monday to complete paperwork and undergo a medical. A deal was initially held up while he played in the weekend’s Taca da Liga final defeat to Porto, but it was previously accepted he would leave and be replaced with Barcelona’s Hector Bellerin, formerly of Spurs’ north London rivals Arsenal.

Talks over Porro had centred on a €45m (£39.5m) release clause, as Spurs had initially hoped to offer a staggered deal including add-ons. Sporting are notoriously tough negotiators and asked for the release clause to be paid in full, with additional reports suggesting who paid the administration fees was a further sticking point.

There has been further confusion surrounding the release clause, which is believed to have expired before the end of the January window. Had the clause still been active, Sporting president Frederico Varanda would not have been able to block Porro’s exit.

Manchester City also inserted a buy-back clause in his contract when they sold the full-back last year, though even with Joao Cancelo on the verge of a loan switch to Bayern Munich there is no indication they are intending to trigger it.

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Tottenham have not given up hope of thrashing out a deal before Tuesday’s deadline, especially as signing Porro would kickstart some of the other business deemed essential by Conte this January – including a loan for Djed Spence, who is wanted on a short-term basis by at least three Premier League clubs and who was left out of the squad for the FA Cup victory over Preston North End on Saturday.

How Porro talks collapsed

• January 2022: Antonio Conte first makes it known he is in the market for a new right-back, raising reservations about Emerson Royal’s form
• Summer 2022: Spurs prioritise a new right-back but are able to sign Richarlison, Yves Bissouma, Fraser Forster, Destiny Udogie (loaned back to Serie A), Clement Lenglet and Ivan Perisic. Djed Spence is brought in at right-back after spending the 2021-22 season on loan at Nottingham Forest
• July 2022: Conte admits “the club decided to buy” Spence and publicly suggests he did not choose the full-back, who he is yet to start a game for the club
• September-October 2022: Porro impresses Tottenham officials, playing 90 minutes in both Sporting’s 2-0 win and the 1-1 draw between the two teams in the Champions League group stages
• December 2022: While the majority of senior players are away at the Qatar World Cup, Spurs prepare a January bid, identifying Porro as one of their chief targets for the winter window
• January 2023: Tottenham enter negotiations, initially reluctant to pay a £39.5m release clause and aware that the player wants to move to north London
• 19 January: Spurs plan a series of instalments and progress is being made, though Sporting would prefer the whole of the £39.5m up front
• 22 January: Talks are advancing after a fresh move and despite conflict over the fee, there is apparent agreement Porro will be a Tottenham player by the end of the month
• 28 January: Spurs believe they have a verbal agreement in place with Sporting and prepare for Porro to arrive at Hotspur Way on Monday 30 January
• 30 January: Deal off. The release clause is said to have expired and Sporting are now demanding in excess of the original £39.5m, refusing to allow Porro to leave

Without Porro, it would leave Conte with his existing options of Emerson Royal and Matt Doherty, neither of whom he has been convinced by. Talks over a new deal for Conte have stalled while he waited to see how active the club would be in January, and his current contract expires in June when he is widely expected to leave north London.

There is also uncertainty surrounding managing director Fabio Paratici, who hired Conte, after he was hit with a 30-month ban from football-related activity in Italy over alleged false accounting. It has not yet been confirmed whether his suspension will apply in England.

Daniel Levy would then continue to oversee transfer business this summer, though Spurs have also relied on agencies in the past. They are set to pursue a long-term replacement for Hugo Lloris and a new centre-back, with the versatile Piero Hincapie of Bayer Leverkusen a player of interest.

Loanee Arnaut Danjuma has been Tottenham’s only addition so far and with several of their long-term targets midfielders or forwards, there is no immediate alternative to Porro. Bryan Gil will be joining Sevilla on loan, having been overtaken by Danjuma in the pecking order despite impressing since the World Cup.

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The calls and messages have started already.

