Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe is facing increasing pressure to overhaul his starting line-up following a damaging 3-2 home defeat by Everton.

The Magpies succumbed to a late loss at St James’ Park, a result that leaves them languishing in 13th place in the Premier League table.

Everton snatched victory moments after Jacob Murphy had equalised, capitalizing on a defensive error to secure the points.

Defensive frailties expose Magpies

Anthony Gordon surrendered possession in a critical area before Thierno Barry bundled home the winner for the visitors.

It was a pivotal moment that highlighted the team’s fragility during a campaign that has fallen well below expectations.

That defeat saw Howe’s side drop below fierce North East rivals Sunderland and drift 15 points adrift of the Champions League places.

While the club has progressed in Europe, their domestic form has raised serious questions about the manager’s selection loyalty.

Gordon and Elanga under scrutiny

The England international has started 20 league games this term but has registered just one non-penalty goal.

Despite Howe’s patience, the former Everton winger’s output has failed to justify his continued selection.

Nick Woltemade is another figure struggling for form, having failed to impress in either a forward role or when deployed in midfield.

Anthony Elanga, a high-profile arrival from Nottingham Forest, has also yet to deliver value for the significant fee paid in the summer.

Changes required for United test

Newcastle face Manchester United next, a fixture that could prove decisive for the manager’s long-term future.

Howe has viable options on the bench, with Harvey Barnes and Joe Willock pushing for inclusion in the starting XI.

Jacob Murphy, Yoane Wissa, and William Osula also featured as substitutes against the Toffees and could offer fresh energy.

With the pressure mounting, a comprehensive reshuffle may be the only way to arrest the club’s alarming slide.

Lionel Messi has declined an invitation to the White House to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, citing a scheduling conflict for his absence.

Scheduling conflict prevents attendance

The Inter Miami captain released a statement explaining why he could not accept the United States’ highest civilian honour in person.

President Joe Biden had included the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner on a list of 19 distinguished leaders to be recognised before the end of his term.

However, the former Barcelona forward was unable to join fellow honourees, including Denzel Washington and Magic Johnson, in Washington D.C. on 5 January.

In a statement regarding his absence, the Argentine World Cup winner expressed his gratitude despite being unable to travel.

It’s a great honour to receive this recognition. I’m truly grateful for it.

Unfortunately, I have a prior commitment and won’t be able to attend the ceremony at the White House on January 4. But I deeply appreciate this gesture.

Impact in the United States

It is understood that no representative was sent in the player’s place, meaning his name was not read out during the ceremony.

The White House had intended to recognise the veteran forward not only for his sporting prowess but for his humanitarian work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

Since moving to Major League Soccer in 2023, the attacker has transformed the profile of the sport in North America.

His on-field contributions helped secure the Leagues Cup and the Supporters’ Shield for the Florida-based franchise.

A further statement clarified that FIFA had originally informed Inter Miami of the award in late December.

Leo, through the club, sent a letter to the White House saying that he feels deeply honoured and that it is a great privilege to receive this recognition.

But that due to scheduling conflicts and prior commitments, he will not be able to attend. He thanked the gesture and noted that he hopes to have the opportunity to meet with him in the near future.

Liverpool have overhauled their set-piece strategy under Arne Slot to spark a dramatic turnaround in proficiency, highlighted by three corner goals against West Ham.

The Reds secured a comprehensive 5-2 victory over the Hammers at the weekend, with dead-ball situations proving decisive in the first half.

"Our setup is slightly different, but the biggest reason is that things have gone back to normal," Slot explained following the result.

This sudden effectiveness marks a significant shift for the Merseyside club.

Seven of Liverpool’s last nine Premier League goals have come from set-pieces, with five of those resulting specifically from corners.

It represents a stark contrast to the first half of the campaign, where the Anfield side briefly held the statistically worst set-play record across Europe’s top five leagues.

Coaching reshuffle at Anfield

The transformation coincides with a change in the backroom staff dynamic.

Following the departure of set-piece coach Aaron Briggs at the end of December, the club has opted against appointing an external replacement.

Instead, Slot has taken personal responsibility for the routines alongside his assistants Sipke Hulshoff and Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

Lewis Mahoney, the club’s set-piece analyst, has also been afforded a more prominent voice in the tactical planning.

This collective approach has yielded immediate dividends, moving the team from the bottom of the rankings to one of the division’s elite in a matter of weeks.

