The EFL has released a statement revealing there was no consultation with the Football League before the decision to scrap FA Cup replays. An announcement was made this week to confirm the FA and Premier League had agreed to abolish FA Cup replays from next season, amid concerns over the congestion of the football calendar. The decision has been greeted with criticism in the lower leagues, who insist FA Cup replays provide teams down the pyramid with a chance to earn revenue through money-spinning ties.   The Premier League has agreed to greater funding for the lower tiers as a result, t ..read more

FA Cup replays have been scrapped in changes to the competition’s format ahead of the 2024/25 campaign. The news comes amid concerns over the congested nature of the football calendar, with all replays to be removed from the first round. Previously, there had been no replays from the fifth-round onwards. Football League sides had opposed the abolishment of FA Cup replays with the potential to miss out on high-revenue ties against clubs higher up the pyramid, though the chances come alongside an agreement between the FA and Premier League for greater support of the lower leagues.   Premie ..read more

Premier League clubs have unanimously voted to introduce semi-automated offside technology into the division next season. At a meeting between the 20 top-flight teams on Thursday, each of the Premier League clubs voted in favour of implementing the technology in the 2024/25 campaign.   Semi-automated offsides are already used in various competitions, including the Champions League, while a version of the technology, using a chip embedded inside the match ball, was implemented at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. It will also be used at Euro 2024 in Germany this summer. The decision of the clu ..read more

We’ve picked out some of the best and funniest tweets from Football Twitter over the past week.  Just when you need your barber to come in clutch, he pulls out a Raheem Sterling level clanger.  Me: "I've going to a big event tomorrow" My barber: pic.twitter.com/lxjiuPXqHx — Deng (@UTDDengv2) April 2, 2024 Money well spent.  I enjoyed the first few levels of this but then it started to go really, really weird. pic.twitter.com/o7wM1XGtju — Jonny Sharples (@JonnyGabriel) April 2, 2024 Remembering the three-way Premier League title races Why did Alan Shearer ever do to him? Do ..read more

Leicester require sales to avoid sanctions for breaching the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules, with the impact of the club’s shock relegation laid bare in their latest accounts. The Foxes have posted losses of £89.7m for the 2022/23 season, which followed financial figures of a club-record £92.5m loss in 2021/22. Given those figures account for the profits made from the big-name sales of Wesley Fofana (£75m) and James Maddison (£40m), it paints the picture of a club that must raise funds quickly to avoid large sanctions. Enzo Maresca’s side is pushing for promotion from the Ch ..read more

The new England kit has, regrettably, been front and centre of the interminable culture war this week.  Political leaders, pundits, keyboard warriors and columnists who haven’t written an original thought in years have all waded in, offering their tuppence on this confected quarrel. Nike, you see, had the temerity to alter the St. George’s cross and stick it on the collar of the new jersey. It was, in their words, a “playful update” to “unite and inspire”, but judging by the reaction on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, not in the way they hoped. A playful update to t ..read more

Before this season the Premier League had only ever dished out a points deduction on two occasions, but by the end of 2023/24 they may have handed out four of them this term alone.  Leicester City are the latest club to be sanctioned, despite being a Championship club, for an alleged breach of Profit and Sustainability Rules. Their case has been referred to an independent panel and their punishment will be learned in due course. This comes off the back of points deductions for both Everton and Nottingham Forest earlier this season, with the Toffees could lose more points following anothe ..read more

Gareth Southgate has limited time to prepare England for Euro 2024, a tournament the Three Lions will enter among the favourites for success. After near misses in recent tournaments, England appear in a strong position to challenge for drought-breaking success and a first trophy since lifting the FIFA World Cup in 1966. Southgate will have cemented much of his side in his mind, though there remain problem positions to solve in his first-choice XI. March’s fixtures with Brazil and Belgium offer a chance for experimentation and we’ve looked at the problem positions for England to solve before E ..read more

FA Cup quarter-finals: Five things we learned, featuring the magic of the cup, a heavyweight classic, and Manchester City’s midfield control. The FA Cup is still magic The FA Cup might not carry the same significance it once did to England’s elite, with the financial reward and exposure of the Champions League and Premier League having seen those competitions take centre stage. It remains, however, a fascinating competition and this season’s narrative has contained no shortage of unforgettable moments. Maidstone United’s run to round five caught the imagination, while the club’s conquerors, Co ..read more

FA Cup Team of the Week – Quarter-finals: An incredible weekend of FA Cup action saw Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, and Coventry City book their place in the semi-finals. Following the quarter-final action, we’ve selected our FA Cup Team of the Week. Goalkeeper: Andre Onana – Manchester United Onana might have conceded three goals but he kept Manchester United alive in the tie, making several big stops as Liverpool upped the pressure at Old Trafford. Two deflections caught out the Cameroonian for Liverpool’s first and third goals, while he will perhaps be disappointed with a flat ..read more