Newcastle United may still be 90 minutes from Wembley – far enough for Eddie Howe to spend the weekend warning his players of the dire consequences of the twin threats of complacency and surrendering to caution by trying to protect their one goal first leg advantage – but fans are already jockeying for position for their Carabao Cup final tickets.

One secondary ticketing site is advertising guaranteed tickets for nearly £700 and have apparently taken a few calls from the North East. Whether anyone bites at the £2,000 hospitality ticket they’re offering is unclear but the League Cup feels the hottest ticket on Tyneside, where St James’ Park could have been sold out three times over for Tuesday night’s visit of Southampton in the semi-final second leg.

For Newcastle, it is 47 years since their last League Cup final. Manchester United, who thrashed Nottingham Forest 3-0 at the City Ground in the first leg, were last in the final six years ago, but Erik Ten Hag has the club’s longest trophy drought for 40 years to bring to an end. Their second leg is laden with significance.

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“Potentially season-defining,” admitted Newcastle boss Howe on Monday. He spoke of channelling the fervour of St James’ Park, where fans will bring scarves and flags to whip up an atmosphere. It feels like, after a period of decline that reached its nadir when Arsene Wenger contended that winning the League Cup would not qualify as ending his trophy drought in 2010, the competition is very much alive and kicking again.

The timing of the League Cup in the calendar enables it to hit that sweet spot of being ripe for unheralded teams to make an impact while also being taken seriously by the big hitters. Birmingham, Swansea and Middlesbrough have won it in the last 20 years while Bradford City, Cardiff, Bolton and Sunderland have all made the final. But since 2014 the winners have emerged from the heavyweight division: Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool.

Perhaps we should make the most of it while it lasts. Change is coming and from next year the competition could look very different.

As a result of the shake-up of the Champions League format to a so-called Swiss model that guarantees the 36 qualifiers eight first round matches and hoovers up 12 mid-weeks before Christmas rather than the six currently set aside for the competition, changes to the look of the 2024-25 fixture list are unavoidable.

The debate currently raging among the game’s decision-makers is how to accommodate those extra European games in the calendar and predictably it is the Carabao Cup that is in the crosshairs.

Some of the more left-field proposals being talked about so far range from scrapping the competition outright to allowing clubs that qualify for the Champions League to field under-23 sides until the semi-final stages, turning the League Cup into nothing more than a glorified Papa John’s Trophy.

Nothing has been agreed yet but one thing is almost certain: if the format changes significantly along those lines, it will be the death knell for a competition with a rich history. The Europa League prize for the winners would inevitably disappear and soon enough, the interest of the rest of the Premier League would vanish too.

The EFL is fighting any changes. Without a vibrant League Cup, their TV offering declines substantially – and the rights package is up for renewal in the next 12 months. They know many of their member clubs would suffer for the loss of potential revenue that Cup ties with big hitters bring. But the suspicion is that for many clubs now in the hands of owners with little respect for English football’s traditions, it is expendable.

It was put to Howe by i that the League Cup is on the endangered list. “I would be against changes to the League Cup – I think it’s had a new lease of life in recent years,” he said.

“Because it’s played early and you’re still forming your team, your rhythm and how you’re going to play through the season I think it’s taken on more importance in recent years.

“I enjoy the format, I enjoy the two-legged semi-finals. The two-legged semi-finals are something different and there’s uniqueness to the cup that has served it well over the years.

“I’d love to see it carry on as it is.” It is a trophy worth winning and a tradition worth fighting for.

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The draw for the fifth round of the FA Cup takes place this evening, with non-league Wrexham joined by the likes of Manchester City and Manchester United in the pot.

The Welsh club – owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney – will have to win a replay away at Sheffield United to secure their place, after a dramatic 3-3 draw on Sunday.

But if they pull off an upset they could be rewarded with a trip to a Premier League giant.

Manchester City became the first team in the hat after their 1-0 win over title rivals Arsenal.