Embracing the aerial bombardment

The tactical adjustment has seen the Dutch head coach embrace a league-wide trend toward inswinging deliveries.

While Slot admitted relying on such methods might hurt his "football heart", the pragmatic shift has been undeniable.

The Reds are now targeting the six-yard box to create chaos, a strategy notably mastered by title rivals Arsenal.

Premier League data indicates that 81% of corners are now inswingers, a sharp rise from previous seasonal averages of around 59%.

"If you can’t beat them, join them," appears to be the mantra, with offensive teams now placing an average of 3.25 players in the six-yard box.

This crowding tactic restricts goalkeepers and reduces the likelihood of them making clean contact with the ball.

Liverpool were considered late adopters of this heavy-traffic approach but have now fully integrated the method into their attacking armoury.

The recent uptick suggests that accepting the Premier League’s physical reality is the most sustainable path forward for Slot’s tenure.

Tottenham players face wage reductions of up to 50% if the club are relegated from the Premier League due to clauses inserted into contracts by former chairman Daniel Levy.

Financial safeguards could cost stars

The north London club are currently just four points above the relegation zone following a defeat by Fulham on Sunday.

That result marked a fourth consecutive loss for the team, who have remained winless in the league since 28 December.

Reports suggest that nearly every member of the first-team squad has a mandatory pay cut clause written into their current deal.

These stipulations were largely implemented during the tenure of Levy to protect the club’s financial stability in the event of dropping into the Championship.

Tudor struggles to halt slide

While viewed as a distant precautionary measure at the time, the club’s recent slide has made the activation of these clauses a realistic possibility.

Current head coach Igor Tudor was brought in to replace Thomas Frank, who was only appointed to the role last summer.

However, the Croatian manager has lost both of his opening matches in charge at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The capital club are facing the prospect of falling into England’s second tier for the first time since 1977.

Recent history and new arrivals

Spurs flirted with danger last season under Ange Postecoglou, finishing 17th in the table.

Despite the low finish, the team remained 13 points clear of the drop zone due to the significant point gap to the bottom three.

Since Levy’s departure, the club have added Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid and Brazilian prospect Sousa from Santos.

England midfielder Gallagher returned to London in January on a contract that established him as the club’s highest earner.

Manager demands more effort

Following the recent defeat at Craven Cottage, Tudor publicly questioned the application and physical effort of his squad.

“When you are in a bad moment, you put the players, but then you lack defending, running and winning the duels,” said Tudor.

The former Marseille boss admitted he is searching for a solution to arrest the club’s alarming form.

“So what to do? That’s the big question in the future. To choose what is right for this team. To find a formula, what we want to be, what we can be in this moment.”

Tottenham have been fined €30,000 (£26,200) and handed a suspended ban from selling tickets to away fans after supporters made Nazi salutes during a Champions League match.

The sanction follows a Uefa investigation into discriminatory behaviour during the fixture against Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany.

European football’s governing body found three supporters guilty of the offensive gestures inside Deutsche Bank Park.

Probationary period

The ban on selling tickets to away supporters has been suspended for a probationary period of one year.

This restriction will be triggered immediately should there be a repeat of the racist behaviour by the club’s followers.

Spurs have also received a separate fine of €2,250 (£1,965) relating to the throwing of objects during the same fixture.

crowd conduct

The north London club secured a victory in the match itself, helping to seal their automatic qualification to the last 16 of the competition.

However, the behaviour of a minority of the travelling contingent has marred the European campaign.

Uefa’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body holds a strict zero-tolerance policy regarding racist or discriminatory conduct in stadiums.

Jurrien Timber has urged his Arsenal team-mates to address the anxiety threatening their Premier League title bid following a tense victory over Chelsea.

The Gunners restored a five-point advantage over Manchester City at the summit with a 2-1 win at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

Mikel Arteta’s side secured the points despite a late scare against a Chelsea team reduced to 10 men following Pedro Neto’s dismissal.

David Raya was forced into a crucial stoppage-time save to deny Alejandro Garnacho, while Liam Delap saw a late equaliser ruled out for offside inside a nervous stadium.

Nerves at the Emirates

Timber, who scored the decisive goal, acknowledges the tension transferred from the stands to the pitch during the closing stages.

“You feel it, especially at the end,” admitted the Dutch international.

“We stopped playing, which was unnecessary, especially when we had a man up.”

The former Ajax defender believes this psychological hurdle is becoming a recurring theme during the run-in.