They were joined by Tottenham as two goals from Son Heung-min and one from debutant Arnaut Danjuma helped them past Preston North End, while Manchester United saw off 10-man Reading.

Leicester and Leeds also dispatched lower-league opposition on the road, before Southampton saw off Blackpool in Mick McCarthy’s first game in charge.

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But in perhaps the biggest result of the weekend, Roberto de Zerbi’s Brighton downed Liverpool for the second time in two weeks thanks to Kaoru Mitoma’s late winner, heaping more misery on the Merseyside club.

Five of the seven Saturday 3pm kick-offs ended in a draw, including League Two Grimsby coming back to draw 2-2 with Championship Luton.

The pick of the 3pm kick-offs was Fulham’s 1-1 tie with Sunderland, which was nearly won at the death by 15-year-old Chris Rigg, although the goal was disallowed.

When is the FA Cup fifth-round draw?

The fifth-round draw will take place at 7pm GMT on Monday 30 January, ahead of the final fourth-round clash between Derby and West Ham.

It will be broadcast live during The One Show on BBC One. You can also stream it on the BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website.

Jermaine Jenas will be hosting, alongside singer Ronan Keating and Welsh presenter Alex Jones.

Who is in the draw?

Here are the ball numbers for tonight’s draw:

1. Tottenham
2. Southampton
3. Wrexham or Sheffield United
4. Ipswich Town or Burnley
5. Manchester United
6. Luton Town or Grimsby Town
7. Derby County or West Ham
8. Stoke City
9. Blackburn Rovers or Birmingham City
10. Leicester City
11. Sheffield Wednesday or Fleetwood Town
12. Manchester City
13. Bristol City
14. Brighton
15. Fulham or Sunderland
16. Leeds

When is the FA Cup fifth round?

The fifth-round fixtures will be played from Wednesday 1 March, with exact dates to be confirmed once the draw is completed.

The quarter-finals will begin on Saturday 18 March, with the semi-finals on the weekend of 22 April at Wembley.

The 2023 FA Cup final will be played on Saturday 3 June, also at Wembley. This is slightly later than usual due to the season being disrupted by the winter World Cup.

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There was a familiar resignation to Jurgen Klopp after Liverpool’s second defeat to Brighton in three weeks. The rapidly-aging German had the downtrodden yet exasperated air of a stepfather desperately doing his best, only for the baying press pack to remind him he isn’t their real dad.

“There’s no other way than to fight through” came the blunt assessment of how his side can escape the ever-deepening hole they continue to dig.

For Klopp, bolstered by seven years of goodwill and the Freedom of the City of Liverpool, perhaps that is true. For the club’s potentially outgoing ownership and much-changed leadership, it may not be.

Liverpool appear unwavering on Klopp’s position, and the possibly injury-induced rot would have to continue until at least the end of this season for his job to come under serious consideration. But with Liverpool 10 points off the top four, out of both domestic cups and staring down Champions League holders Real Madrid in the last 16, even the German’s most ardent fan would have to admit that things are currently only going in one direction.

This squad has already enjoyed significant investment but requires an entirely new midfield and defensive reinforcements in the very near future. If a statement signing like Jude Bellingham or Enzo Fernandez were to occur, then the ownership would need to be very sure that Klopp, as much as any potential player, was still worth investing in.

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Klopp has undoubtedly earned the right to fight, but whether it is best for both him and the club is increasingly uncertain. Andy Robertson looked just as forlorn as his manager post-match when he admitted that for all their work over the World Cup break, his side have probably got worse.

If Liverpool were to look elsewhere, then Brighton’s new boss has had the best possible series of auditions. Three of Roberto de Zerbi’s 17 matches in charge have come against Klopp, starting with the 3-3 draw at Anfield in his first game. The 3-0 shellacking earlier this month was, by Klopp’s assessment, Liverpool’s worst loss of his tenure, and yesterday’s 2-1 smash-and-grab highlighted a completely different yet equally impressive skillset.

Long the hipsters’ choice for every big job, De Zerbi’s tactical brilliance has often been lauded, but he also possesses similar off-field attributes to Klopp.

While gegenpressing has defined the Klopp era on the Anfield turf, the ex-Dortmund boss’ significance pervades throughout Liverpool as a city. Independent and outspoken, often against the footballing establishment, it has often been said that the Stuttgart-born coach is as scouse as they come.

De Zerbi is blessed with a similar rebel spirit and moral conscience. Offered a swift exit from Ukraine when war broke out, the Italian refused to leave until all his international Shakhtar Donetsk players and their families has been safely evacuated.

Brighton vs Liverpool player ratings

By Michael Hincks, i sports journalist

Brighton: Steele 6; Lamptey 7, Dunk 7, Webster 6, Estupinan 6; March 6, Gross 6, Mac Allister 7, Mitoma 8; Ferguson 6, Welbeck 6. Subs: Veltman 6, Gilmour 6, Undav n/a.

Liverpool: Alisson 6, Alexander-Arnold 6, Konate 7, Gomez 6, Robertson 6, Bajcetic 6, Thiago 6, Keita 5, Elliott 7, Salah 7, Gakpo 6. Subs: Henderson 6, Milner 6, Nunez 6, Jones 6, Fabinho n/a.

And at Brighton, De Zerbi has unearthed new talent in a squad most believed Graham Potter already had playing at the outer limits of its ability.

Kaoru Mitoma is perhaps this season’s breakout star, with four goals in his last five games, having never started a Premier League game before De Zerbi took over. Eighteen-year-old Evan Ferguson, who played just 22 league minutes under Potter, has three goals and two assists in his last five matches.

His sides possess a similar gangbusting spirit to Klopp’s Liverpool in their destructive prime, although there are marked differences. But at Sassuolo, Shakhtar and now Brighton, De Zerbi has proven that he can thrive in multiple vastly different environments and rapidly implement a successful tactical system.

The disparity between the theory they are attempting to implement and the grim reality for Liverpool’s disjointed and dysfunctional squad is massive and incredibly hard to diagnose. Sometimes all it takes is fresh perspective to see what other cannot, and de Zerbi would undoubtedly provide that for Liverpool.

It is not quite time for Jurgen to be unceremoniously directed to the big manager’s office in the sky just yet, but Brighton’s new boss provides a potentially perfect replacement if, or when, he is.

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Brighton 2-1 Liverpool (Dunk 39′, Mitoma 90+2′ | Elliott 30′)

AMEX STADIUM — Jurgen Klopp, his countenance glazed, stood motionless as the Brighton celebrations teed off under his nose. He had been here before, of course, just a fortnight ago at this very ground. Perhaps he is reconciled to this kind of outcome, adjusted to the new reality embracing his once swashbuckling team.

This wasn’t the emphatic trouncing to which Liverpool were subject in the Premier League. Yet it was just as painful since Kaoru Mitoma’s goal in added time cut off one more route to a trophy.

Liverpool are still alive in the Champions League, but what is that worth if they can’t deal with Brighton in the FA Cup? And that is not to insult the Albion, who after all sit above Liverpool in the Premier League. Rather it is to establish the measure of how far Liverpool have fallen in so short a time. As deserving a victory as this was, Brighton are some way from the stratospheric lane in which Liverpool travelled in the high Klopp period.

Teams are like any organism, they pass through cycles. The great Klopp apotheosis has passed. It is now a question of renewal, recognising which elements to tweak and whether the gegenpresser of lore has the appetite for it.

There is no obvious suggestion that the intensity with which Klopp is associated is fading. Then again Bill Shankly’s retirement came out of a clear blue sky two months after lifting the FA Cup in 1974. At least he left with a pot in the cabinet. The exit of Kenny Dalglish was even more shocking, walking away from the old Anfield Boot Room one February morning in 1991 with the defending champions three points clear at the top of the table.