“It is something we need to work on, and talk about as well,” he added.

“It is part of the game, the energy within the players, the crowd, the anxiety. It’s something we need to address and talk about, but we handled it well today.”

Fighting on four fronts

Arsenal travel to Brighton on Wednesday as they navigate the final nine matches of a campaign that could end a 22-year wait for the league title.

The north London club remain in contention for a quadruple, with a Carabao Cup final against Manchester City scheduled for later this month.

They have also progressed to the last 16 of both the Champions League and the FA Cup.

“From the beginning of the season every performance and every three points count,” said Timber.

“At the same time, I heard it is just nine games to go, but it feels like we are still so far off because we are playing in the Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup.”

“There are so many games to play, and if we look too far ahead it becomes a bit too much. So for now, we recover and look at Brighton.”

John Souttar believes Rangers supporters are entitled to question the team’s mentality after surrendering a two-goal lead against Celtic but has urged them to reserve judgment until the end of the campaign.

Two goals from Youssef Chermiti had given the hosts a commanding advantage during a dominant first-half display in the Old Firm derby.

However, the visitors rallied after the break with strikes from Kieran Tierney and Reo Hatate securing a share of the spoils at Ibrox.

The result leaves Danny Rohl’s side six points adrift of league leaders Heart of Midlothian at a pivotal stage of the title race.

Souttar accepts criticism following stalemate

Rangers have now drawn four of their previous six fixtures and could slip to third place depending on midweek results involving Celtic and Aberdeen.

“Of course that’s going to be the question,” Souttar admitted when asked about the squad’s psychological resilience to get over the line.

“What I can say is that we need to be judged at the end of the season because there are nine games left.”

The 29-year-old Scotland international acknowledged that fan frustration is a natural response to the current run of form.

“If I was a fan looking just now, I’d be asking the same questions,” he added.

‘We cannot afford slip-ups’

Consistency has plagued the Light Blues recently, having been accused of switching off during a draw with ten-man Motherwell at Fir Park.

Momentum was further stalled by dropping points away to bottom side Livingston, who have managed just one victory all season.

“We’ve got to be really clean in the next nine games,” the centre-back insisted.

“We’ve got to stand up and we’ve got to win and we can’t afford slip-ups.”

With the gap to the summit sitting at six points, the former Hearts defender knows their destiny is partially out of their hands.

“Obviously Hearts are six points ahead, so it’s up to them and we’ve got to hope they drop points and we’ve got to win every game.”

Replicating the first-half display

Souttar has called on his teammates to replicate the aggressive, high-tempo football shown in the opening 45 minutes against their city rivals for the remainder of the league campaign.

“There’s no point doing it for 45 to 50 minutes,” he explained regarding the team’s intensity.

“We’ve got to keep that going for the full game and, yes, there’ll be periods where we can’t do that the full game.”

Danny Rohl’s men face Celtic again this Sunday in the Scottish Cup quarter-final at Ibrox.

“Celtic are a good side, there’ll be moments when they have possession and it’s important then that we’re a bit more experienced,” Souttar concluded.

The world governing body finds itself in a delicate position following recent military actions by the United States involving Iran.

Iran are one of the 48 nations scheduled to compete in the tournament, with group matches currently planned on American soil.

Questions regarding the neutrality of the organisation have surfaced after Infantino appeared at the inaugural meeting of the ‘Board of Peace’.

The Swiss-Italian administrator was pictured wearing a red cap featuring ‘USA’ branding and recently awarded the US President a ‘FIFA Peace Prize’.

Security and logistical concerns

Beyond international relations, the expanded tournament faces domestic hurdles within the North American host nations.

There are growing concerns regarding trade tensions between the US administration and co-hosts Canada.

Furthermore, reports indicate that violence in Guadalajara, a Mexican host city, has escalated significantly just months before the event begins.

Financial stability for the venues is also under review.

The BBC previously reported that officials were warned of potential consequences if funding for 11 US host cities remains frozen amid a partial government shutdown.

FIFA monitors the situation

Despite the rising tensions, the governing body remains outwardly confident regarding the delivery and security of the event.

FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom addressed the situation at a recent International Football Association Board (IFAB) meeting in Wales.

“Everyone will be safe.”

Mattias Grafstrom, FIFA Secretary General

Grafstrom added that the organisation would continue to “monitor developments” closely as the countdown continues.

National associations are expected to seek concrete assurances regarding player and staff safety ahead of the tournament.