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Klopp made only one change yesterday to encourage familiarity, to establish patterns and boost rhythm. It is not easy with so much of the superstructure under repair at the same time. Mo Salah looks adrift in a front line excluding Robert Firmino and Sadio Mane. The chance he spurned in the 24th minute when clean through on goal would have been swallowed up in the recent past.

Cody Gakpo might be a player one day but in this present iteration offers none of the connecting threads or playmaker capabilities of Firmino. On the left, Elliott is not the optimal choice and therefore seriously sub-Mane in that role, and for that matter sub-Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota too.

He is infinitely better in the Firmino role. Indeed, it was his pass that fed Salah, and his finish that put Liverpool ahead from that very part of the pitch. But Liverpool have spent 140 million quid on two centre forwards, neither of whom is experienced enough to carry the responsibility of leading the Liverpool line. Darwin Nunez, an £80m apprentice, has fallen behind new January arrival Cody Gakpo.

The big No.9 appears back in fashion. The problem is with Gakpo filling that part of the pitch here Liverpool did not get as much out of Elliott as they might, despite his goal, and it was he who made way for Nunez during the first wave of substitutions on the hour.

Of equal concern is a Liverpool midfield that is wholly undernourished. You might argue Klopp has never replaced Gini Wijnaldum, who combined industry, mobility and touch. Jordan Henderson, at 32, is rarely a starter.

Liverpool results in 2023

• Brentford 3-1 Liverpool (2 Jan)
• Liverpool 2-2 Wolves (7 Jan)
• Brighton 3-0 Liverpool (14 Jan)
• Wolves 0-1 Liverpool (17 Jan)
• Liverpool 0-0 Chelsea (21 Jan)
• Brighton 2-1 Liverpool (29 Jan)

This leaves Klopp with Naby Keita, who has failed to make the transition from Bundesliga to Premier League, and the callow legs of Stefan Bajcetic, perhaps one rolled-down-socks jockey too many alongside Thiago Alcantara at this stage of the renewal.

Liverpool are not awful, they have simply lost their exceptionalism. Though they led Liverpool would have fallen behind had Evan Ferguson a cooler head when presented with a free shot at goal. He beat Alisson Becker easily enough but picked out Trent Alexander-Arnold at the near post. It was another example of Liverpool’s porous nature, couching up as many chances as they create. Brighton would eventually gain a reward before the break from a poorly defended corner when Lewis Dunk deflected Tariq Lamptey’s errant pile-driver past Allison.

When Klopp sought the winner the call went out to old legs, 37-year-old James Milner considered a better option than Alexander-Arnold, as pure a symbol of Liverpool’s decline as any you could imagine. Alexander-Arnold embodied the bold, raw energy of the heavy metal football that became Klopp’s motif at Borussia Dortmund and the refined attacking version that saw Liverpool claim a sixth Champions League crown in 2019 and eclipse Manchester City in the Premier League the following season.

That team is gone. The return of Diaz, Jota, Firmino and Virgil van Dijk would improve Klopp’s selection here but not restore the lost majesty of the peak Klopp creation. Liverpool sit ninth in the Premier League and are out of both cups. There is no glossing that.

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Brighton 2-1 Liverpool (Dunk 39′, Mitoma 90+2′ | Elliott 30′)

Revenge was the word of the day at the Amex Stadium just 15 days after Liverpool’s Premier League defeat at Brighton, but ultimately the FA Cup holders crashed out after Kaoru Mitoma’s injury-time winner.

Harvey Elliott had given the visitors the lead on 30 minutes, but Brighton were level by half-time after Lewis Dunk unintentionally – although he may say otherwise – turned in teammate Tariq Lamptey’s shot.

With a replay seemingly minutes away, Mitoma then did superbly to leave Joe Gomez in a spin and rifle home from close range late on. Brighton march on, while another trophy evades Liverpool this season.

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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp made one change from last weekend’s 0-0 draw against Chelsea, with Trent Alexander-Arnold returning, while it was four changes from the starting XI that lost at Brighton a fortnight ago.

Meanwhile, Brighton made four changes, with Moises Caicedo absent after the club rejected a bid from Arsenal for the midfielder, who revealed his desire to leave on social media and “bring in a record transfer fee” for the Seagulls.

“Moises is a good guy, we will see tomorrow and the next days what happens,” Brighton boss Roberto de Zerbi told ITV before the match.

“We hope he stays with us until the end of the season. In life you can make mistakes. For everyone there are many solutions. We will see the best solution for him and for us.”

An end-to-end encounter unfolded in the first half, with the hosts out to test this Liverpool defence early on, while Mohamed Salah was looking sharp down the other end.

The clearest chance in the opening 15 minutes fell to Evan Ferguson, though, with Alexander-Arnold on hand to make the crucial goalline clearance with Alisson Becker well beaten.

Brighton vs Liverpool player ratings

Brighton: Steele 6; Lamptey 7, Dunk 7, Webster 6, Estupinan 6; March 6, Gross 6, Mac Allister 7, Mitoma 8; Ferguson 6, Welbeck 6. Subs: Veltman 6, Gilmour 6, Undav n/a.

Liverpool: Alisson 6, Alexander-Arnold 6, Konate 7, Gomez 6, Robertson 6, Bajcetic 6, Thiago 6, Keita 5, Elliott 7, Salah 7, Gakpo 6. Subs: Henderson 6, Milner 6, Nunez 6, Jones 6, Fabinho n/a.

Salah was then guilty of missing a one-on-one after Elliott’s fine through ball, with the former trickling a shot wide, but when it was roles reversed the teenager made no mistake.

After Naby Keita’s handball went unpunished – with VAR not overturning the referee’s decision to play on – this time Salah picked out Elliott, whose effort snuck under Brighton goalkeeper Jason Steele.

The lead lasted all of nine minutes, with Lamptey’s long-range effort flicking off teammate Dunk, who was standing just inside the penalty area, and wrongfooting Alisson.

Both Lamptey and Dunk wheeled off in celebration, but the goal was awarded to the latter as ITV co-commentator Ally McCoist deliberated over whether the defender had meant this goalscoring touch.

Brighton are level – but Lamptey or Dunk… whose goal was it?@OfficialBHAFC | @EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/lwQAmuldw9

— ITV Football (@itvfootball) January 29, 2023

After the break, Kaoru Mitoma emerged as the most threatening player, with the Japan international almost sneaking behind Alexander-Arnold when a cross came in.

Mitoma continued to look dangerous down the left, while Alexander-Arnold was left perplexed when both Salah and Cody Gakpo attacked one of his crosses and got in each other’s way.

Alexander-Arnold looked even more perplexed when his number was put up, with James Milner replacing him at right-back just before the hour-mark as Darwin Nunez and Jordan Henderson were also introduced in a triple substitution.

Milner then channelled his inner Alexander-Arnold with a fine cross from deep for Salah, who was unable to get a shot away despite finding himself a yard of space inside the Brighton area.

Dunk then earned one of the more blatant yellow cards of the season when pulling the shirt of Gakpo, who was hoping to break the final line of Brighton’s defence after a lung-busting run.

It was a sign that Liverpool were back on top after the substitutions, but was typical of this topsy-turvy match it was Brighton who went closest next when Mitoma’s outside-of-the-boot cross found Solly March, whose shot was saved by Alisson before the rebound went wide.

A contentious moment saw Ibrahima Konate barge into Alexis Mac Allister as the final man for Liverpool, but referee David Coote saw no wrongdoing, while VAR could not intervene as the incident occurred outside the area.

At the death, it was Mitoma who popped up with the winner, leaving Liverpool stunned but ultimately scoring the goal his performance deserved.

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